Pokémon ex (TCG)
- This article is about the gameplay mechanic introduced to the TCG in the Scarlet & Violet Series. For the equivalent in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, see Pokémon ex (TCG Pocket).
- For the gameplay mechanic introduced to the TCG in the EX Series, see Pokémon-ex (TCG). For the gameplay mechanic released during the Black & White and XY Series, see Pokémon-EX (TCG).
Pokémon ex (Japanese: ポケモンex Pokémon ex) are a type of Pokémon found in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. They were first introduced in the Scarlet & Violet expansion. Pokémon ex have a stylized 
graphic on the card name.
In terms of gameplay, Pokémon ex are similar to the Pokémon-ex from the EX Series and the Pokémon-GX from the Sun & Moon Series: they have their usual Evolution stage but more HP and stronger attacks than regular Pokémon. Pokémon ex have the Pokémon ex rule, which is contained within a Rule Box in the bottom right corner of the card in place of a Pokédex entry. This rule states that the opponent takes two Prize cards instead of one when a Pokémon ex is Knocked Out.
Mechanically, Pokémon ex are considered to be the same as the Pokémon-ex from the EX Series - they are considered to share a name, and effects that refer to Pokémon-ex also affect Pokémon ex (and vice versa).[1][2] The only difference is that Pokémon-ex are not considered to have a Rule Box, for effects that care about that specifically.
Aesthetically, the artwork is most comparable to Pokémon-EX and LV.X, with the Pokémon breaking the borders of the regular prints' illustration window. However, the rest of the illustration is also slightly visible below the illustration window, which gives the impression of being translucent. Following the Scarlet & Violet series increased focus on illustrations, the regular prints' artwork may be 3D or 2D, although the former is the most common. Most Pokémon ex cards also receive a Full Art ultra rare print, which are similar to the Full Art prints of Pokémon-GX and Pokémon V. Some Pokémon ex cards also receive a special illustration rare print and a Hyper Rare print.
Tera Pokémon ex and Mega Evolution Pokémon ex are variants of Pokémon ex.
Tera Pokémon ex
Energy.
Pokémon ex may be Terastallized, dubbed Tera (Japanese: テラスタル Terastal) Pokémon ex, which have a stylized 
graphic in their name and a permanent effect of not taking damage from attacks while on the Bench. All attacks can be blocked in this way, even if they are from other Pokémon of the owner. This property is given a label below the HP of the card, which has a rainbow-like coloration. The explanation for Tera is below the other information displayed on the top of the card like the "evolves from" field, and is contained in a white "translucent" box similar to the text box.
Some Tera Pokémon ex have types that differ from their usual ones. These are called type-shifted Tera Pokémon ex, and they were introduced in Obsidian Flames.[3][4][5] These cards have Weakness and Resistance reflecting their new types, but the costs of their attacks use the same type of Energy as the usual type for the species. For instance, Charizard ex from Obsidian Flames is a Darkness-type Pokémon, with a Weakness to Grass as per most Darkness-type Pokémon, but its Burning Darkness attack requires Energy. Generally speaking, if a type-shifted Tera Pokémon ex has effects that reference a type in a positive manner, those effects will benefit the typing that the species normally has rather than that of the card. There are no rules distinctions between a Tera Pokémon ex and a type-shifted Tera Pokémon ex. This term is also not mentioned in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Rules.
The English Stellar Crown expansion and the Japanese Stellar Miracle expansion introduce Tera Pokémon ex cards featuring the Stellar type, known as Stellar Tera Pokémon ex or Stellar Tera Pokémon.[6][7] Cards of Stellar Tera Pokémon ex have several unique distinctions: they all have types that follow the Pokémon's usual typing, as well as a uniquely powerful attack that is named after gemstones and requires three different types of Energy to use. The unique multi-Energy attacks that Stellar Tera Pokémon ex cards have is reminiscent of the attacks of Crystal Pokémon, which were released in the Aquapolis and Skyridge expansions.
Tera Pokémon ex's illustrations feature the Terastallized Pokémon with a Tera type matching the card's type, and crystal shards around the regular print's border. Full Art ultra rare Tera Pokémon ex cards have a white background with a crystal-like holofoil effect, and sparkles around the Pokémon. Stellar Tera Pokémon ex cards have a white textbox, a rainbow border, and multicolored crystal shards around the artwork.
Some cards have effects that reference or check for Tera Pokémon. For a list of such cards, see here.
-
An example of a regular print Tera Pokémon ex -
An example of a Full Art ultra rare print Tera Pokémon ex
Mega Evolution Pokémon ex
Introduced in the Mega Evolution Series in 2025 is the Mega Evolution Pokémon ex[8] (Japanese: メガシンカex Mega Evolution ex), a variant of Pokémon ex inspired by the mechanic of the same name from the Pokémon video games. These cards feature the Mega-Evolved form of the species the card depicts. Mega Evolution Pokémon ex boast high amounts of HP (with Mega Gardevoir ex having higher HP than any tournament-legal card upon its reveal) and powerful attacks, but give up three Prize cards when Knocked Out, instead of two for regular Pokémon ex.
Mega Evolution Pokémon ex differ from the 
Pokémon
(M Pokémon-EX) type of cards first introduced in the XY expansion, which adapted the same Mega Evolution video game mechanic. Unlike M Pokémon-EX, which have their own "Mega" Evolution stage and can only be played atop a corresponding Pokémon-EX, Mega Evolution Pokémon ex are essentially played the same way as regular Pokémon ex, with Basic, Stage 1 and Stage 2 variants depending on their species. Playing a M Pokémon-EX card to evolve a Pokémon-EX in play immediately ends the player's turn, which is not the case when playing a Mega Evolution Pokémon ex card.
Mega Evolution Pokémon ex have card names written in yellow text with black borders; the 
symbol is placed next to the name in black lettering with yellow and black double borders. The text "The Mega-Evolved form of [Pokémon name]" appears in a rainbow-colored label on the top-right corner of the card, below the card's HP.
Mega Evolution Pokémon ex cards that are Full Art ultra rare (
), known as SR/Super Rare (
) in Japanese, have a distinct style where the Pokémon's regular form will be displayed alongside its Mega Evolution as a silhouette in the card artwork's background.
Pokémon that have appeared as Pokémon ex
This list is ordered by the English release date of each card, or their Japanese release date if the English release date is unavailable. For a category list of Pokémon ex cards, see here.
Pokémon ex
Tera Pokémon ex
For a category list, see here.
Mega Evolution Pokémon ex
For a category list, see here.
References
- ↑ https://compendium.pokegym.net/ruling/1828/
- ↑ https://www.pokemon-card.com/rules/faq/search.php?freeword=%E3%82%BB%E3%83%B3%E3%83%AA®ulation_faq_main_item1=XY
- ↑ MEDIA ALERT: Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames with Type-Shifted Tera Pokémon ex Launches Today, Press release
- ↑ Art of the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames Expansion, Pokémon.com
- ↑ An Early Look at Cards from the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames Expansion, Pokémon.com
- ↑ See New Cards from the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Surging Sparks Expansion, Pokémon.com, October 09, 2024
- ↑ "It's the arrival of Stellar Tera Pokémon!", announcement in Pokémon Trading Card Game Live
- ↑ The Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Series Begins!, Pokémon.com, February 27, 2025
Related articles
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This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. |