Tutorial (TCGL)

Upon first starting the Pokémon Trading Card Game Live players are presented with six tutorial matches referred to as 'battles' intended to teach them the basics of the game. The tutorials are led by Professor Fir whose name is rendered simply as 'Professor' during gameplay.

The tutorial matches are mostly scripted, with the ability to select options that do not follow the script being removed even if they would otherwise be possible to use in an actual match.

Players may skip tutorials individually or all at once. Prior to version 1.34.0 tutorial matches could only be played as part of the first time user experience, but they have since been made accessible through Professor Fir's Learning Lab.

Current Tutorials (Post-1.25.0)

Your adventure into the wide world of the Pokémon Trading Card Game awaits! Let's start by learning the basics.

The player starts with 2 Prize cards remaining, a Charmander in the active, and 4   Energy in their hand. The opponent starts with a Pikachuex in the active.

  • "Welcome to your first battle!"
  • "In Pokémon Trading Card Game Live you'll have epic battles with Trainers from across the world using Pokémon cards, and I'm here to help you become the very best!"
  • This is your Active Pokémon. This is the one that's currently in Battle...
  • ...Against this one, your opponent's Active Pokémon. Mine, in this case.
  • "All right, let's get to the exciting part—attacking!"
  • "Select your Active Pokémon."
  • Pokémon need Energy cards to use attacks or abilities, which you can see here.
  • "Every turn you can attach one Energy card from your hand."
  • <The player is prompted to attach an Energy card to Charmander>
  • The number next to the attack name is how much damage it does to your opponent's Active Pokémon.
  • If a Pokémon's HP drops to 0, it's Knocked Out.
  • Now for the moment of truth... Attack!
  • <Opponent's turn.>
  • "Some attacks have other effects. That attack damaged you as well, but you might be able to use this to your advantage later."
  • "Also note that the Energy stays attached. You don't remove Energy after attacking unless the attack tells you to."
  • "After you attack, it's the other player's turn."
  • <Opponent attaches a Lightning Energy to Pikachuex.>
  • "My Pokémon doesn't have enough Energy to attack yet, so I'll end my turn."
  • <Player's turn, player draws Charmeleon.>
  • At the beginning of your turn, remember to always draw one card from the top of your deck.
  • "Now's the time to discuss how to boost your game by evolving!"
  • "Evolution is how your Pokémon grow into more powerful forms!"
  • You see how this card says it's a Basic Pokémon?
  • Basic Pokémon can be played right away, but Evolution Pokémon have to be evolved from a Basic Pokémon already in play.
  • <The player is prompted to select Charmeleon.>
  • You can see the Pokémon it evolves from right on the card. Convenient!
  • Well, actually in the top-left corner of the card.
  • <The player is prompted to evolve Charmander.>
  • "Evolved Pokémon can be more powerful, but they often need more Energy for their attacks."
  • "Every turn, you can attach one Energy card from your hand."
  • <The player is prompted to attach an Energy to Charmeleon, then attack.>
  • <Opponent's turn, opponent attaches a Lightning Energy to Pikachuex.>
  • <Player's turn, player draws Charizardex.>
  • * At the beginning of your turn, remember to always draw one card from the top of your deck.
  • "Stage 1 Pokémon evolve from Basic Pokémon, and Stage 2 Pokémon evolve from Stage 1 Pokémon."
  • <The player is prompted to evolve Charmeleon.>
  • "But remember this: you can't evolve a Pokémon the turn it was played, or evolve that Pokémon again until next turn."
  • <The player is prompted to attach an Energy to Charizardex, then attack with Brave Wing, winning the game.>
  • Wow, what a powerful hit! Great Knock Out!
  • These are your Prize cards. Each time you Knock Out a Pokémon, you get to take Prize cards. When you have none left, you win!
  • Most of the time, you take 1 Prize card for Knocking Out a Pokémon, but you take 2 for Knocking Out a Pokémon ex!
In this second battle, I'll teach you about playing with a whole team of Pokémon!

The player starts with 3 Prize cards remaining, a Pidgey with a Fire Energy attached in the active, and Charmander, Charmeleon, Charizardex, and 4 Fire Energy in their hand. The opponent starts with an Iono's Wattrel with a Lightning Energy attached in the active.

  • "Welcome back!"
  • "In the last battle we used a single Pokémon. But this time, we'll play with multiple Pokémon at the same time!"
  • "You see this area here? That's called your Bench."
  • "You can put as many Pokémon in play as you have room for, even on the same turn."
  • "It's important to have at least one Pokémon on the Bench as backup, so you should do that as soon as possible."
  • "If your only Pokémon is Knocked Out, you'll lose the game, even if your opponent has Prize cards left!"
  • <The player is prompted to place Charmander on the Bench.>
  • The Pokémon you just put on your Bench has a different color and Energy symbol on it than either of our Pokémon, doesn't it?
  • That's because it's a different type.
  • Your active Pokémon is  ! That means you can use any type of Energy for its attacks, including Fire!
  • "However, this Pokémon you just put on the Bench is a   type, so it needs   Energy."
  • "When you have more than 1 Pokémon in play, you can attach Energy to any of them, even Pokémon on the Bench."
  • "Only your active Pokémon can attack, however."
  • <The player is prompted to use Pidgey's Call for Family and select 2 Charmander.>
  • <Opponent's turn. The opponent plays Pikachuex to the Bench, attaches a Lightning to it, then attacks with Iono's Wattrel's Quick Attack (always flipping Tails).>
  • <Player's turn.>
  • Remember when you learned about Pokémon types? Well, Pokémon can also be strong or weak against other types.
  • This Pokémon is weak to Lightning! That means any attack from a Lightning Pokémon will do double damage!
  • Oof, look at that HP. This could spell trouble for you, but luckily there's a way to bring this Pokémon to safety!
  • This is where Retreat Cost comes in.
  • If your Active Pokémon is in a jam and you have enough Energy attached, you can retreat and put a different Pokémon in its place!
  • <The player is prompted to retreat into the Charmander with an Energy attached.>
  • "You do have to discard Energy to retreat, but it's worth it."
  • "Don't be afraid to retreat in a pinch—retreating is part of a prudent strategy."
  • <The player is prompted to evolve the active Charmander, attach an Energy to it, and then attack.>
  • <Opponent's turn. The opponent attaches a Lightning to Pikachuex, then puts an Iono's Wattrel onto the Bench.>
  • <Player's turn.>
  • "I think you're getting the hang of this."
  • "The rest of this battle is up to you!"
It's time to apply everything you've learned in a full battle!

The player starts with 3 Prize cards remaining, and an opening hand consisting of a Pidgey, Charmander, Charmeleon, and 4 Fire Energy. The opponent starts with an Iono's Wattrel in the active, and a Pikachuex on their Bench.

  • "You catch on fast."
  • "I'll help you through the setup phase, and then we can have a real match!"
  • "When you start a match, both players have to start by choosing a Basic Pokémon to put in their Active Spot!"
  • "If you don't have a Basic Pokémon, you have to try again until you find one."
  • <The player is prompted to play Charmander in the Active Spot.>
  • "It's important to have at least one Pokémon on the Bench as backup, so you should do that as soon as possible."
  • "If your only Pokémon is Knocked Out, you'll lose the game, even if your opponent has Prize cards left!"
  • <The player is prompted to play Pidgey to their Bench.>
  • "When you're satisfied with your setup, tap the Done button."
  • "You're going first, so I want to mention one more thing."
  • "If you go first, you can't attack or evolve on your first turn."
  • "Don't forget to attach an Energy card!"
  • <The player is prompted to attach an Energy to Charmander.>
  • "Attacking ends your turn, but if you can't attack and have no further moves to make, then select End Turn.
  • "The rest of this battle is up to you!"
Let's try out some new kinds of cards!

The player starts with 2 Prize cards remaining, a Charmeleon in the active, and a Mewex on the Bench. The opponent starts with a Pikachuex with 1 Metal Energy and 1 Grass Energy attached to it in the active, and an Iono's Wattrel on their Bench.

  • "I upgraded both of our decks for this match."
  • "Which is great, because we can talk about Abilities!"
  • "Abilities aren't attacks. They can have powerful effects, however, and the best part is that you can still attack on the same turn!"
  • "Even Pokémon on the Bench can use Abilities."
  • <The player is prompted to use Mewex's Restart, drawing 2 Charmeleon and a Charizardex.>
  • "Different Abilities can be triggered in different ways. Some Abilities you choose when to use, others happen automatically if you make certain moves."
  • <The player is prompted to evolve Charmeleon, then use Infernal Reign to attach 3 Fire Energy to itself.>
  • Charizardex's attack does extra damage if your opponent has taken Prize cards. Since we both have 2 remaining, you'll do a massive attack!
  • <The player is prompted to attack with Burning Darkness.>
  • "AHA! My Pokémon has an Ability as well!"
  • "Thanks to this Ability, my Pikachuex wasn't Knocked Out!"
  • "At least, not for one more turn..."
  • <Opponent's turn. The opponent attaches a Lightning Energy to Pikachuex, then attacks with Topaz Bolt.>
  • <Player's turn. The player is prompted to attack with Burning Darkness, winning the game.>
  • Nice combo! Many Pokémon have Abilities that can give you an edge in battle. Try using lots of different Pokémon in your decks!
We've learned all about Pokémon cards, Energy, attacks, and Abilities. You're ready to learn about Trainer cards!

The player starts with 4 Prize cards remaining, a Charmander in the active, a Pidgey on the Bench, and an Iono in their hand. The opponent starts with a Pikachuex with a Lightning Energy attached to it in the active, and an Iono's Wattrel with a Lightning Energy attached to it on their Bench.

  • "Up to this point, we've only been using Pokémon cards and Energy cards."
  • "But every deck uses a mix of three kinds of cards: Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards!"
  • "You have a Supporter card right now, which you can use to draw more cards. Try this one out by playing it."
  • <The player is prompted to play Iono, drawing Arven, Rare Candy, Ultra Ball, and 1 Fire Energy.>
  • Observe how this other Supporter card is no longer usable. You can only use 1 Supporter card each turn.
  • Be strategic about which Supporter card you play each turn!
  • "Items are another kind of Trainer card.
  • Rare Candy is a staple for decks like yours.
  • It lets you skip the Stage 1 Pokémon and go straight to Stage 2!
  • "We just need to get you a Stage 2 Pokémon. Let's try another Item."
  • "Ultra Ball can get you any Pokémon you like from your deck. But it comes at a cost—you have to discard 2 cards first."
  • <The player is prompted to play Ultra Ball, discarding Arven and a Fire Energy and selecting Charizardex from their deck.>
  • "The best thing about Items is you can use as many Items on your turn as you wish."
  • <The player is prompted to use Rare Candy to evolve Charmander, attach 3 Fire Energy to itself with Infernal Reign, then attack with Burning Darkness.>
  • <Opponent's turn. The opponent plays Switch, attaches a Metal to Pikachuex, then attacks with Iono's Wattrel's Quick Attack.>
  • "Haha! I switched out my Active Pokémon! If you Knock Out this Pokémon, you'll only take 1 Prize card, and I'll be able to Knock Out your Pokémon next turn and take 2 Prize cards to win!"
  • Most of the time, you take 1 Prize card for Knocking Out a Pokémon, but you take 2 for Knocking Out a Pokémon ex!
  • <Player's turn. The player draws Boss's Orders, and is prompted to use it.>
  • "Oh no! You had a new Supporter card to use this turn?!"
  • <The player is prompted to use Burning Darkness to KO Pikachuex, taking Artazon and Defiance Band from the Prize cards.>
  • <Opponent's turn. The opponent plays Gravity Mountain then attacks with Iono's Wattrel's Quick Attack.>
  • <Player's turn. The player draws Maximum Belt.>
  • "You drew some new kinds of Trainer cards!"
  • "Pokémon Tool cards are like Energy, as you can attach them to give your Pokémon strong effects!"
  • "...You can only attach 1 per Pokémon though."
  • "Stadium cards can affect the entire game, but there can only be one Stadium in play at a time.
  • "Be careful: Stadiums hurt—or help—both players equally."
  • <The player is prompted to attack with Burning Darkness, winning the game.>
  • Pokémon, Trainers, and even Energy combine together to make all sorts of interesting effects. Finding out how they work together is what makes the Pokémon Trading Card Game so fun!
You've learned everything I have to teach you. It's time for one final battle!

Aside from the opening hands, this battle is an unscripted match in which the player uses a Charizardex deck and the opponent uses a Pikachuex deck.

  • "You catch on fast."
  • "Most games have 6 Prize cards, so we'll play with 6 Prize cards too. This match is your final test!"
  • "You're going first, but I want to give you two reminders about going first."
  • "If you go first, you can't attack or evolve on your first turn."
  • "You can't play a Supporter card on your first turn, but you can play any Item or Pokémon Tool cards you have."
  • "The rest of this battle is up to you!"

Upon completing or skipping the tutorial, the player is placed on the casual mode screen.

Retired Tutorials (Pre-1.25.0)

Let's learn how to read a Pokémon card, and how to prepare for an attack!

The player starts with 2 Prize cards remaining, and a CharizardV with three   Energy attached in the active. The opponent starts with a GrimmsnarlV in the active.

  • "Welcome to your first battle! I'm going to teach you the basics of using your Pokémon's attacks. Click on the CharizardV in the active spot."
  • This card is a Basic Pokémon. These cards can be played directly from your hand to the Bench.
  • This is your Pokémon's HP. If it loses it all, it gets Knocked Out!
  • Every attack has an Energy requirement. Your Pokémon already has enough Energy attached, so let's go for the attack!
  • <The player is prompted to use Claw Slash>
  • <Opponent's turn>
  • <The opponent draws a   Energy, attaches it to GrimmsnarlV, and uses Bite>
  • <Player's turn>
  • <Player draws a  >
  • "Your CharizardV has a more powerful attack, but it requires 1 more Energy."
  • "Drag the   Energy from your hand to CharizardV."
  • <The player is prompted to use Fire Spin, winning the game>
  • By taking your final Prize cards, you win the match!
  • Most of the time, you get 1 Prize card for Knocking Out a Pokémon - but you get 2 for Knocking out a Pokémon V like GrimmsnarlV!
In this short battle, I'll teach you about Trainer cards and how to evolve your Pokémon.

The player starts with 1 Prize card remaining, a Scorbunny with two   Energy attached in the active, and an Evolution Incense and a   Energy in their hand. The opponent starts with a Sobble in the active.

  • "Let's talk about Trainer cards."
  • "Click on the Evolution Incense in your hand."
  • Trainer cards are labeled in the upper-left corner. They have all sorts of helpful uses to assist your strategy.
  • Evolution Incense will help you search your deck fo an Evolution Pokémon card.
  • "Drag Trainer cards to the board in the center of the screen to play them."
  • <The player is prompted to select Raboot>
  • "Evolution is an important tactic in the Pokémon TCG! Go ahead and evolve your Scorbunny into Raboot!"
  • "Oh! I should note you can't evolve the same Pokémon again this turn."
  • <The player is prompted to evolve Scorbunny>
  • "Not only does Raboot have more HP, but it also has more powerful attacks. Don't forget to charge it up with more Energy."
  • "First, I want to show you something. Select Raboot."
  • Magnum Kick's attack cost requires 2   Energy and 1 Energy of any type.
  • When you see a   Energy symbol, that means any Energy will work. The   Energy in your hand will do just fine!
  • <The player is prompted to attach the   and then attack with Magnum Kick, winning the game.>
Special Conditions and Weakness are two important things to keep in mind while forming your strategy. Let's learn how to use them to your advantage.

The player starts with 3 Prize cards, an Inteleon that has six damage counters on it in the active, a Raboot with a   Energy attached on the Bench, and a Cinderace and Fire Energy in their hand. The opponent starts with a Beedrill in their active, and a   in their hand.

  • "In this match, I want to teach you about Special Conditions."
  • <Opponent's turn>
  • <The opponent attaches a   to Beedrill, then attacks with Poison Jab>
  • <Player's turn, the Player draws Switch>
  • "My Beedrill has made your Inteleon Poisoned, which means your Inteleon will continue to take 10 damage during Pokémon Checkup. That's a special step that happens after each of our turns."
  • "Poisoned is just one Special Condition. You'll discover others as you keep playing Pokémon Trading Card Game Live!"
  • "One way to remove Special Conditions from your Pokémon is to get them out of the Active Spot."
  • "Use Switch to swap in a Pokémon from your Bench."
  • <The player is prompted to play Switch>
  • "Let's take a closer look at my Beedrill. There's something I want to show you."
  • Since my Beedrill has a weakness to Fire, it will take double damage if you attack it with any Fire Pokémon.
  • <The player is prompted to evolve Raboot, then attach the Fire Energy and attack with Burning Kick, winning the game.>
  • "Wow, what a powerful hit! Great Knock Out!"
  • "Even though you're only taking 1 Prize card here, I don't have any Pokémon on my Bench, so you win!"
Many Pokémon have Abilities as well as attacks. Let's see how helpful Abilities can be!

The player starts with 1 Prize card, a Jirachi with a Fire Energy attached in the active, a Cinderace with a Fire Energy attached on the Bench, and a Fire Energy in their hand. The opponent starts with an Inteleon in the active, and a Rillaboom on the Bench.

  • "Not only can Pokémon attack, but they also have useful Abilities that can help your strategy."
  • Unlike attacking, using an Ability usually won't end your turn.
  • However, most Pokémon Abilities can only be used once per turn.
  • <The player is prompted to use Dreamy Revelation, and is then prompted to select Boss's Orders.>
  • "Boss's Orders lets you switch 1 of your opponent's Benched Pokémon into their Active Spot. You get to pick!"
  • "Remember what I taught you about Weakness earlier?"
  • "Seems like there might be something to take note of on each of our Benches..."
  • <The player is prompted to use Boss's Orders.>
  • "Since we know that the Cinderace on your Bench will be strong against my Rillaboom, let's get it into the Active Spot."
  • You can retreat your Pokémon so long as you meet the Energy requirements!
  • <The player is prompted to retreat, attach a Fire Energy to Cinderace, and attack with Burning Kick, winning the game.>
Let's learn about how different cards can work together to cause all sorts of effects on your Pokémon.

The player starts with 3 Prize cards remaining, a ZacianV with three   Energy attached in the active, a Dialga on the Bench, and a Switch in their hand. The opponent starts with an InteleonVMAX with two   Energy attached in the active, a Frosmoth on their Bench, and a   Energy in their discard pile.

  • "You already have a Pokémon ready in the Active Spot! Go ahead and swing for a big attack!"
  • <The player is prompted to use Brave Blade.>
  • <Opponent's turn>
  • <The opponent plays Training Court.>
  • "Stadium cards are a special type of Trainer card that can affect the entire match! My Training Court lets me get the Energy I need from the discard pile."
  • <The opponent uses Training Court, then attaches a   to InteleonVMAX.>
  • "And, just to make sure you don't have enough Energy to attack, I'll play Crushing Hammer, which lets me discard an Energy from your Pokémon if I flip heads."
  • <The opponent plays Crushing Hammer and hits heads, discarding an Energy from ZacianV.>
  • "Lucky me!"
  • <The opponent attacks with Max Bullet.>
  • <Player's turn, player draws Air Balloon.>
  • "Thanks to my Crushing Hammer, you don't have enough Energy to attack. However even though I played Training Court, you can use it as well!"
  • "Hmmm...Maybe I shouldn't have done that..."
  • <The player is prompted to select Training Court>
  • Stadium cards have all sorts of useful effects. Use Training Court to recover the   Energy card I discarded!
  • <The player is prompted to use Training Court, then attach the Energy to ZacianV.>
  • "Let's examine your ZacianV."
  • Brave Blade is a powerful attack, but it has a drawback: ZacianV can't attack during the next turn, even if you have enough Energy.
  • Your Pokémon in play can have both negative and positive effects applied to them. Click on these buttons to see exactly what is happening to your Pokémon.
  • Just like Special Conditions, these effects go away if the Pokémon moves to the Bench. And as luck would have it, you drew exactly what you need to get out of this situation!
  • "Air Balloon is a Pokémon Tool card, which means it can be attached to your Pokémon. And its effect will remain on the Pokémon as long as it's attached."
  • <The player is prompted to attach Air Ballon to ZacianV.>
  • "A green arrow appeared on ZacianV because Air Balloon reduced its Retreat Cost to 0. This lets you switch it out without a penalty. I'd say that's a positive effect!"
  • <The player is prompted to retreat ZacianV.>
  • "Do you see how the red arrow went away once ZacianV moved to the Bench? If you can get it back to the Active Spot, you can attack again this turn! The Switch card in your hand will do just that."
  • <The player is prompted to play Switch, then attack with Brave Blade, winning the game.>
  • "Pokémon VMAX are worth 3 Prize cards, so you win!"
  • "Pokémon, Trainers, and even Energy combine together to make all sorts of interesting effects. Finding out how they work together is what makes the Pokémon Trading Card Game so fun!"
It's time to apply everything you've learned in a full battle!

The player starts with 6 Prize cards, and an opening hand consisting of Oranguru, Galarian Meowth, ZacianV, Quick Ball, Air Balloon, and two   Energy.

  • "To begin any match, you need to have a Basic Pokémon in your Active Spot. I'd say ZacianV is your best option here!"
  • <The player is prompted to play ZacianV.>
  • You should also play some Pokémon to your Bench early as a backup plan. You lose the match if your only Pokémon is Knocked Out!
  • <The player is prompted to place Oranguru and Galarian Meowth on the Bench.>
  • When you're satisfied with your setup, tap the Done button.
  • "I have something that I'd like to show you. Use that Quick Ball in your hand!"
  • <The player is prompted to use Quick Ball and discard an Energy from their hand.>
  • A couple of things. First, you can always use this opportunity to look throught the rest of your deck by selecting the All tab.
  • Advanced players use this as a tactic to figure out what's in their Prize cards, and they can strategize around that.
  • Feel free to browse here until you're ready. Then select CrobatV.
  • Let's take a look at CrobatV.
  • As you can see, CrobatV's Dark Asset Ability allows you to draw cards until you have 6 in your hand.
  • I suggest playing as many cards as you can before you drag CrobatV to your Bench.
  • "That's all I have left to teach. The rest of the battle is up to you."
  • "However, I reccomend you end your turn by using Oranguru's Primate Wisdom Ability on that Metal Energy in your hand, followed by ZacianV's Intrepid Sword."
  • "But you can play this match in whatever style suits you best. Good luck!"

Upon completing or skipping the tutorial, the player is placed on the ranked mode screen.

This article is part of both Project Sidegames and Project TCG, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on video games about the TCG.
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