If you wish to bring your active card back and swap another in, this is where retreat cost comes into play. Weakness will tell which types your Pokémon is weak to and if additional damage is given per move. Resistance denotes which types your Pokémon will receive less damage from. Also listed will be its weakness, resistance and retreat cost.

On the card will also be its hit points (or HP), which denotes how much damage a Pokémon can take before being knocked out. For instance, a piplup card is considered 'Basic' (since it is the first of the evolution line), prinplup is 'stage 1' (since it evolves from piplup) and empoleon is 'stage 2' (since it evolves from prinplup). These denote a Pokémon's evolution stage. Any other damage or impacts will be listed underneath the individual move.Įach Pokémon will be classified as a basic, stage 1 or stage 2. To the right of these will be the amount of damage for each attack or ability. The types according to Bulbapedia:Īlthough there are 18 types in the video games, this is condensed for the trading card game, such as Ice being categorized under Water or Ghost being classified as Psychic.Īdditionally, there are two moves on the card, which can be attacks or abilities.

Each Pokémon has a type, one of 11 in the trading card game. Official Pokémon trading card game tournaments can even last over 12 hours.Īccording to the official Pokémon website, there are three types of cards in the Pokémon trading card game:Ĭharacter cards have the actual Pokémon on them. The duration of each Pokémon match depends on how quickly you can defeat your opponent, but play time can last for mere minutes or over one hour. The Pokémon trading card game's objective is to build the most powerful deck of Pokémon and battle by taking turns using attacks and abilities to defeat your opponent. Two players play at a time, each with a deck of 60 cards, says the official Pokémon website.

Just curious? We're here to answer your everyday questions. How many Pokémon are there? We counted every generation of Pokémon, including Arceus. Whether you're playing with a friend or competing in an official Play! Pokémon event, here is what you need to know to play Pokémon. The Pokémon trading card game is fun for all ages. Created in 1996 in Japan, the Pokémon franchise has delighted fans through its famous 'pocket monsters.' From animated television shows and movies to video games, stuffed plushes and toys, keeping up with Pokémon has definitely lived up to its slogan: 'Gotta catch 'em all!'īut, a staple in the world of Pokémon is its trading cards, and with 1008 Pokémon to collect, it may take some time before filling up your Pokédex and starting to battle.

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