User:Cipher2006/Construction/Pokémon Card
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Pokémon card is one of the three categories of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the other two being Trainer cards and Energy cards. Each Pokémon card represents a Pokémon and are placed on the playing field to represent their presence in combat. Each player may have up to six in play at a time, though in a normal match, only one can attack at a time. Pokémon cards are divided by level of evolution.
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[edit] Basic Pokémon
Basic Pokémon are Pokémon that have not evolved and can be put directly into play. Basic Pokémon may or may not evolve and, accordingly, any Basic Pokémon that do not evolve will have higher HP on average than those who can still evolve. Basic Pokémon are among the most Energy-inefficient of Pokémon cards, since they are so easily playable. Some Basic Pokémon have attacks that require no Energy to be used. Each deck must have at least one Basic Pokémon to be considered legal. A typical evolving Basic Pokémon has between 40 and 60 HP.
A player can tell if a Pokémon is a Basic Pokémon by looking at the top left of the card, just below the name. If it says "Basic", then that card is a Basic Pokémon. For older sets, the word "Basic" is written on either the left of right upper corners of the card, and cards from the EX Series of cards have the word Basic to the bottom left of the illustration.
[edit] Baby Pokémon
A Baby Pokémon is a special kind of Basic Pokémon card, sometimes distinguished by a Poké-Power called Baby Evolution. Baby Pokémon can be very weak, with low HP (generally 30 or 40) but having attacks with strange and sometimes very powerful effects. Baby Pokémon can evolve into another Basic Pokémon (which it can evolve into is specified on the card). The older Baby Pokémon have a different defense: if a Baby Pokémon is attacked, the attacker must flip a coin; if it lands tails, the attacker's turn ends without an attack.
More recent Baby Pokémon activate effects when evolved. For example, Budew from Diamond & Pearl activates new effects for Roselia and Roserade.
[edit] Shining Pokémon
When Pokémon Gold and Silver was released, players could find a Gyarados in the Lake of Rage that was red instead of blue. Every Pokémon has an alternate form, with colour differences making them look quite different. The odds of encountering one are very slim. The Pokémon Trading Card Game made its own equivalent of a Shiny Pokémon called Shining Pokémon. These Pokémon, first introduced in Neo Revelation and also appearing in Neo Destiny, were incredibly powerful, but they required many different types of Energy to play, were among the rarest of cards, and had a limit of one of each kind per deck.
A Shiny Pokémon can be told apart by its name: it will read "Shining" before the Pokémon's name. The shining Pokémon avaliable in Neo Revelation and Neo Destiny are Celebi, Charizard, Kabutops, Magicarp, Mewtwo, Noctowl, Raichu, Steelix, and Tyranitar.
[edit] Pokémon "Star"
Pokémon "Star" tend to be fairly similar to Pokémon-ex in that their HP are sometimes elevated and they can sometimes be stronger than their regular counterparts. However, this is not as regular in Pokémon-* as it is in Pokémon-ex. Pokémon "Star" usually appear in sets in groups of three; for example, Mudkip, Treecko and Torchic and Regirock, Regice and Registeel. Only one Pokémon "Star" may be put in a deck, regardless of whether it is a 30-card deck or a 60-card deck.
[edit] Evolved Pokémon
An evolution card represents a Pokémon that has evolved. Unlike Basic Pokémon, Evolution cards cannot be placed directly onto the field (unless something happens that allows one to do so); they must be played on the corresponding Pokémon, shown on the bottom left of the illustration.
Almost all evolved Pokémon have high HP, the only ones without high HP having defense to minimize damage. Stage 1 Pokémon evolve from Basic Pokémon, and Stage 2 Pokémon evolve from a Stage 1 Pokémon. As a Pokémon evolves, it gains HP and can use Energy more effectively. A typical maximally evolved Stage-1 can range from 70 to 90 HP (with few having 100-120 HP) and a typical Stage-2 has 90-120 (with few having 130-140 HP).
[edit] Dark Pokémon
Dark Pokémon have shown up primarily in expansion sets featuring Team Rocket. They are usually dual-types; their original type, and the Darkness type. If a Dark Pokémon is usually Darkness or Colorless type, it will be Darkness-type. Stage 1 Dark Pokémon evolve from regular Basic Pokémon, and Stage 2 Dark Pokémon evolve from Stage 1 Dark Pokémon. Initially, in Team Rocket and Neo Destiny, they were characterized by having low HP but high damage. In EX Team Rocket Returns, this disadvantage was removed, and instead, Dark Pokémon were combined with the Darkness type. Dark Celebi is the only Dark Basic Pokémon.
[edit] Light Pokémon
Light Pokémon were the short-lived complement to Dark Pokémon, used in only one set, Neo: Destiny. Light Pokémon had high HP, and its attacks tended to help the opponent as much as it helped the player, though a few Light Pokémon were especially powerful when attacking a Dark Pokémon. Like Dark Pokémon, a Stage 1 Light Pokémon would evolve from a regular Basic Pokémon, and a Stage 2 Light Pokémon would evolve from a Stage 1 Light Pokémon.
[edit] Pokémon Lv.X
Pokémon Lv.X are a new type of card introduced in Diamond & Pearl. They evolve from Pokémon of the same name, but as they have the same name only four in any combination are allowed in a deck. For example, 4 Turtwig are allowed, 4 Grotle are allowed, 2 Torterra are allowed, and 2 Torterra Lv.X are allowed. Torterra can be evolved into Torterra Lv.X - but a Pokémon Lv.X can only be played on an Active Pokémon. Pokémon Lv.X variations are available of Basic and Evolved Pokémon.
[edit] Basic or Evolved Pokémon
[edit] Pokémon-ex
Pokémon-ex are incredibly powerful. Their HP are usually far above that of their regular form, and they are much stronger. On occasions, some Pokémon-ex, such as Altaria ex, have two Resistances, and some have no Weakness (such as Dragonite ex). Some, however, such as Typhlosion ex, have two Weaknesses, putting them at a disadvantage. Another disadvantage of Pokémon-ex is that when Knocked Out, the player who has done so must take two Prize cards instead of the usual one.
The rest of the card game is balanced against Pokémon-ex as well: Some Pokémon do more damage to Pokémon-ex, some can prevent damage from Pokémon-ex, most Pokémon Tools do not work on Pokémon-ex, and some Trainer cards put Pokémon-ex at a disadvantage.
Some Pokémon-ex have the ability to evolve from other Pokémon-ex. Blissey ex, for example, can evolve from either a normal Chansey or a Chansey ex (though a Chansey ex cannot evolve into a Blissey). Scizor ex also has the ability to evolve from either Scyther or Scyther ex (but again, a Scyther ex cannot evolve into a Scizor). One Pokémon-ex, however, does not follow this trend. Rocket's Scizor ex can evolve from only a Rocket's Scyther ex, and not from a Rocket's Scyther (one does exist, but in Gym Heroes, a set long unused in tournaments, and one not printed by Nintendo). The card also has no option to evolve from this card, as it says only "Evolves from Rocket's Scyther ex".
[edit] Delta Species Pokémon
Delta Species Pokémon are Pokémon that have had their genes modified, causing a disturbance in their regular pattern - as well as their natural types. Delta Species Pokémon behave in a very similar way to normal Pokémon: you can evolve a Delta Species Pokémon from a normal Pokémon and vice versa, and they can use the vast majority of Trainer and Energy cards that can be used by normal Pokémon. Delta Species Pokémon also have some Trainer and Energy cards that can be used exclusively with them, such as Holon Researcher.
[edit] Holon's Pokémon
Holon's Pokémon are not genetically modified, but are special Pokémon cards that can double as Special Energy cards - either one Colorless energy, or two of any energy (often referred to as two Rainbow energy). Only Holon's Pokémon exist: Holon's Voltorb, Holon's Magnemite, Holon's Electrode, Holon's Magneton and Holon's Castform.
[edit] Rocket's Pokémon
Rocket's Pokémon are Pokémon owned by Team Rocket, and are of the Darkness type, though if the Pokémon is not usually a Darkness-type, it will use the usual Energy. For example, Rocket's Moltres ex is a Darkness-type card, but as it is usually of the Fire type, its Energy cost uses Fire energy.
[edit] Owner's Pokémon
Sometimes, the Pokémon featured on the card will belong to someone or something. In this case, Evolution cards with an owner's name must evolve from a Pokémon that also has that owner's name. For example, "Brock's Primeape" must evolve from "Brock's Mankey."
[edit] Evolution from Baby Pokémon
When a Baby Pokémon evolves into what would normally be a Basic Pokémon, the Basic Pokémon counts as being an evolved Pokémon, and other cards that affect Basic Pokémon and Evolution cards differently are treated like so. For example, Strength Charm can only be attached to an Evolved Pokémon, and this would include Basic Pokémon evolved from Baby Pokémon.
In recent sets, such as Diamond & Pearl, evolving from a Baby Pokémon can be a benefit. Roselia, if evolved from Budew, can do additional damage to the Defending Pokémon. Similarly, Roserade, if evolved from a Budew originally, can do additional damage to a Benched Pokémon.
