This card is completely dominating the online TCG scene.  Every player
loves the card, hates it completely, or feels that it is a completely
different card.  What no side realizes, however, is that the entire
argument might be moot.


Graceful Attack
Trainer
"Play this card on your active pokemon.  Until the end of your
opponent's turn, all damage dealt to that pokemon is reduced by 10.  At
the end of your opponent's turn, return that card to your hand.  (If the
pokemon on which this card is attached leaves play, discard this card.)"

(Rare)


There are three clashing interpretations of this card, none of which are
correct.


The first is that the card is attached to your active pokemon, and
prevents 10 damage from each source of damage, then pop back into your
hand at the end of your opponents turn, ready for reuse.  Thus, they
would attach the card to an Electabuzz, attach a Rainbow Energy, thunder
punch (flipping a tails), your opponent attacks for 10, and the player
would claim all this damage is reduced.  I admit I myself, until
recently, was part of this group.  This is incorrect.  Going with the
translation used in Apprentice, there are two words refuting this school
of thought:  "All" and "Is."  While "All" was the word that made me join
this group, "All damage" is a singular noun.  "Is" also refers to the
singular noun, rather than each individual source.  There is another
reason I disagree, which I'll get into later.


The second erring school of thought is that this is a completely
different card, namely, Refined Criticism,  and is only useful as a
mime-killer.

Refined Criticism
Type:  Trainer
Effect:  Attach this card to your Active Pokemon.  At the end of your
opponent's next turn, return this card to your hand.  If the attached
Pokemon is Knocked Out, this card is discarded instead.  Whenever an
attack from the attached Pokemon does damage to your opponent's Active
Pokemon, you may reduce that damage by as much as you want.
(Rare)
(taken from Edo's translation)


Edo's translation seems to support this group's view, as in his Gym 1
article, he has Refined Criticism, but nothing else like Graceful
Attack.
I disagree with this group for two reasons.   The first is that Refined
Criticism has other uses; such as letting sleeping giants sleep:  If you
want to inflict a status ailment on Machamp, Team Rocket's Moltres or
Team Rocket's Snorlax (each of which have a "Strike Back" type pokemon
power or attack), you can reduce the damage and not get hit back...  But
that's irrelevant.  The second reason is that, if anyone is to play with
Japanese cards, we need a constant text to refer to, to make decks
compatible with each other.  The Apprentice translation is the only one
that all online players can be assumed to have, thus it is the one
people should play by.

The third interpretation is similar to the first, but it says that GA
only reduces 10 per turn.  This is the most accepted school of thought,
and the only reason I disagree with this view is the main reason I am
writing this article:


"Play this card on your active pokemon.  Until the end of your
opponent's turn, all damage dealt to that pokemon is reduced by 10.  At
the end of your opponent's turn, <*> RETURN THAT CARD TO YOUR HAND <*>.
(If the pokemon on which this card is attached leaves play, discard this
card.)"

In the first and third school of thought, "that" is considered to refer
to the Graceful Attack card, but the previous sentence establishes that
"that card" is the Pokemon that Graceful Attack is attached to.
Basically, according to the Apprentice translation, Graceful Attack is
just a delayed Scoop Up.  A problem occurs when energies are attached to
that pokemon.  When the pokemon leaves play, no word is given on what to
do with the energies.

Are they discarded, like the Graceful Attack?

Do they just stay on the table, removed from play?

Does this question mean Graceful Attack is an unplayable?

Is it unplayable only when there is energy on the Pokemon?  If so, what
if you play a Graceful Attack on your pokemon, then play an energy?

(Feel free to jump in, Scott Gerhardt)

Until this question is sorted out, I am just going to take Graceful
Attack out of all my decks, and not play anyone who uses it.  If you
play online, I suggest you do the same.


If you have any comments/questions/suggestions, please send them to me
at nowandforever@netscape.net, or submit a response to
SingleCards@pojo.com

-Ad Infinitum