We just got out of our first Pokemon Rules team meeting in a few months and I wanted to pass along to you all of the questions and answers we went over. These are OFFICIAL rules updates. - Gym Leader Phil
MTM
1. Q. Promo Mew's POKEMON POWER: Neutral Shield Prevent all effects of attacks, including damage, done to Mew by Evolved Pokemon. You can't use this power if Mew is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
If Mew is the Active Pokemon, can Dark Gengar's Pull In attack : (If your opponent has any Benched Pokemon, you may choose 1 of them and switch it with the Defending Pokemon (before doing damage or other effects of this attack). Either way, the Defending Pokemon is now Asleep.) be used?
Here is a previous ruling about Suicune: Q. Can Suicune (LV 33) with its Crystal Body Pokemon Power be targeted with the Dark Gengar's Pull In effect if it is Active? On the Bench?
A. No it cannot in either case. The Crystal Body Pokemon Power prevents all effects of attacks other than damage. This means it cannot be switched up from the Bench either.
Same question for Agility (Flip a coin. If heads, prevent all damage and other effects of attacks done to Raichu during your opponent's next turn.), if it on the Defending Pokemon?
Answer: The Suicune ruling is still correct. Dark Gengar's Pull In effect CANNOT be used if promo Mew is the Active Pokemon, or if the LVL 33 Suicune is the Active Pokemon (and their Pokemon Powers are functioning), or if the Defending Pokemon has an Agility effect on it.
Switching a Pokemon up from the Bench with the Active Pokemon is considered "affecting" the Active Pokemon, and in these cases, this is prevented.
2. Does the two versions of Dark Persian count as the same card?
Rocket Dark Persian: LV 28
{C}Fascinate: Flip a coin. If heads, choose 1 of your opponent's Benched Pokemon and switch it with the Defending Pokemon. This attack can't be used if your opponent has no Benched Pokemon.
{C}{C}Poison Claws: Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokemon is now Poisoned. DAMAGE 10
Promo Dark Persian LV 28 (different art)
{C}Tempt: Flip a coin. If heads, choose one of your Opponent's Benched Pokemon and switch it with the Active Pokemon.
{C}{C}Poison Claws: Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokemon is now Poisoned. DAMAGE 10
Answer: These are conisdered the same card.
3. If Aerodactyl is in play (POKEMON POWER: Prehistoric Memory Whenever an Evolved Pokemon attacks (even if it's your opponent's), it can use any attack from its Basic Pokemon card of any Evolution card attached to it. It still has to pay for that attack's energy cost. This power stops working while Aerodactyl is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.) and a Brock's Ninetails is in play (POKEMON POWER: Shapeshift Once during your turn (before your attack), you may attach an Evolution card from your hand to Brock's Ninetails. (This doesn't count as evolving Brock's Ninetails.) Treat Brock's Ninetails as if it were that Pokemon instead. It can't evolve, devolve, or use the Pokemon Power of that Pokemon. During your turn, you may discard the Evolution card attached to Brock's Ninetails. This power can't be used if Brock's Ninetails is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed. If Brock's Ninetails becomes Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed, discard all Evolution cards attached to it.) with evolution cards attached to it, can you use any of the attacks on Brock's Ninetails, Brock's Vulpix, or other evolution cards attached (not the one Brock's Inetails is treated as)?
Previous ruling for Recall (For your attack this turn, your Active Pokemon can use any attack from its Basic Evolution card or any Evolution card attached to it. (You still have to pay for that attack's Energy cost.)). Q. If Brock's Ninetales has several other evolution cards attached, can Recall be played to use any attack from any of those evolutions (assuming you meet the attack's other requirements)?
A. No it cannot. Brock's Ninetales will never count or be able to count as any previously attached evolution cards (for its shapeshift power) that are still in play. (Nov 16, 2000 WotC Chat)
Answer: The previous ruling is overruled. Using Recall OR the Aerodactyl's Pokemon Power, you can use the attacks on any attached evolution cards.
4. Entei's POKEMON POWER: (Howl When you play Entei from your hand, you may discard the top 5 cards of your deck (If you have fewer cards than that, discard all of them.) If any of those cards are fire Energy cards, attach them to any of your fire Pokemon of your choice. Using this power ends your turn.). Do these cards actually hit the discard pile before your bring them back? Would effects that prevent cards from coming from the discard pile affect these fire energies (such as Parasect's Allergic Pollen: As long as Parasect is in play, cards in any player's discard piles are not affected by attackes or Pokemon Powers. This power stops working if Parasect is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.).
Previous ruling: Q. Does Parasect's "Allergic Pollen" pokemon power stop Entei's "Howl" from removing the fire energies from the discard pile after Entei has "discarded" them?
A. No, that Parasect just prevents stuff from affecting cards in your discard pile, not your deck. In this case it's the intent of the power and the Parasect's Power only stops things that are going after cards that are in the discard pile. Entei's Howl is clearly going after cards from the top of the deck. It should have been more clear about this on the card. (Jun 27, 2002 WotC Chat)
Answer: This answer remains the same. The fire energy cards never hit the discard pile.
5. Eevee's Energy Evolution reads: (Whenever you attach an energy to Eevee, flip a coin. If heads, search your deck for a card that evolves from Eevee that is the same type as the Energy card you attached to Eevee. Attach that card to Eevee. This counts as evolving Eevee. Shuffle your deck afterward. This power can't be used if Eevee is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.).
Once again, the question has come up, what happens when a Rainbow energy is attached to it? Rainbow Energy reads: Attach Rainbow Energy to 1 of your Pokemon. While in play, Rainbow Energy counts as every type of basic Energy but only provides 1 Energy at a time. (Doesn't count as a basic Energy card when not in play.) When you attach this card from your hand to 1 of your Pokemon, it does 10 damage to that Pokemon (Don't apply Weakness and Resistance.)
Our previous ruling is: Q. What if I attach a Rainbow energy to Neo Discovery Eevee and flip heads on Energy Evolution? Can I treat that energy as any energy and then search my deck for an Eeveelution of any type?
A. You may search for only one evolution for Eevee of your choice. Before you search for an evolution for Eevee you decide what energy type Pokemon you will be searching for. (Jan 31, 2002 WotC Chat)
Answer: This has been overruled. In this case (attaching a Rainbow energy) you can search for an evolution of any energy type. You do NOT need to announce it in advance.
6. An Energy Evolution Eevee with only 10 HP remaining has a Rainbow Energy attached to it. Would the player attaching the Rainbow Energy get to flip for Energy Evolution or would the Rainbow Energy damage KO the Eevee first?
Answer: This question is being sent to Japan for an answer.
7. Blaine's Quiz #1 reads: Put a Basic Pokemon or Evolution card from your hand face down in front of you and tell your opponent its name. Your opponent guesses the length of that Pokemon. Flip the card over. If your opponent guessed right, he or she draws 2 cards. If your opponent guessed wrong, you draw 2 cards. Either way, return the card to your hand. How does this card get used with e-cards? (length and other statistics are no longer on the cards).
Answer: You cannot play a Pokemon card that does not have the actual length written on the card. So, you could NOT flip over an Expedition card and use Blaine's Quiz #1.
8. For Expedition Venusaur's "Harvest Bounty" Pokemon Power (Once during your turn (before your attack), instead of attaching your free Energy card, you may attach 2 Energy cards to your Active Pokémon. This power can't be used if Venusaur is affected by a Special Condition.), if I have more than one in play, is it's power cumulative? For example, if I have 2 Venusaurs on the bench, could I then attach 3 energy per turn to my Active?
Answer: This is a replacement effect and it is not cumulative. No matter how many Venusaur's are in play, you can only attach 2 Energy cards to your Active Pokemon instead of 1.
9. Also for Expedition Venusaur's "Harvest Bounty" Pokemon Power, if I use a "Blaine" trainer (During this turn, instead of attaching your free Energy card, you may instead attach 2 fire Energy cards to 1 of your Pokemon with Blaine in its name. (Playing additional copies of this card this turn has no effect.), would Harvest Bounty allow me to attach *TWO* additional energies (one for each energy attached by the "Blaine" card), or only one extra energy? (Does Blaine+Harvest=4, or Blaine+Harvest=3 ?)
Answer: Same as for question 8. These are similar replacement effects, they are not cumulative.
10. Destiny Light Dragonite's "Miraculous Wind" (As long as Light Dragonite is your Active Pokemon, each Special Energy card provides colorless Energy instead of its usual type and its other effects stop working. This power stops working while Light Dragonite is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.) vs. Expedition Tyranitar's "Dark Aura" (All Energy cards attached to Tyranitar provide {D} Energy instead of their usual type.) : If my T-Tar has a Darkness Energy card on it, Miraculous Wind would definitely disable the bonus +10 effect, but would Dark Aura allow it to still continue providing Dark energy type?
Answer: Tyranitar's Energy cards (even if Special Energies) would still produce Darkness energy. The Tyranitar's personal effect supercedes the Light Dragonite's overall effect.
11. For Expedition Blastoise's "Jet Stream" Pokemon Power (Once during your turn (before your attack), you may flip a coin. If heads, discard an Energy card attached to Blastoise, if any. Then, if there are any Energy cards attached to your opponent's Battle Pokémon, choose 1 of them and discard it. This power can't be used if Blastoise is affected by a Special Condition.), do you get to remove an energy card from the opponent regardless of the outcome of the coin flip? The wording of the text is unclear.
Answer: This question is being looked into. Answer to come.
12. If you have Expedition Dragonite with "Tailwind" (Once during your turn (before your attack), if Dragonite is on your Bench, you may reduce your Battle Pokémon's Retreat Cost to 0.) , but The Rocket's Training Gym (Each player pays (colorless) more to retreat his or her active Pokemon. ) is also in play, you would still have to pay one energy to retreat, right?
Answer: Correct. The Dragonite's effect basically changes the Retreat cost on the Pokemon card to zero. This could still be changed by other effects.
13. For Expedition Feraligatr's "Major Tsunami" Pokemon Power (Major Tsunami Once during your turn (before your attack), if Feraligatr is your Battle Pokémon and if your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, your opponent switches his or her Active Pokemon with one of his or her Benched Pokémon. Either way, if you have any Benched Pokemon, switch Feraligatr with one of them. This power can't be used if Feraligatr is affected by a Special Condition.), is it mandatory that you and your opponent *HAVE TO* do the switch or is it optional? The text does not say "you may...".
Same goes for Light Arcanine (Drive Off As long as Light Arcanine is your Active Pokemon, once during your turn (before your attack), if your opponent has any Benched Pokemon, he or she chooses 1 of them and switches it with the Defending Pokemon. This power can't be used while Light Arcanine is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.).
Answer: Both of these effects are mandatory. If either of these Pokemon is Active and unaffected by a Special Condition, you MUST use their Pokemon Power.
14. What about Metal Energy? The new card says Damage done by attacks to the Pokémon Metal Energy is attached to is reduced by 10 (after applying Weakness and Resistance). If the Pokémon Metal Energy is attached to isn't {M}, whenever it damages a Pokémon with an attack, reduce that damage by 10 (after applying Weakness and Resistance).
Metal Energy provides {M} Energy. (Doesn't count as a basic Energy card.)
The Genesis version said: Damage done to the Pokemon Metal Energy is attached to is reduced by 10 (after applying Weakness and Resistance). If the Pokemon Metal Energy is attached to isn't metal, whenever it damages a Pokemon, reduce that damage by 10 (before applying Weakness and Resistance). Metal Energy provides (metal) energy. (Doesn't count as a basic Energy card.)
Answer: This card was incorrectly translated in this set. Just like the Darkness Energy, play all Metal Energy as it was written in Neo Genesis. This card will be reissued with corrected text in Aquapolis.
15. Team Ruling: Double Gust says: If you have any Benched Pokemon, your opponent chooses 1 of them and switches it with your Active Pokemon. Then, if your opponent has any Benched Pokemon, choose 1 of them and switch it with his or her Active Pokemon.
For team rules we have: When you play this card you must first declare which opponent you are using it on. That opponent then gets to decide which Pokemon (yours or your teammates) gets switched with that player's Active Pokemon. Then you would get to decide which of that opponent's Pokemon gets switched with their Active Pokemon.
Warp Point is back. It reads: Your opponent hasswitches the Defending Pokemon with 1 of his or her Benched Pokemon, if any; then, you switch your Active Pokemon with 1 of your Benched Pokemon, if any.
When YOU play a Warp Point in Team Multiplay, how does it work?
Answer: Play the card as written. The player who uses the card gets to decide which opponent it affects and which member of his or her team it affects. Each of those players gets to choose which Pokemon they switch up from their own bench.