Basic Pokémon (TCG)

A Basic Pokémon (Japanese: たねポケモン Seed Pokémon) is a type of Pokémon card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Basic Pokémon can be placed directly in play, although some can evolve from Baby Pokémon. Some basic Pokémon, such as Mewtwo, do not evolve, while others can evolve into Stage 1 Pokémon or Stage 2 Pokémon. Usually, Basic Pokémon that evolve have the lowest HP, weakest attacks, and lowest Retreat Costs of Pokémon in their evolutionary line.

An example of a Basic Pokémon card.

Playing

At least one Basic Pokémon needs to be put into play from the player's hand face down as the Active Pokémon during set up, and up to an additional five Basic Pokémon can be placed on the Bench. During each player's turn, they may place Basic Pokémon from their hand onto their Bench if there is empty space.

Some Basic Pokémon can be evolved into a corresponding Stage 1 Pokémon by placing the relevant card onto the Basic Pokémon. Some Item or Trainer cards can be used to evolve Basic Pokémon into their corresponding Stage 2 Pokémon.

Basic Pokémon placed from the hand onto the Bench or Active Spot are considered Unevolved Pokémon. A Baby Pokémon can be evolved into a corresponding Basic Pokémon, which is then treated as an Evolved Pokémon.

Appearance

An example of a Basic Pokémon card during the EX Series.

Basic Pokémon usually have a signifier reading "Basic" in the top-left corner of the card. During the EX Series the signifier was placed below the illustration on the card.

During the time in which Wizards of the Coast distributed expansions, the Basic Pokémon signifier varied in appearance:

• Base Set to Gym Challenge: The top-left corner of the card reads "Basic Pokémon".
• Neo Genesis to Skyridge: "Basic Pokémon" is present in the top-right corner of the illustration.

Relation to the video games

An example of a Pokémon-EX card in which a Basic Pokémon card depicts an Evolved Pokémon.

In most cases, Basic Pokémon are Pokémon that are unevolved in the Generation they were introduced in. Examples of this include Bulbasaur, Pikachu, and Mew. Baby Pokémon, such as Pichu, are considered Basic Pokémon, however the Pokémon that they can evolve into are usually also considered Basic Pokémon.

Evolved Pokémon from the video games can sometimes appear as Basic Pokémon cards. Examples of these cards include some Pokémon-EX, Pokémon V, Shining Pokémon, Pokémon, and Radiant Pokémon.

Pokémon that are restored from Fossils are usually Stage 1 Pokémon, and their Fossil Trainer cards are played as if they were Basic Pokémon. During the Black & White Series and XY Series, unevolved Fossil Pokémon cards were considered Restored Pokémon, with their Fossils being standard Item cards.

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