# | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Thanks to Elmo and Larry Virden for providing information for this glossary.

--- # ---

1st Edition - A special designation given to some of the cards from each set. Only a limited number of 1st edition cards are made for each set. 1st Edition cards carry a small black stamp on the lefthand side. They are worth more than their unlimited counterparts because of their rarity.

2nd edition - See unlimited edition.

--- A ---

Active Pokémon - The Pokémon in play that have the ability to attack during a turn. Each player has one and only one Active Pokémon at a time. All other Pokémon in play are benched.

archetype - A strategy based on a particular card or set of cards in the TCG. Certain archetypal decks are usually very strong, and thus certain archetypes, such as Raindance and Haymaker, have become very popular. See our pages on archetypes.

Asleep - A status effect in the Pokémon TCG. When a Pokémon is Asleep, it is unable to attack or retreat. You can still do everything else that you usually do in a turn. To wake up, you must flip a coin at the beginning of each players turn. If you get heads, your Active Pokémon is no longer asleep.

attack - The event in each turn in which a player's Active Pokémon inflicts damage on the Defending Pokémon and/or some other effect.

attack cost - The amount and type of Energy that must be attached to the attacking Pokémon in order to use an attack. The attack cost is listed next to the attack on the Pokémon card. For example, if an attack has the symbols , then 2 Fire Energies and 1 other Energy of any type must be attached to the Pokémon in order for it to use the attack.

--- B ---

Baby - A pre-evolution stage to Basic. In other words, A Baby Pokémon evolves into a Basic Pokémon. A Baby Pokémon can be played from your hand just like a Basic Pokémon. A Basic Pokémon that has a Baby stage (such as Pikachu or Electabuzz) can still be played from your hand onto your bench.

Baby Rule - When attacking a Baby Pokémon, you must first flip a coin. If the toss is tails, your attack has no effect.

banned - Not allowed for tournament play. Some Magic: the Gathering cards have been banned, but so far no Pokémon TCG cards ahve been banned. See broken.

Base Set - The first and original set of Pokémon TCG cards. [Card List]

Base Set 2 - A set of Pokémon TCG cards that consists of cards from the Base Set and Jungle sets. Wizards of the Cost created this set and released it in January 2000 after discontinuing the Base Set and Jungle Set.

Basic - The first evolution stage in Pokémon. (See Baby.) A Basic Pokémon card can be played from the hand.

basic Energy - There are eight basic Energy types in the Pokémon TCG: Fire (), Water (), Grass (), Fighting (), Psychic (), Lightning (), Darkness (), and Metal (). However, there are only six basic Energy cards in the game. These cards correspond to the first six energy types listed above. Darkness and Metal Energy cards are not considered Basic Energy cards because they have special properties that Basic Energy cards do not have

bench - Five positions in the Pokémon TCG layout analogous to the bench in sports. All Pokémon in play that are not the Active Pokémon are on the bench. To bench a Pokémon is to remove it from the Active position and put it on the bench. Each player is allowed to have up to 5 Pokémon on the bench at any time.

booster (pack) - A pack of random trading cards associated with a theme or trading card game. A booster pack is intended to provide extra cards for a game or a collection. Pokémon TCG booster packs contain 11 cards per pack. English packs contain 1 rare card that may or may not be a holofoil, 3 uncommon cards and 6 common cards. The booster packs for some sets include one or two basic Energy cards among the common cards.

broken - Adjective describing a card that has an unfair advantage. These cards are generally banned from tournament play. The first such card in the PTCG is Neo Genesis Sneasel, which is banned from the 2001 Super Trainer Showdown.

bury - To discard a card. Used in Magic: the Gathering and the Apprentice program.

--- C ---

collecting card game - See trading card game.

color - Energy type. Each energy type is given a different color in Pokémon. A Pokémon's color is that Pokémon's energy type. Note that color does not refer to the color of the Pokémon itself or the color that is used to designate an energy type. For example, some Grass Pokémon are green, some like Arbok and Koffing are purple, and others are different colors. However, in the Pokémon TCG, the color of all Grass Pokémon is Grass.

combo - A combination of two or more cards that, when used in conjunction with each other, produce a combined effect.

common - A card that is the most easy to find. Common cards are designated by a circle in the bottom right corner of the card.

confused - A status effect in the Pokémon TCG. If your Active Pokémon is confused, you must flip a coin each time you attack or retreat. When attacking, if you flip heads, the attack works as it normally would. If the toss is tails, you have to do 20 damage (applying Weakness and Resistance) to yourself. When retreating, you must pay the retreat cost and then flip a coin. If the toss is heads, you retreat; if it is tails, you do not retreat.

--- D ---

damage - The measure of how much health a Pokémon has lost. When the amount of damage on a Pokémon exceeds its HP, that Pokémon is Knocked Out.

damage counter - A token placed on a Pokémon to indicate that it has received damage. Each counter represents 10 damage unless otherwise marked.

Dark Pokémon - A Pokémon whose name contains the word "Dark." These Pokémon are currently found only in the Team Rocket set but may be added to future sets. Some basic Pokémon have Dark stages. A Dark Pokémon can only evolve into another Dark Pokémon. (For example, Dark Charmeleon can evolve only into Dark Charizard, not normal Charizard.)

deck - A stack of cards used to play a card game. In the Pokémon TCG, a deck contains 60 cards (or 30 cards in some variations for beginners), and each player uses his or her own deck.

to deck - To draw out all of the cards from one's deck. If a player is unable to draw a card from his deck at the beginning of his turn, he loses the match.

development - The act of bringing Pokémon into play and preparing them for battle. The development phase of a Pokémon TCG game is the period at the beginning during which both players put Pokémon onto the bench and begin attaching energy to them.

discard - To remove a card from play in the course of game play.

discard pile - Where one puts discarded cards after they are discarded. Cards that are in the discard pile may not be used unless a Trainer card, Pokémon attack or Pokémon POwer allows a player to access the discard pile.

Double Colorless Energy - A card that provides two colorless Energies to the Pokémon to which it is attacked. It does not count as a basic Energy card.

a draw - A point of deadlock in a game in which neither player can play and neither player can win outright. This does not occur in the Pokémon TCG except by mutual consent of the two players.

to draw - To take a card from the top of your deck and put it in your hand. You must always draw one card at the beginning of your turn. If a player is unable to draw a card from his deck at the beginning of his turn, he loses the match.

--- E ---

Energy - Energy is used to power Pokémon attacks. In order to use an attack, you must be able to pay that attack's Energy cost, which means having the amount and type of energy speccified by the attack attached to the attacking Pokémon. Paying an energy cost usually does not involve discarding energy.

endgame - The final stage of a game or an extended process or course of events. In the Pokémon TCG, the endgame is generally reached when one or both players has one prize remaining.

error card - A card that was printed with a mistake of some sort. Usually the error does not affect game play, but there are a few cases of errors in instructions or in play information - an error which actually impacts play. Wizards of the Coast has stated that in these cases, they do not plan to correct the error, and that the card must be played as printed.

evolve - To transform a Pokémon into another Pokémon through the process of evolution defined in the Pokémon storyline. In the TCG, one evolves a Pokémon by putting the evolution card on top of the card for its previous stage. A card cannot evolve on the same turn in which it was played, unless a Power or Trainer allows that Pokémon to do so. The card now uses the powers and attacks of the new evolution. It cannot use powers and attacks from previous stages unless a Trainer, Power or attack allows it to do so. Evolving a Pokémon removes any status effects.

--- F ---

Fire - A basic Energy Type.

Fossil - The name of the card set that was released after the Jungle Set.

--- G ---

Grass - A basic Energy Type.

graveyard - Discard pile. Used in Magic: the Gathering and the Apprentice program.

gym - Where a Pokémon battle often takes place.

gym card - See Stadium card.

Gym Challenge - The English name for a card set released in English in October 2000.

Gym Heroes - A card set released in English in August 2000. Gym Heroes introduced the concept of Stadium cards to the TCG.

gym leader - In the Pokémon storyline, a trainer who manages and trains in the Pokémon gym in a particular city. In the TCG, the gym leaders are embodied in the Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge card sets and special Stadium cards, one of which corresponds to each gym leader.

--- H ---

hand - Where you keep the cards that you have drawn from you deck. You can use the cards in your hand whenever you want, providing it isn't against the rules.

Haymaker - An archetype that focuses on using basic Pokémon with high HP and powerful attacks. The strategy behind a Haymaker deck is to begin attacking while the opponent is still developing his bench, and also prevent the opponent from fully developing his team.

health points (HP) - The amount of damage that a Pokémon can take before it is Knocked Out.

holofoil - Also called holo for short. A rare card that has a shiny background. Holofoil cards are found on average in one out of every three Pokémon TCG booster packs. Some holofoil cards also come in nonholo versions, but some don't. The rarest Pokémon cards are usually holofoils.

--- J ---

Jungle - The name of the card set that was released after the Base Set.

--- K ---

Knock Out (KO) - An event that causes a Pokémon to be removed from play. A Knock Out occurs when the amount of damage on a Pokémon exceeds its health points. When a Pokémon is Knocked Out, the opposing player takes one of his prizes.

--- L ---

League - In the Pokémon storyline, the Pokémon League is an organization in which Pokémon trainers compete. In the Pokémon TCG, it's a real-life event organized by Wizards of the Coast. The Pokémon TCG League occurs once a week at selected stores such as Toys 'R' Us, Books-A-Million, and Wizards of the Coast stores. For more information on the Pokémon TCG League, visit Wizards of the Coast's official website.

library - Draw pile or deck. Used in Magic: the Gathering and the Apprentice program.

--- M ---

mulligan - In golf, a shot not tallied against the score, granted in informal play after a poor shot especially from the tee. In general, a situation where you make a mistake and your opponent allows you to correct the mistake.

--- N ---

nengajo - A Japanese New Years greeting card. "The custom of sending out special cards at New Year's dates from 1874. New Year's is a major event in Japan and the sending of nengajo to a large number of people is part of the week-long celebration. You send cards to your family members and to most of your acquaintances; businesses send cards to their customers. The average family sends out about 100 cards every year. Many of the cards sent are printed by the government with a lottery number on each card. Some families will have custom cards of their own design. Special New Year's post cards also are printed by the government and cost more than usual, with the difference going to charity. Cards mailed between December 15 and 25 are held by the post office and delivered at one time on January 1." (From Gilles Poitras's The Anime Companion.)

Neo - The term generally used to refer to the additional Pokémon (#152-251) that were introduced in Pokémon Gold and Silver and, in the Pokémon TCG, in the Neo sets.

non-Basic Energy - An energy card that is not a basic Energy card.

--- O ---

out of print - A card or set that is no longer being made.

--- P ---

Paralyzed - A status effect in the Pokémon TCG. When a Pokémon is Paralyzed, it cannot attack or retreat until the end of its player's next turn.

Poisoned - A status effect in the Pokémon TCG. When a Pokémon is poisoned, it recieves 10 damage after each player's turn.

prerelease - A special type of promotional card that consists of a normal card from a particular set distributed before the actual release of the card's set. Prerelease cards are indicated by the word "PRERELEASE" stamped along the bottom of the card's picture.

prize - One of a number of cards drawn from the deck during the preparation for game play and placed face-down on the playing area. When a Pokémon is Knocked Out, the opposing player takes one of these cards (one for each Pokémon that is Knocked Out) and places it in his hand. Players are not allowed to look at these cards until they are taken unless a Trainer or Pokémon Power allows the player to do so. Before the game, the two players agree on a number of prizes, which may be between 1 and 6, and draw out these prizes. When a player takes his last prize, he wins the match.

promotional card - Called promo for short. A card that is not released in a card set and distributed through booster packs. Pormotional cards are distributed in a number of ways, including at Pokémon TCG League events, Pokémon-related events such as movie showings, and with merchandise such as movie videos and video games. Promotional cards bear a star icon with the word "PROMO" and are specially numbered.

Promotional Set - The unofficial name given to the set of cards consisting of all promo cards.

Propostion 2 - A proposed rule change that would allow players to play no more than 2 Trainers in any round.

Propostion 3c - A proposed rule change that would allow decks to contain no more than three of any card except basic Energies.

Proposition 15 - A proposed rule change that would allow decks to contain no more than 15 Trainer cards.

--- R ---

Raindance - An archetype built around Blastoise and its Pokémon Power, Rain Dance. See this article for more information.

rare - The least common and hardest cards to get. Each booster pack contains only one rare card. Rare cards are denoted by a star in the bottom right corner of the card.

Resistance - A condition that a Pokémon card has in which attacks by a certain color Pokémon do less damage to that Pokémon. When a Pokémon attacks another Pokémon that has a resistance to the first Pokémon's color, the amount of damage doen by the attack to the second Pokémon is reduced by 30.

retreat - The act of moving an ACtive Pokémon to the bench without using a Trainer card, attack or Pokémon Power. In order to retreat your Active Pokémon, you must pay its retreat cost.

retreat cost - The amount of Energy that must be discarded from a Pokémon in order to retreat it.

--- S ---

sponge - A Pokémon that is played for the purpose of taking and holding damage.

Stadium card - A trainer card that stays in play until another Stadium card is played. One can think of the game as taking place in a particular stadium when the card is in play. A Stadium card changes the rules of the game in some way for both players.

Stage 1 - The second evolution stage of Pokémon. A basic Pokémon evolves into a Stage 1 Pokémon.

Stage 2 - The third evolution stage of Pokémon. A Stage 1 Pokémon evolves into a Stage 2 Pokémon.

stall - The act of preventing or neutralizing an opponent's attacks and thus slowing down the pace of the game in order to lengthen the game to give the player time to develop his bench or to force the opponent to draw out his deck.

Stall deck - A deck which uses stalling as its strategy. Such decks are often designed to make the opponent draw out his deck.

starter deck or starter set - A 60 card deck designed to be used to learn the game. The instructions with the deck discuss dividing the deck into 2 30 card decks so that two people can play with a smaller number of cards.

status effect - An effect such as Confusion, Paralysis, Asleep and Poisoned, that changes the recipient Pokémon's ability to attack or retreat or, in the case of Poisoned, inflicts damage on that Pokémon each round. Status effects can be cured by playing the Full Heal Trainer card, attaching a Full Heal Energy to the affected Pokémon, evolving the Pokémon or benching the Pokémon.

Sudden Death - A situation in which each player has only one prize.

--- T ---

TCG - Trading card game.

Team Rocket - A band of Pokémon thieves who are the primarly villains in the Pokémon cartoons. In the TCG, Team Rocket has its own set. This set introduced Dark Pokémon into the game.

theme deck - A deck that is built around a certain theme, such as a particular gym leader or certain themes that can be developed by combining types of Pokémon. Theme decks are not necessarily built around a particular strategy. Wizards of the Coast has made a number of preconstructed theme decks associated with the Pokémon TCG.

tournamant - An organized competition in which Pokémon TCG players compete against each other for recognition and prizes. An entrance fee is usually assessed to cover the cost of the prize.

TR - The Team Rocket set. Often mistakenly used as an abbreviation for the word "Rocket's" in the names of Rocket's Pokémon such as Rocket's Scyther and Rocket's Mewtwo.

Trainer denial - The general term given to the practice of denying a player (preferably your opponent) the use of his Trainer cards. Cards such as Dark Vileplume, Slowking L39, and Chaos Gym are typically used for Trainer denial.

Trapper - An archetype built around Trainer-denial strategies.

--- U ---

uncommon - A card that is more common than a common card but less common than a rare. Uncommon cards are denoted by a diamond in the bottom righthand corner of the card.

unlimited edition or second edition - Cards that are not first-edition.

W-stamped - A special type of promotional card. It is a normal card with a gold "W" stamped in the corner.

Wavemaker - A Haymaker deck that also uses Wigglytuff's Do the Wave attack. The Haymaker cards fill the bench for Wigglytuff and also provide attacking power while the player develops Wigglytuff.

Weakness - A condition that a Pokémon card has in which attacks by a certain color Pokémon do more damage to that Pokémon. When a Pokémon attacks another Pokémon that has a Weakness to the first Pokémon's color, the amount of damage doen by the attack to the second Pokémon is doubled.