Pokémon Trading Card Game Knock Out Processing Order... Discard then Prize cards, Simultaneous KO starts from the next turn

In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, if you reduce an opponent's Pokémon's HP to zero, that Pokémon is "Knocked Out." Beginners often get confused about what to do first in this situation—whether to clear the cards first, take Prize cards first, or who sends out a new Pokémon first if both fall at once. Pokémon Korea's official "Advanced Player's Rule Guide (상급자 플레이어용 룰 가이드) ver1.0" defines this process in five steps.

When to Check for Knock Out

The official "How to Play" page explains that a Pokémon that has received damage equal to its HP is "Knocked Out." The rule guide states that Knock Out processing occurs if there is even one Pokémon on either player's field whose remaining HP has been depleted, not only due to attack damage but also due to card effects or Special Conditions. There are three timings for checking:

• The end of attack processing
• The end of the Pokémon Checkup (processing Poison, Burn, etc.) performed at the end of each turn
• Other times when a Pokémon's remaining HP is reduced to zero

The third case refers to when damage counters are placed by effects other than attacks. The rule guide cites examples such as Inteleon (S5a)'s Ability "Quick Shooting (퀵슈터)," which places 2 damage counters on an opponent's Pokémon, and the Stadium "Old Cemetery (옛 무덤)" (S6K), which places 2 damage counters whenever an Energy is attached.

In the case of attacks, there is one more step in the sequence. In the attack processing sequence of the rule guide, "effects that trigger when the opponent's Pokémon receives damage" is step 6, and checking for Knock Out is step 7. Even if it receives damage equal to or greater than its remaining HP, these effects are executed first before it is Knocked Out.

5 Steps of Knock Out Processing

| Order | Action | |---|---| | 1 | If there are Pokémon with no HP remaining on either field, begin Knock Out processing | | 2 | Process any effects that trigger "When Knocked Out" | | 3 | Discard that Pokémon along with all attached cards | | 4 | Both players take Prize cards equal to the number of their opponent's Pokémon that were Knocked Out | | 5 | If Active Pokémon were Knocked Out simultaneously, the player starting the next turn sends out a new Active Pokémon first |

Step 2 effects are executed immediately before discarding. The rule guide cites Golem (S8)'s Ability "Desperate Bomber (자포자기봄버)" and the Pokémon Tool "Exp. Share (학습장치)" (S5I) as examples. If multiple Pokémon are Knocked Out simultaneously and several such effects occur, the player who owns the Knocked Out Pokémon executes them in any order they choose and then discards all Knocked Out Pokémon at the same time.

The "attached cards" in Step 3 also include Pokémon Tools. The rule guide explains that Pokémon Tools remain attached until the Pokémon is Knocked Out unless there are special instructions, and are discarded together when it is Knocked Out.

How Many Prize Cards, and Who Goes First with the Next Pokémon

According to the official page, the player who scored the Knock Out takes the Prize cards face down and puts them into their hand. The standard is 1 card per Knocked Out Pokémon, and if multiple Pokémon are Knocked Out simultaneously, take that many cards. Pokémon ex give 2 cards, and Mega Evolution ex give 3. The player whose Pokémon was Knocked Out sends a Benched Pokémon to the Active Spot.

If both Active Pokémon are Knocked Out at the same time, according to Step 5, the player starting the next turn sends out a new Active Pokémon first. If situations such as having no Pokémon to send out or taking all Prize cards overlap, it proceeds to determining the winner, and the rule guide notes that there are cases where it results in a draw.

Initially, remembering just the sequence of "Effect → Discard → Prize → New Active Pokémon" will allow you to handle most situations.

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Sources

• Pokémon Korea · Advanced Player's Rule Guide (상급자 플레이어용 룰 가이드) ver1.0 (PDF) (Accessed 2026-11-13)
• Pokémon Korea · How to Play the Pokémon Trading Card Game (포켓몬 카드 게임 놀이 방법) (Accessed 2026-11-13)