Glossary
Active Pokemon: Your Pokemon that's in front of all of your other Pokemon. Only the Active Pokemon can attack.
attach: When you take a card from your hand and put it on one of your Pokemon in play.
attack: When your Active Pokemon fights your opponent's Defending Pokemon. 2) The text written on each Pokemon card that shows what it does when it attacks (a Pokemon can have one or two attacks on it).
basic Energy card: A Grass ( ), Fire ( ), Water ( ), Lightning ( ), Psychic ( ), or Fighting ( ) Energy card.
Basic Pokemon card: A card that you can play directly from your hand on your turn to put a Pokemon into play. See Evolution card.
Bench: Where your Pokemon go that are in play but aren't actively fighting. They're ready to come out and fight if the Active Pokemon retreats or is Knocked Out.
counter: Something some cards tell you to place on a Pokemon as a reminder (for example, a Char counter). A counter does not go away when you bench the Pokemon, but it does go away if the Pokemon evolves (damage counters are a special exception to this rule). See damage counter, Poison marker.
damage: What usually happens when one Pokemon attacks another. If a Pokemon has total damage greater than or equal to its Hit Points, it is Knocked Out.
damage counter: A counter placed on your Pokemon to show it has taken damage. It stays on your Pokemon even if the Pokemon is Benched or Evolved. See counter, Poison marker.
Defending Pokemon: Your opponent's Active Pokemon during your attack.
discard pile: The pile of cards you've discarded. These cards are always face up. Anyone can look at these cards at any time.
Energy card: The type of card that powers your Pokemon and makes them able to attack. See basic Energy card.
Evolution card: A card you can play on top of a Basic Pokemon card (or sometimes on top of another Evolution card) to make it stronger.
Hit Points: A number every Pokemon has, telling you how much damage it can take before it's Knocked Out.
in play: Your cards are in play when they're on the table. Basic Pokemon cards, Evolution cards, and Energy cards can't be used unless they are in play. (The cards in your deck and your discard pile, and your Prizes, are not in play, but your Benched Pokemon are.)
Knocked Out: A Pokemon is Knocked Out if it has damage greater than or equal to its Hit Points. That Pokemon goes to the discard pile, along with any cards attached to it. When one of your opponent's Pokemon is Knocked Out, you take one of your Prizes.