5 Special Conditions in Pokémon TCG: Poison 10, Burn 20, Checkup Order, and Recovery

There are five Special Conditions in the Pokémon Trading Card Game: Poisoned, Burned, Asleep, Paralyzed, and Confused. According to the "How to Play" guide on the official Pokémon Korea website, only the Active Pokémon can be affected by Special Conditions. Benched Pokémon cannot be affected by Special Conditions. One damage counter represents 10 damage.

What the 5 Special Conditions Do

| Special Condition | Effect | Attack | Retreat | Marker/Indicator | |---|---|---|---|---| | Poisoned | 1 damage counter (10 damage) during each Pokémon Checkup | Possible | Possible | Poison marker | | Burned | 2 damage counters (20 damage) during each Pokémon Checkup, then flip a coin: if heads, recover | Possible | Possible | Burn marker | | Asleep | Flip a coin during each Pokémon Checkup: if heads, recover; if tails, remains Asleep | Not possible | Not possible | Turn card sideways | | Paralyzed | Cannot attack or retreat during your next turn; recovers during Pokémon Checkup after that turn | Not possible | Not possible | Turn card sideways | | Confused | Before attacking, flip a coin: if tails, the attack fails + put 3 damage counters (30 damage) on itself | Coin flip required | Possible | Turn card upside down |

The Advanced Rule Guide states that a Pokémon that is Asleep or Paralyzed cannot declare an attack and cannot retreat. If a coin flip results in tails due to Confused, the attack is not considered used, and the turn ends after placing 3 damage counters on the Pokémon.

Paralyzed timing is often confused. If a Pokémon becomes Paralyzed during the opponent's turn, it is not cured during the immediately following Pokémon Checkup. After you pass your own turn without being able to attack or retreat, it recovers during the Pokémon Checkup at the end of that turn.

Stacking Combinations and Overwriting Combinations

Poisoned and Burned can coexist with other Special Conditions. In contrast, Asleep, Paralyzed, and Confused cannot be applied at the same time. If a Pokémon already has one of these three conditions and receives another, only the newly applied condition remains. For example, if a Pokémon that is Asleep becomes Confused, Asleep is removed and it becomes Confused.

Therefore, a single Pokémon can have at most three Special Conditions at the same time: Poisoned + Burned + (one of Asleep, Paralyzed, or Confused). If a Pokémon is both Poisoned and Burned, 3 damage counters (30 damage) are placed on it in a single Pokémon Checkup.

Pokémon Checkup Procedure Order

Pokémon Checkup is the step between turns to check the status of both players' Pokémon. The rule guide defines this as a separate step outside either player's turn and states that both players must always carry it out. The order is as follows:

1. Check Special Conditions: Simultaneously check both players' Pokémon in the order of Poisoned → Burned → Asleep → Paralyzed.
2. Check Abilities and Trainer effects that trigger during Pokémon Checkup: Players can choose whether to resolve each effect before or after step 1. The order of multiple effects is decided by the player whose Pokémon is affected.
3. Check Knock Outs: A Pokémon that has no remaining HP is Knocked Out, and the opponent takes Prize cards.

Confused is not in this check list. Confused is checked with a coin flip only when an attack is declared.

Ways to Recover

The official guide outlines three ways to recover:

• Return to the Bench: A Pokémon recovers when it moves to the Bench via Retreat or other means. Poisoned, Burned, and Confused Pokémon can retreat, but Asleep and Paralyzed Pokémon cannot.
• Evolve: Evolving removes all Special Conditions and effects of attacks affecting the Pokémon. Damage counters remain on the Pokémon. The rule guide states that devolving also removes all Special Conditions.
• Use card effects: Certain attacks, Abilities, or Trainer cards have effects that cure Special Conditions.

The "How to Play" Q&A on the official Japanese website (pokemon-card.com) also guides that any Special Condition is cured when the Pokémon moves to the Bench or evolves. The rule guide also specifies that if the text on a card contradicts the basic rules, the text on the card takes precedence.

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Sources

• Pokémon Korea · Pokémon Trading Card Game How to Play (Accessed 2026-10-30)
• Pokémon Korea · Advanced Rule Guide ver1.0 (PDF) (2023-12-22)
• Pokémon Trading Card Game Japanese Official · Learn the Basic Rules! How to Play Pokémon Trading Card Game (Accessed 2026-10-30)