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(きほん)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 card provides only 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.

Special Energy cards

Special Energy cards (Japanese: 特殊(とくしゅ)エネルギー) are cards with additional benefits compared to Basic Energy cards. Unlike basic Energy cards, Special Energy cards with the same name are restricted to four per deck.

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.

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.

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. Instead, some cards (such as EX Legend Maker Kecleon and Plasma Storm Lugia) reference them 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 specifically refer to Basic Energy, removing the confusion.

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		Twilight Masquerade
Legacy Energy		Twilight Masquerade
Rich Energy		Paradise Dragona

Trivia

• The designs for the first six Energy symbols were made by Mitsuhiro Arita.

References

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