📄FAQ & Rulings

Frequently Asked Questions and Current Rulings

What types of cards have a Rule Box?

• Cards with a Rule Box cannot be played in the Trainer Battle format. This includes:

Pokemon ex, V, EX, GX, BREAK, Radiant Pokémon, ACE SPECs, & Prism Stars (including Prism Star Trainer and Energy cards). Ancient Trait Pokémon do not have a rule box.

Can I play more than 1 Pokemon of the same name so long as its not the same card?

• You can only play one Pokemon of the same card name. I.E. (1 Bulbasaur, 1 Ivysaur, 1 Venusaur). However, two of the same species of Pokémon can be played as long as their card name is different (e.g., Shining Genesect and Genesect, or Alolan Grimer and Grimer).

What about Eeveelutions or Pokemon that evolve from Basics of a different type?

• You are allowed to play Pokemon that evolve from Basics of a different type and Eevee's but be aware you can only play one evolution line. I.E. Eevee -> Vaporeon OR Eevee -> Flareon but not both.

Do you play with Weakness and Resistance?

• Yes. While Weakness and Resistance may make some decks better against certain others, they are not the only factor determining which matchups are favorable or unfavorable. Additionally, many types have Pokémon with different weaknesses (I.E. Colorless Pokémon may be weak to Lightning or Fighting) – creating a balanced matchup spread is part of the challenge of deckbuilding!

Can I use Dual Type Pokemon?

• Dual Type Pokémon are allowed. I.E. Volcarona STS & Gallade CEC.

Can I use Tool cards that grant an additional attack even if it is a GX attack?

• Tools that add an attack to a Pokémon are allowed (I.E. TM: Blindside). The Seal Stone Tool cards introduced in Silver Tempest (I.E. Forest Seal Stone) are technically playable in the Wild Trainer Battle format, but only Pokémon V can use the VSTAR Powers printed on them, so they are effectively useless. The only exception to this is TM: Evolution and TM: Devolution or any tool/Item card that would Execrate/Decelerate evolution.

Can I use more than one type of Basic Energy in my deck?

• Yes Sir/Ma'am! Any number of any type of Basic Energy may be played in your deck.

Can I play cards like Robo Substitute, Unidentified Fossil, Snorlax Doll and Lillie’s Pokédoll in my deck?

• Yes. These cards are item cards, and are only treated as Pokémon when in play. They are all allowed in any type of deck.

Can I play multiple cards in my deck with the same effect, like Boss’s Orders and Lysandre?

• You may play Boss’s Orders OR Lysandre in your deck – but only a total of 4. This is an official Pokémon TCG Official Ruling. Similarly, you may only play up to 4 of Professor’s Research OR Professor Sycamore OR Professor Juniper per deck. Any card with the same effect is limited to only 4 per deck. I.E. Hop, Hau, Tierno, Cheren. You can only have 4 of one but not one of each.

• Any other cards with identical effects may not be played together. There is restrictions on Double Colorless Energy and Twin Energy, but not Double Turbo Energy since that has a -20 damage reduction. Any cards with identical effects will fall under the same restrictions.

What about cards that are banned in the Standard or Expanded format?

• The Trainer Battle format has its own ban list. That list can be found here. If a card isn’t on this list, it’s fair game —spam those Iono's and Judges. Go insane! But be sure to check back to see the most up to date ban list. I'm sure we'll have to update it soon.

Can I play with cards that say “this card cannot be used in official tournaments” on them?

• Cards like Zacian Lv. X, Dragapult Prime, Imakuni?’s Doduo, and, Pokémon TCG World Championships Decks are not legal in the Wild Trainer Battle Format.

Can I play with Celebrations Classic Collection cards and Promos?

• The Classic Collection cards are not permitted in the Trainer Battle Format unless they are from Black & White or later and abide by existing rules. This means that only Reshiram and Zekrom are legal in the Wild Trainer Battle Format.

Can I play with Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic cards?

• No. These decks feature cards that are not legal for tournament play, either as reprints of non-legal cards (such as the Charizard Base Set) or new cards that are not legal for tournament play (such as Ho-oh ex). Even cards like Ultra Ball, Super Rod, VS Seeker, etc from the Pokemon Trading Card Game Classic Collection are not legal to play even though these versions are functionally the same as legal ones.

What if I don’t like a rule?

• If you and your bros want to allow 4 Boss’s Orders AND 4 Lysandre in your decks, or you want to allow ACE SPEC cards in your deck at home, or you want to play without Weakness, go ahead and establish your own house rules. While the official Wild Trainer Battle rules are designed for everyone, if you’d prefer to play your own spin on the format at home, knock yourself out!