Rules Question

[VydorScope]

I recently introduced my son to Pokemon as a game we can play together and we are having a good time with it. Neither of us have played at all before. I have the Cold Fire B&W deck, and he has the Ice Shock deck (though I see booster packs in our near future...).

Last night we were playing and came up with a situation that I was not sure what was legal. I had Delbird as my active, and I put his Pokemon to sleep and did 30 damage with Icy Wind. He failed his flip to wake up, so he started his turn with his Pokemon (Lopunny I think it was, the one that can use Healing Melody, very annoying Pokemon, IMO! ) asleep. He could only take one more round and his Pokemon would have been knocked out by my Icy Wind so he played a Switch card.

In the rules it says a sleeping Pokemon cannot retreat, but the switch card does not mention anything to do with sleeping. So my questions...

1) Can he use the switch card on a sleeping Pokemon?
2) If so, does that wake up the Pokemon (as it travels to the bench)?
3) What about paralyze and confused? I assume burn and poison stay with the Pokemon as it retreats/switches
4) What about the attacks that force the player to retreat his Pokemon? Do they remove effects?

Thanks!

[Renpuu]

When Pokemon are evolved or sent to the bench through retreating or due to a Pokemon's effect of an attack, they lose all "status" conditions such as Sleep, Poison, Paralysis etc.

ONLY ACTIVE Pokemon can be affected by "status" conditions.

If a Pokemon is burned, poisoned or confused they can retreat by paying the retreat cost or evolving.

If a Pokemon is asleep, it must wake up in order to be retreated normally, but can use trainers such as "Switch" to get the Pokemon to the bench or if you able to evolve that Pokemon that turn, it will remove the status condition(s).

If a Pokemon is paralyzed it cannot attack nor retreat. So you must have another way of retreating the Pokemon or being able to evolve it that turn.

To finalize on your questions:
1) Yes he can play switch on a asleep Pokemon
2) Yes the Pokemon will wake up and have all "status" conditions removed
3) If you use an attack which has one status condition, it will replace it.
For example if you attack with a move which puts a Pokemon in confusion and then following turn attack it with a move which puts a Pokemon asleep, the asleep condition will replace confusion. The only status effects which work together are "burned" and "poisoned" along with 1 of the following: Paralysis, Confusion and Sleep.
4) If you force your opponent to retreat their active Pokemon, then all status conditions are removed since the active Pokemon has gone to the bench.

Here are some tutorials on the game which explain all the basics and advanced rules if you don't wish to just read a rule book. You can go through them with your son and they are interactive, so you can play and learn through the tutorial !

http://www.pokemontcg.com/tutorials

Ideally this post has answered your questions

[Drakow]

If you can't be bothered reading that wall of text then basically evolving a Pokemon or using a trainer card to remove your active Pokemon eliminates all status conditions.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by Renpuu

When Pokemon are evolved or sent to the bench through retreating or due to a Pokemon's effect of an attack, they lose all "status" conditions such as Sleep, Poison, Paralysis etc.

ONLY ACTIVE Pokemon can be affected by "status" conditions.

If a Pokemon is burned, poisoned or confused they can retreat by paying the retreat cost or evolving.

If a Pokemon is asleep, it must wake up in order to be retreated normally, but can use trainers such as "Switch" to get the Pokemon to the bench or if you able to evolve that Pokemon that turn, it will remove the status condition(s).

If a Pokemon is paralyzed it cannot attack nor retreat. So you must have another way of retreating the Pokemon or being able to evolve it that turn.

To finalize on your questions:
1) Yes he can play switch on a asleep Pokemon
2) Yes the Pokemon will wake up and have all "status" conditions removed
3) If you use an attack which has one status condition, it will replace it.
For example if you attack with a move which puts a Pokemon in confusion and then following turn attack it with a move which puts a Pokemon asleep, the asleep condition will replace confusion. The only status effects which work together are "burned" and "poisoned" along with 1 of the following: Paralysis, Confusion and Sleep.
4) If you force your opponent to retreat their active Pokemon, then all status conditions are removed since the active Pokemon has gone to the bench.

Here are some tutorials on the game which explain all the basics and advanced rules if you don't wish to just read a rule book. You can go through them with your son and they are interactive, so you can play and learn through the tutorial !


Ideally this post has answered your questions

Thank you for this answer! Yes, it covered it quite well. I have read the rule book, and watched most of those tutorials already, plus some on youtube - It was just a lot to take in Christmas Eve while getting the gifts wrapped :D SO I missed a few details here and there. It is a good thing you mentioned Burned - because I assumed burn went to the bench.

I did also setup our decks on the online version of the TCG but I am easily able to squash the computer so did not spend that much time in there.

Originally Posted by Drakow

If you can't be bothered reading that wall of text then basically evolving a Pokemon or using a trainer card to remove your active Pokemon eliminates all status conditions.

I really appreciate the time spent in creating that "wall of text" - it was very informative.

[Renpuu]

You're welcome, I was glad to help !

I really appreciate the time spent in creating that "wall of text" - it was very informative.

Why it pays to be accurate and thorough Drakow !