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Pokémon TCG Retreat and Bench Rules: Retreat Once Per Turn, Up to 5 Benched Pokémon

Cannot Retreat If Asleep or Paralyzed... "Switch" Cards Do Not Count as Retreating

김태희 기자 · Published Nov 4, 2026, 10:59 KST · 4 min read
Photo: 株式会社ポケモン(The Pokémon Company)

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, retreating an Active Pokémon to the Bench and managing Benched Pokémon are fundamental actions used multiple times in a match. Misunderstanding the rules can lead to discarding extra Energy or wasting a turn saving a switching card that should have been played. Based on the "How to Play" page and the "Advanced Player Rule Guide" Ver.3.4 from the official Japanese Pokémon Trading Card Game website, here is a summary of essential rules every deck builder should know.

Up to 5 Benched Pokémon, Basic Pokémon Played One by One

According to the official Rule Guide, players can have up to 5 Benched Pokémon. As long as the Bench does not exceed 5 Pokémon, a player can play as many Basic (たね) Pokémon from their hand to the Bench as they like during their turn. However, they must be played one by one rather than all at once. Evolution can be performed in both the Active Spot and on the Bench, and multiple Pokémon can be evolved during a single turn. Neither player can evolve a Pokémon on their very first turn, and a Pokémon that was just played or evolved cannot evolve again during that same turn.

The Bench can also be targeted by attacks. The official "How to Play" guide explains that depending on the attack, Benched Pokémon can take damage and be Knocked Out. Weakness and Resistance are not applied to damage received by Benched Pokémon.

Retreating Is Allowed Once Per Turn, Discarding the Indicated Energy Amount

| Category | Official Rule | |---|---| | Frequency | Only 1 time during your turn | | Cost | Discard Energy equal to the amount written under "Retreat" at the bottom right of the card. Energy type does not matter | | Pokémon with no cost | Retreat without discarding Energy | | What remains | Remaining Energy, Pokémon Tools, and damage counters stay as they are | | Special Conditions | Returning to the Bench removes all Special Conditions and attack effects | | Cannot Retreat | Asleep or Paralyzed status, insufficient Energy, prevented by card effects, or when the Bench is empty |

The procedure consists of three steps: announce the retreat to the opponent, discard the required Energy, and return the Active Pokémon to the Bench while choosing another Benched Pokémon to move to the Active Spot. Retreating is possible even if the Bench is full with 5 Pokémon. Confused and Burned conditions do not prevent retreating.

Retreat cost changes depending on card effects. The Rule Guide gives an example where if an effect like the Pokémon Tool "Air Balloon (ふうせん)" that reduces Retreat Cost by 2 Energy and an Ability that increases an opponent's Evolution Pokémon's Retreat Cost by 1 Energy are applied simultaneously, the two combine to result in a net reduction of 1 Energy.

"Switching" Is Not Retreating

Card effects that swap the Active Pokémon with a Benched Pokémon, such as the Item card "Switch (ポケモンいれかえ)", are treated differently from retreating. According to the official Rule Guide, switching does not require discarding Energy and can be used even in situations where retreating is impossible, such as when Asleep or Paralyzed. Switching also removes Special Conditions and attack effects. The official "How to Play" FAQ notes that after switching via a card effect, a player can still retreat during that turn if they have not yet retreated. If there are no Pokémon on the Bench, switching cannot be performed.

If an effect sends the opponent's Active Pokémon to the Bench, the opponent chooses the new Pokémon to enter the Active Spot. When both players' Active Pokémon are Knocked Out simultaneously, the player taking the next turn places their Active Pokémon first.

Losing when the Bench Is Empty

The official Rule Guide cites "having no Pokémon on your field" as one of the three loss conditions. If the Active Pokémon is Knocked Out and there are no replacement Pokémon on the Bench, the player loses regardless of the number of remaining Prize cards. This is why players include a sufficient number of Basic Pokémon in their deck and establish their Bench early in the game.

Inquiries regarding the Korean version of the card game can be directed to the card game customer support phone line (1588-4273, weekdays 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM) provided on Pokémon Korea's (포켓몬코리아) official card game website. This article is based on official Japanese rule documents.

Sources

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