How it works
Active and Bench
One attacker, five waiting. Retreat swaps them. A KO forces a promote.
Only the Active Pokémon can attack. The Bench is the waiting room — up to five. Abilities on the Bench still work if the card says so.
Retreat: once per turn, pay the retreat cost in Energy (discard them) and swap Active with a Benched Pokémon. Stuck with a fat retreat? A Switch Item exists for a reason.
When the Active is KO’d, you must promote a Benched Pokémon right away. If you have none, you lose — even if you still have Prizes left.
Beginners leave one lonely Basic on the Bench. Then a KO ends the game. Keep a backup in play.
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