The Very Best: The Birth And Impact Of Pokémon

How to Play the Pokemon Trading Card Game

(via Marianne's Pokémon Page)

The first thing you need to play the Pokemon Trading Card Game is a coin, a poison marker, and a set of damage counters. You also need to construct a 60-card deck. This deck has to include at least one basic Pokemon, energy cards, trainer cards, and stage one and two Pokemon. A good deck would have around 25 Pokemon, 25 energy cards, and 10 trainer cards. Also, you can't have more than 4 of any one card or Pokemon, excluding basic energy cards. This only applies to cards with the exact same name, so you could still use 4 Pikachu, 4 Surfing Pikachu, 4 Flying Pikachu, and 4 Lt. Surge's Pikachu all in the same deck. You also have to find a friend who also has all the listed things.

Starting the Game

First, you and your opponent must shuffle your decks. Draw a hand of 7 cards. You and your opponent must each choose a basic Pokemon for an active Pokemon and place it face down in the arena. You may each choose up to 5 basic Pokemon to put face down on the bench. If you don't have any basic Pokemon in your hand, show your hand to your opponent, shuffle your hand into your deck, and draw 7 cards. When you do this, your opponent can choose to draw up to 2 cards. You and your opponent each draw six cards and, without looking at them, place them face down as prizes. Flip a coin to decide who goes first. Flip over all the active and benched Pokemon in the arena.

(read more here)