Black & White Pokémon Trading Card Game Rules

The Black & White Pokémon Trading Card Game Rules is a rulebook for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The version released for , and every set thereafter, is not a "book" in the sense of bound pages between two covers. Instead, it is designed to be read in digital form, and formatted to match. (Products from Black & White onward include rulesheets instead of rulebooks.)
Additionally, this edition is an overall refresh of the rulebook's contents. All of the text was generally all redone. Example cards are not shown with a tilt. (The one case where this is true includes the card's final position where it is not tilted.) The section "What's New in..." was removed, replaced by a "Become A Pokémon Master!" section about the TCG as a whole. Removals compared to prior books include the index and the credits.
As before, explanations of mechanics are accompanied by card images, s, s, and artwork of characters and Pokémon.
==Contents==
===Become A Pokémon Master!===
A short section explaining the main ideas of Pokémon and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
===Pokémon TCG Basic Concepts===
A paragraph explaining how to win, followed by a page with a blurb for each of the game's s. The first paragraph is paired with pictures of Hilbert and Hilda.
===Parts of a Pokémon Card===
A section showing an example of a and a , with labels to highlight each of the features on the cards. It is followed by an explanation of the three card types: Pokémon, Trainer, and .
===Zones of the Pokémon TCG===
Similarly, this section shows a playmat with labels identifying each of the game's zones. The playmat is Black & White themed, featuring and . The labels include a blurb describing the zone's purpose. There is an additional blurb for the .
===Playing the Game===
The longest section of the book, going through the core rules of the TCG. First, it summarizes how to win a game and how to start a game. Then it provides a list of the actions that are done during a turn, as well as a section elaborating on each action. Actions that must take place in a specific order are numbered, while actions that can be done in any order within that portion of the turn are marked by letters. The steps involved in executing an are also given letter designations. The steps for attacking are checking for Energy, checking for and , and placing s equal to the damage. Lastly, the game describes the in-between turns step and s. Some asides in this section are narrated by Professor Juniper.
===Pokémon Leagues and Trainer Kits===
This short section points players to their local game store and . It also advises purchasing a for additional assistance.
===Advanced Rules===
A number of miscellaneous notes on the game's rules are in this section. This includes:
*Definition of an attack, which clarifies elements that are not attacks like .
*A more detailed version of the steps for performing attacks.
*Two key questions:"What if you should draw more cards than you have?" and "What if both players win at the same time?"
*A definition of , clarifying one result of "What if both players win at the same time?"
*A section going over which phrases and symbols are or are not part of a Pokémon's name.
===Deck Building===
A section going over the rules and providing basic tips on how to build a .
===Glossary===
A section with definitions for 46 different terms in the game. This section uses a two-column layout reminiscent of the older books.
==Other variations==
Every book has variations released for most TCG expansions. The variations on this book, and any additions they made, are as follows:
*
*
*: Adds the Appendix A section for .
*
*: Adds as an Energy type.
An unknown book before Next Destinies added an Appendix section for .
==Trivia==
* from is included to show an example of an attack with a cost of 0, as the only non-Black & White Series card in the book.
==External Links==
*The Black & White Pokémon Trading Card Game Rules on Judge Ball
*The Next Destinies version of the book on Judge Ball
*The Dragons Exalted version of the book on Judge Ball
Category:Pokémon Trading Card Game publications