Erratas

Here is a comprehensive list of erratas issued to competitive cards. Sources for these can be found on the Compendium, as well as any rulings from these eras. Remember to pay attention to the date they are issued, as some cards were played with different rules in different time periods.

 

Balloon Berry – Neo Revelation, ex Dragon:

• In the Japanese card, there is a text saying “If Balloon Berry is attached to one of your Pokémon., the Pokémon.’s retreat cost is 0”. So, you should play Balloon Berry as if it negates the Pokémon.’s retreat cost while attached to that Pokémon., not just when it actually attempts to retreat. For example, Muk-EX’s “Slimy Water” attack damage will be reduced to only 40 against a Pokémon. with Balloon Berry attached to it.
  (Nov 13, 2003 PUI Rules Team)

 

Banette – ex Hidden Legends:

• Q. Does Darkness Chant require the owning player to count either Basics OR Evolutions in the discard pile, or can both be counted together?
  A. The attack is intended to count both Basics AND Evolutions, not one or the other.
  (Jun 17, 2004 PUI Rules Team)

 

Banette – Secret Wonders:

• Banette is receiving errata for its first attack, Ghost Head. Ghost Head can’t cause Banette to Knock Out itself … the attack has to leave Banette with at least 10 HP. “Put as many damage counters as you like on Banette. (You can’t Knock Out Banette.) Put that many damage counters on the Defending Pokémon.”
  (Jan 29, 2008 Pokemon Organized Play News)

 

Blastoise – Expedition:

• Q. Any new ruling on the expedition Blastoise’s pokemon power [Jet Stream]? You will go to TPC with this right?
  A. The way this one should work (if it was translated correctly) is that “you must successfully discard an energy card from Blastoise in order to discard one from your opponent’s active Pokemon”. Yes, TPC will post it. I mean they verified it. Blastoise is played as follows. “IF you have an energy on your Blastoise and IF Blastoise is your active Pokemon, then once during your tun you MAY choose to flip a coin. If you get heads, then you discard an energy from Blastoise. If you DO discard an energy from Blastoise (meaning there has to be one on there to discard), then you can also discard one energy from the Defending Pokemon.” That is how the card is supposed to work, period. Blastoise is erratad.
  (Sep 26, 2002 WotC Chat, Q520& Q535; Oct 3, 2002 WotC Chat, Q53 & Q56)

 

Blastoise ex, Articuno ex – ex Fire Red / Leaf Green

• Blastoise-EX and Articuno-EX each have an attack that discards an Energy card from the Defending Pokémon. The player using those attacks is also the player who chooses the Energy card to be discarded.
  (Jul 25, 2006 PUI Announcements)

 

Claw Fossil, Mysterious Fossil, Root Fossil – ex Sandstorm:

• While in play, Mysterious Fossil, Claw Fossil, and Root Fossil, count as both Trainer cards and as Pokémon. Previous rulings did not consider them to be “Trainer cards” while in play.
  (Apr 5, 2005 PUI Announcements; Apr 7, 2005 PUI Rules Team)

 

Darkness Energy – Expedition:

• The text on Darkness energy in the Expedition set is in error, please continue to play the card as written in the Neo Genesis text. Wizards of the Coast will reissue the Darkness energy with corrected text (same as the Neo Genesis version) in the upcoming Aquapolis release. Just play Darkness Energy exactly how we’ve always played it.
  (Sep 12, 2002 WotC Chat Announcements)

 

Defender – Undaunted:

• The wording of Defender is now as follows, “Attach Defender to 1 of your Pokémon. Discard this card at the end of your opponent’s next turn. Any damage done to the Pokémon Defender is attached to by attacks is reduced by 20 (after applying Weakness and Resistance).” Defender now protects against all attacks, even ones not made by the opponent.
  (Apr 11, 2011 TPCi Announcements; May 5, 2011 PUI Rules Team)

 

Double Rainbow Energy – ex Team Magma / Team Aqua:

• Double Rainbow Energy should be applied *before* applying Weakness and Resistance. This brings it in line with the Japanese version of the card.
  (Oct 1, 2004 PUI Announcements)

 

Electrode – Secret Wonders:

• Electrode is receiving errata for the card to reflect that its Poké-Power can trigger when any attack Knocks Out Electrode, not just during its owner’s turn. “If Electrode would be Knocked Out by damage from an attack, you may use this power. Electrode isn’t discarded. Instead, attach it as an Energy card to 1 of your Pokémon.”
  (Dec 6, 2007 PUI Rules Team; Jan 29, 2008 Pokemon Organized Play News)

 

Electrode ex – ex Fire Red / Leaf Green:

•  Electrode-EX’s “Crush and Burn” attack does extra damage based on the number of Energy cards discarded, not the amount of Energy provided. Official Wording: You may discard as many Energy cards as you like attached to your Pokémon in play. If you do, this attack does 30 damage plus 20 more damage for each Energy card you discarded.
  (Dec 16, 2004 PUI Announcements)

 

Feebas – ex Hidden Legends:

•  EX Hidden Legends Feebas is receiving errata for its “Ascension” attack to bring it in line with the Japanese version of the card. It should read, “Flip a coin. If heads, search your deck for a card that evolves from Feebas and put it on Feebas. (This counts as evolving Feebas.) Shuffle your deck afterward.”
  (Jul 22, 2004 PUI Rules Team)

 

Gengar – Stormfront:

• Gengar is receiving errata for its Poke-POWER, “Fainting Spell”. Fainting Spell affects your opponent’s Attacking Pokemon, not your Defending Pokemon. The correct card text should read, “Once during your opponent’s turn, if Gengar would be Knocked Out by damage from an attack, you may flip a coin. If heads, the Attacking Pokémon is Knocked Out.”
  (Nov 7, 2008 Pokemon Organized Play News)

 

Holon Energy WP & Ancient Technical Machine [Ice]:

• Holon Energy WP and Ancient Technical Machine [Ice] only prevent effects that come from attacks, not all effects in play. Trainer cards, Poké-Powers, and Poké-Bodies are not prevented by those cards.
  (Jul 25, 2006 PUI Announcements)

 

Jumpluff, Skiploom, Hoppip – Team Rocket Returns:

• The Poké-BODY “Buffer” found on Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff should read, “If Hoppip/Skiploom/Jumpluff would be Knocked Out by damage from an opponent’s attack, flip a coin…”. So only attacks that do damage (not “place counters”) would cause Buffer to be invoked.
  (Apr 5, 2005 PUI Announcements; Apr 7, 2005 PUI Rules Team)

 

Machamp – Hidden Legends:

• EX Hidden Legends Machamp is receiving errata for its “Brick Smash” attack to bring it in line with the Japanese version of the card. Weakness should be applied to the damage that Machamp deals. It should read, “This attack’s damage isn’t affected by Resistance, Poké-Powers, Poké-Bodies, or any other effects on the Defending Pokémon.”
  (Aug 21, 2004 Pokémon World Championships Announcements)

 

Magmortar Lv.X – Mysterious Treasures:

• Magmortar LV.X’s “Flame Bluster” attack should say “discard 2 Fire Energy CARDS” rather than just “discard 2 Fire Energy”.
  (Nov 16, 2007 Pokemon Organized Play News)

 

Marill – ex Sandstorm:

• Q. In the EX:Sandstorm set, there are 2 identical versions of Marill, but one has a retreat cost and one does not. Which one is the correct version and how shall the 2 different versions be played?
  A. This appears to be a fairly common mistake in the set. Play the card as written; if you have the Marill with the free retreat you may play it as such.
  (Sep 11, 2003 PUI Rules Team)

 

Metal Energy – Expedition:

• This card was incorrectly translated in this set. Just like the Darkness Energy, play all Metal Energy as it was written in Neo Genesis. This card will be reissued with corrected text in Aquapolis.
  (Sep 16, 2002 WotC Rules Team Update, Item 14)

 

Mt. Moon – ex Fire Red / Leaf Green

• Mt. Moon should read: “Any Pokémon (both yours and your opponent’s) with maximum HP of 70 or less can’t use any Poké-Powers.” This errata replaces text of “less than 70” with “70 or less”. If a Pokémon has a maximum HP of 70, that Pokémon cannot use a Poké-POWER while this Stadium card is in play.
  (Oct 1, 2004 PUI Announcements)

 

Onix – Unleashed:

• The text below reflects what the card should say, not what was originally printed. “When you attach an Energy card from your hand to Onix, remove a damage counter from Onix.” This Poké-Body only works when you attach an Energy card to Onix.
  (May 6, 2010 PUI Rules Team; May 7, 2010 TPCi TCG Errata Update)

 

Pluspower – Unleased:

• The text below reflects what the card should say, not what was originally printed. “If the Pokémon PlusPower is attached to attacks, the attack does 10 more damage to the Active Pokémon (before applying Weakness and Resistance).” This is to match past versions of the card. Also, if the Pokémon uses an attack that would damage itself, PlusPower would also affect that damage.
  (May 6, 2010 PUI Rules Team; May 7, 2010 TPCi TCG Errata Update)
• The wording of PlusPower is now as follows, “During this turn, your Pokémon’s attacks do 10 more damage to the Active Pokémon (before applying Weakness and Resistance).” This card no longer attaches to a Pokémon when used.
  (Apr 11, 2011 TPCi Announcements; May 5, 2011 PUI Rules Team)

 

Pokemon Reversal – Expedition, ex Ruby / Sapphire:

• Q. The wording on the “Pokémon. Reversal” trainer changed significantly between the Expedition version and the EX:Ruby/Sapphire version. How should we play this card? Do we play each one “as written”, or should we play them all the way the latest (or older) version of the card says?
  A. It should read like the Expedition version, with a slight tweak to make it 2-on-2 applicable. “Choose 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent switches that Pokémon. with 1 of his or her Defending Pokémon.” The opponent chooses the defending, but the person playing the card chooses the benched.
  (Apr 8, 2004 PUI Rules Team)

 

Rocket’s Minefield Gym – Gym Challenge:

• Rocket’s Minefield Gym is missing thenumber 2 right before ‘damage counters’.
  (Oct 5, 2000 WotC Chat Announcements)

 

Scizor – Neo Discovery:

• Double Claw is played as on the wording, it is played as it is 20x not 20+. It’s a misprint, just play it as though it says 20x for the damage.
  (Jun 7, 2001 WotC Chat, Q2 & Q27 & Q95 & Q140)

 

Steven’s Advice – ex Hidden Legends:

• Steven’s Advice should read: “Draw a number of cards up to the number of your opponent’s Pokémon in play. If you have 7 or more cards (including this one) in your hand, you can’t play this card.” This errata replaces text of “more than 7” with “7 or more”. If a player has 7 cards in his or her hand (including Steven’s Advice), they cannot play the card.
  (Oct 1, 2004 PUI Announcements)

 

Strength Charm – Expedition, ex Team Magma / Team Aqua:

• Strength Charm should read: “Whenever an attack from the Pokémon that Strength Charm is attached to does damage to the Active Pokémon (before applying Weakness and Resistance), the attack does 10 more damage. At the end of the turn in which the player attacks with the Pokémon that this card is attached to, discard Strength Charm.” This errata replaces text of “after applying Weakness and Resistance with before applying Weakness and Resistance”. It is also clarified that it is removed after ANY attack that the Pokémon makes, not just attacks that do damage.
  (Oct 1, 2004 PUI Announcements)

 

Unown G – Great Encounters:

• Q. Does Unown G’s “GUARD” Poke-POWER prevent effects from attacks that the Unown G is attached to?
  A. No, the Poke-POWER only prevent effects from an opponent’s attacks, not your own. Unown-G’s “GUARD” Poke-POWER should say, “As long as Unown G is attached to a Pokemon, prevent all effects of attacks, excluding damage, done to that Pokemon by your opponent’s Pokemon”.
  (Feb 21, 2008 PUI Rules Team; Feb 28, 2008 Pokemon Organized Play News)