Energy card (TCG)

Energy cards (Japanese: エネルギー) are the cards that power a Pokémon's attacks in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Once per turn, a player can attach one Energy card from their hand to one of their Pokémon. Pokémon cannot use an attack without having at least the Energy of the cost of that attack attached to it.

Energy cards provide Energy of a specified Energy type. In order to meet costs of attacks that include specific types, the type of the Energy attached to the Pokémon must match the type of the Energy in the cost. The exception to this is costs of Colorless Energy, which can be met with Energy of any type.

There are multiple effects that can change these parameters.

  • Some Pokémon have effects that allow them to ignore the Energy in the costs of their attacks, or ignore specific Energy types in those costs.
  • Cards can allow for attaching Energy from the Discard Pile or deck to Pokémon, or even allow for attaching one or more energy from the hand to a Pokémon. (A card's effect attaching Energy from the hand is separate from the once per turn attachment.)
    • Cards can allow for moving Energy already attached to one Pokémon to another Pokémon, or removing that Energy from play fully by sending it to another zone.
  • Some effects can change the amount of Energy that a single Energy card provides, or change the type of Energy that an Energy card provides.

There are two different classes of Energy cards: Basic and Special.

Basic Energy cards

Basic Energy cards (Japanese: 基本エネルギー) are the group of Basic Grass Energy, Basic Fire Energy, Basic Water Energy, Basic Lightning Energy, Basic Psychic Energy, Basic Fighting Energy, Basic Darkness Energy, Basic Metal Energy, and Basic Fairy Energy. These nine cards all provide one unit of Energy of their type to the Pokémon they are attached to. They are the only cards that players are permitted to have more than four copies of in their decks. (The only exceptions to this are Arceus cards from the Platinum Series, which have a relevant rule printed on them.) No Basic Energy cards provide Colorless Energy, because Colorless costs can be paid for by any Energy type. (There also are no Basic Energy cards that provide Dragon Energy, because Dragon Energy does not exist within the rules of the game. The attacks of Dragon-type Pokémon have costs that include other Energy types.)

Card name Provides
Basic Grass Energy  
Basic Fire Energy  
Basic Water Energy  
Basic Lightning Energy  
Basic Psychic Energy  
Basic Fighting Energy  
Basic Darkness Energy  
Basic Metal Energy  
Basic Fairy Energy  

From the Base Set through to the EX Power Keepers expansion, the TCG featured six basic Energy cards: Grass Energy, Fire Energy, Water Energy, Lightning Energy, Psychic Energy, and Fighting Energy. That was one card for each of the Trading Card Game's Energy types, excluding Colorless. When Darkness Energy and Metal Energy were introduced with the Darkness and Metal types in Neo Genesis to tie in with Generation II video games, the Energy of those types could only be provided by Special Energy cards. Six and a half years afterward, the release of the Diamond & Pearl expansion came with new Basic versions of Darkness Energy and Metal Energy. Basic Fairy Energy cards and the Fairy type as a whole were added starting with the XY expansion, following the Fairy-type's debut in the Generation VI video games. Basic Fairy Energy cards are no longer included in expansions starting from Sword & Shield following the discontinuation of new Fairy-type Pokémon in the TCG. [1]

Special Energy cards

Special Energy cards (Japanese: 特殊エネルギー) are cards with additional benefits compared to Basic Energy cards.

One possible benefit is providing more than one Energy of a specific type to the Pokémon they are attached to, such as how Double Colorless Energy provides two Colorless Energy despite only being one card.

Another benefit is having additional effect besides providing Energy. For example, some Special Energy make the attacks of the Pokémon it is attached to deal more damage.

Other Special Energy cards act more like Trainer cards, having an immediate effect when played. For instance, Jet Energy switches the Active Pokémon with the Benched Pokémon the Energy is attached to, essentially serving as an Energy version of Switch. (Remember, however, that only one Energy card can be played per turn, unlike many Trainer cards.)

The cards React Energy and Plasma Energy are special exceptions, only providing a single Colorless Energy with no additional rules text. While this looks odd, many card effects reference these Special Energy by name, essentially giving them an effect.

Special Energy cards can only have a non-Colorless type while attached to a Pokémon. This means that effects referring to Energy types of Energy cards that are not in play can never apply to Special Energy. (Starting with Scarlet & Violet, these effects specify that they look for Basic Energy, removing the confusion. [2])

Unlike basic Energy cards, no more than four can be included in a deck.

A recurring effect for Special Energy is providing more than one Energy type. Each Energy provided by this kind of card can only be a single type of Energy at any given time. For example, the Energy provided by a Unit Energy GRW is either a Grass Energy, a Fire Energy, or a Water Energy, not a Grass Energy, a Fire Energy, and a Water Energy simultaneously.

Some Special Energy cards only have their additional effect when they are attached to a Pokémon that meets a certain criteria. (The criteria is usually its Type, but other properties have been used.) A subset of these Special Energy cards can only be attached to Pokémon that meet the criteria, and are immediately discarded if they are somehow attached to a Pokémon that does not meet the criteria. (Usually, this occurs because a Pokémon that did meet the criteria evolves into a Pokémon which does not meet the criteria.)

List

Card name Provides Debut expansion
Double Colorless Energy    Base Set
Rainbow Energy   or   Team Rocket
Full Heal Energy   Team Rocket
Potion Energy   Team Rocket
Darkness Energy   Neo Genesis
Metal Energy   Neo Genesis
Recycle Energy   Neo Genesis
Miracle Energy    Neo Destiny
Boost Energy     Aquapolis
Crystal Energy   or   Aquapolis
Warp Energy   Aquapolis
Bounce Energy    Skyridge
Cyclone Energy   Skyridge
Retro Energy   Skyridge
Multi Energy   or   EX Sandstorm
Aqua Energy   ,   , or    EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua
Magma Energy   ,   , or    EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua
Double Rainbow Energy    EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua
Dark Metal Energy   or   EX Team Rocket Returns
R Energy    EX Team Rocket Returns
Heal Energy   EX Deoxys
Scramble Energy   or     EX Deoxys
Holon Energy FF   EX Delta Species
Holon Energy GL   EX Delta Species
Holon Energy WP   EX Delta Species
React Energy   EX Legend Maker
δ Rainbow Energy   or   EX Holon Phantoms
Call Energy   Majestic Dawn
Health Energy   Majestic Dawn
Recover Energy   Majestic Dawn
SP Energy   or   Rising Rivals
Upper Energy   or    Rising Rivals
Rescue Energy   Triumphant
Prism Energy   or   Next Destinies
Blend Energy       ,  ,  ,  , or   Dragons Exalted
Blend Energy       ,  ,  ,  , or   Dragons Exalted
Plasma Energy   Plasma Storm
Herbal Energy   Furious Fists
Strong Energy   Furious Fists
Mystery Energy   Phantom Forces
Shield Energy   Primal Clash
Wonder Energy   Primal Clash
Double Aqua Energy    Double Crisis
Double Magma Energy    Double Crisis
Double Dragon Energy    Roaring Skies
Flash Energy   Ancient Origins
Dangerous Energy   Ancient Origins
Burning Energy   BREAKthrough
Splash Energy   BREAKpoint
Counter Energy   or    Crimson Invasion
Super Boost Energy    ,  , or      Ultra Prism
Unit Energy      ,  ,  , or   Ultra Prism
Unit Energy      ,  ,  , or   Ultra Prism
Unit Energy      ,  ,  , or   Forbidden Light
Beast Energy     or   Forbidden Light
Memory Energy   Lost Thunder
Triple Acceleration Energy     Unbroken Bonds
Weakness Guard Energy   Unified Minds
Draw Energy   Cosmic Eclipse
Aurora Energy   Sword & Shield
Capture Energy   Rebel Clash
Horror   Energy   Rebel Clash
Speed   Energy   Rebel Clash
Twin Energy   or    Rebel Clash
Heat   Energy   Darkness Ablaze
Hiding   Energy   Darkness Ablaze
Powerful   Energy   Darkness Ablaze
Aromatic   Energy   Vivid Voltage
Coating   Energy   Vivid Voltage
Stone   Energy   Vivid Voltage
Wash   Energy   Vivid Voltage
Single Strike Energy   or   Battle Styles
Rapid Strike Energy   ,   , or    Battle Styles
Impact Energy   Chilling Reign
Lucky Energy   Chilling Reign
Spiral Energy   Chilling Reign
Treasure Energy   Evolving Skies
Fusion Strike Energy   Fusion Strike
Double Turbo Energy    Brilliant Stars
Gift Energy   Lost Origin
Regenerative Energy   Silver Tempest
V Guard Energy   Silver Tempest
Jet Energy   Paldea Evolved
Luminous Energy   or   Paldea Evolved
Reversal Energy   or     Paldea Evolved
Therapeutic Energy   Paldea Evolved
Medical Energy   Paradox Rift
Mist Energy   Temporal Forces
Neo Upper Energy   or    Temporal Forces
Boomerang Energy   Crimson Haze

Trivia

References


  This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.