Restored Pokémon (TCG)

A Restored Pokémon (Japanese: 復元ポケモン Restored Pokémon) is a form of Pokémon that is revived to life from a Fossil card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. In the Pokémon world, Fossils are prehistoric Pokémon revived using techniques developed by the Devon Corporation and a research laboratory on Cinnabar Island.

Only eleven Pokémon are currently classified as Restored Pokémon: Aerodactyl, Amaura, Anorith, Archen, Cranidos, Kabuto, Lileep, Omanyte, Shieldon, Tirtouga, and Tyrunt.

Current Game Mechanic

In order to play a Restored Pokémon, the player must first play the respective Fossil card (a Trainer card), search the bottom seven cards of their Deck for the corresponding Pokémon, and then place it onto his or her Bench. This type of Trainer card was reintroduced with the above mechanic in the Noble Victories expansion.

Many Restored Pokémon feature the Prehistoric Call Ability (like the Plasma Blast versions of Archen, Lileep, and Tirtouga), which moves them from the discard pile to the bottom of the player’s deck.
Combine that with the Supporter card Caitlin (Plasma Blast) to put any number of cards from the player’s hand to the bottom of his or her deck in any order. Then retrieve it with a Fossil card.

Original Game Mechanic

Introduced first in the Fossil expansion, there was the Item card Mysterious Fossil which could be put into play as if it were a Basic Pokémon with 10 HP that had no attacks or Pokémon Powers, could not Retreat or be affected by Special Conditions, could be discarded at any time during your turn before your attack, and your opponent did not take a Prize when it was Knocked Out. Aerodactyl, Kabuto, and Omanyte cards released during this time until the mechanic was altered were Stage 1 Pokémon which could Evolve from Mysterious Fossil. As Mysterious Fossil did not count as a Pokémon while in your hand, it could not be your opening Pokémon.

Other ways of putting those cards into play were introduced as well in subsequent expansions, and Mysterious Fossil received multiple errata tweaking its effect, including periods where it could optionally count as a Pokémon while in hand (allowing you to open with it) and where it had to be treated as such. One alternative to Mysterious Fossil was not a shortcut (like Fossil Egg but a replacement known as Buried Fossil, which actually was a Basic, Colorless Pokémon and behaved as such, and could Evolve into your choice of the same three Pokémon as Mysterious Fossil.

When the third generation of Pokémon video games were introduced, so were more cards using this original mechanic, except both of these newer Pokémon - Anorith and Lileep - had their own specific Fossil card - Claw Fossil and Root Fossil, respectively. Mysterious Fossil was reissued with updated text alongside these cards, and this trend continued until this mechanic was replaced with the current one that featured Restored Pokémon.