Card Rulings Compendium

Ruling

Ignition Energy does not require it to be attached to an Evolution Pokémon — just that it provides more Energy if it is. So, since your Active Pokémon evolved into an Evolution Pokémon, Ignition Energy provides more Energy, thus funding its attack.

Ruling

For a similar ruling, please see the ruling for Raichu (PAF 19).

Ruling

As with all activated effects — including abilities and attacks — the prerequisite for using an activated effect is that it must have a target. Since this means that Chilling Wings, an Attack, requires a target, its player must pick a target for this attack. Once a target for this attack has been chosen, that targeted Pokémon will be made Asleep.

Ruling

Remember, you check for KO during your Attack Step — but you only promote after knockouts during the Pokémon Checkup phase.

Ruling

Raichu reads: “When 1 of your Pokémon is Knocked Out by damage from an attackc from your opponent’s Pokémon, you may move a Lightning Energy from that Pokémon to this Pokémon.”

This means that Raichu can be anywhere on the board when it receives an Energy, and there is no limit to how many times this ability can activate. Ergo, no matter how many of your Pokémon are knocked out, and from where they or Raichu are, Raichu may receive an Energy from that Pokémon.

Ruling

As always, an Ability that’s activated (i.e. “Once during your turn, you may…”) requires targets, whereas an Ability with a persistent effect (i.e. “As long as this Pokémon is in your Active Spot…”) does not. As an Activated Abliity, Torrential Whirlpool requires targets. In this case, you choose one of your opponent’s Pokémon to switch out to their Bench (your opponent chooses which to promote in its stead), and which of your Active Pokémon to switch to the bench.

Note that this is identical for cards like Repel (MEG 126), and Escape Rope (PLS 120) which have nearly identical effects, but are Item Cards instead of abilities.

Ruling

As Attack Steps are separated for each of your Active Pokémon — colloquially known as “Siloed” Attack Steps — Pokémon are checked for eligibility at the beginning of each Attack Step. As the Pokémon has evolved before that check for eligibility, then that Pokémon can use its new attacks.

Ruling

The ethos of Double Battles is to stay as true to the original intent of the card as possible. To be conservative, “both Active Pokémon” in its original context meant both Annihilape and its opponent were KO’d. In fact, the ‘04-’05 Double Battle cards say “each” instead of “both” when referring to each of your opponent’s Active Pokémon. As such, this ruleset will defer to the authorial intent of reading cards as much as possible.

Ruling

This ability is always active, or in other words is a “persistent effect”, which means that it requires no target. If it has no target requirement, it affects both Defending Pokémon. Ergo, each of your opponent’s Active Pokémon will have their damage reduced by 30.

Please note that this applies to all Pokémon with a similar ability, such as Flutter Mane (TEF 78).

Ruling

In short, Boss’s Orders targets a specific Benched Pokémon — not the Active Pokémon. A good example of this is Pokémon with the Ancient Trait Omega Barrier, or Fraxure (SFA 45), being affected by Boss’s Orders whilst in the Active Spot. Because it targets a specific Benched Pokémon, and not both their Benched Pokémon and their Active Pokémon, your opponent is free to choose which of their Active Pokémon to send to their bench.

This ruling is in-line with previous rulings based upon the old Ruby & Sapphire Double Battle rules, as well as the two cases mentioned above. As always, precedence and intuiting the intent of the card will always the standard for rulings such as this.

Ruling

Remember, if you have fewer than two Pokémon in your Active Spot, you must promote to have two Active Pokémon if able. As Pokémon placed with Buddy-Buddy Poffin enter play at the same time, you have the option to choose which of them you want to promote to the vacant Active Spot.

Ruling

The Ability “Festival Lead” reads that your Pokémon can attack twice, even waiting for after your opponent promotes a new Active Pokémon if you score a knockout. In Double Battle Format, there are two Attack Steps — one for each of your Active Pokémon — including for when you check for KO. However, like the video game, there is only one Promote Step that is placed at the end of both Attack Steps. You can find more information on this on the Rules Page, but in this instance it’s relevant to note that this affects Dipplin (and other double-attacking Pokémon) greatly.

In this instance, since the Promote Step is after both of your Active Pokémon have attacked, it means that the first Pokémon will have to attack your opponent’s other Active Pokémon as it is the only other eligible target. Only if you knock out the last remaining Defending Pokémon with your first attack will your opponent need to promote new Pokémon to be attacked. This is obviously a bit complex, so an example may be necessary for clarity. Please see below.

Example

Let’s assume you have two Active Pokémon, with one Active Pokémon being Dipplin (TWM 18), while the other is Seaking (PRE 21). And, let’s say for example that your opponent has a Pokémon with 120 HP, and a Pokémon with only 60 HP in their Active Spots.

First, your Dipplin attacks for 80 damage into your opponent’s 60 HP Pokémon for the knockout. You calculate the damage, they are KO’d, and you draw your prize card. Your opponent does not promote yet, per the rules. You also have Festival Grounds in play, so you may choose to have Dipplin attack a second time, or pass. This time, its only target is your opponent’s remaining Defending Pokémon — their 120 HP Pokémon — so if you choose to attack with Dipplin, it must attack that Pokémon as it is the only legal target. You choose to attack with Dipplin, leaving the defending Pokémon at 40 HP.

It is now Seaking’s turn to attack. Seaking can now only target the 120 HP Pokémon — now 40 HP, after Dipplin’s attack — with Spike Draw. You choose to do so, knocking out that Pokémon. Since there are no other legal targets, and Seaking has a remaining attack, your opponent then promotes two new Pokémon (if possible). You can now choose a new target for Seaking to attack.

However, if Dipplin’s attacks knocked out both Defending Pokémon, Seaking would have no target for its attacks and would unfortunately be forced to pass and not attack at all, as Festival Lead’s Promote Step workaround is predicated on having an initial target.

Ruling

If Houndoom (or another Pokémon with a similar attack that attaches Energy) that attaches Energy to its partner Pokémon that has not attacked yet, then that partner has not checked for eligibility yet and will do so at the beginning of its Attack Step. This includes the new Energy that Houndoom just attached.

Ruling

Even though there are two Attack Steps, there is only one Pokémon Checkup phase. If you use Jynx to put a Pokémon into play, and attach the Energy from Jynx to it, then it is not eligible for an attack as that Pokémon has not been promoted yet. This goes equally for Pokémon like Volbeat (TWM 009) or another Call for Family-esque attack that puts new Pokémon into play.

Ruling

As Kecleon’s ability does not specify that it only happens once during your turn, Kecleon is free to defend itself however many times it is attacked.

Ruling

Mr. Mime checks whether each attacker matches the number of Energy attached to Mr. Mime. This is due to the intention of the card being that it functions like any other Safeguard user, (e.g. Mimikyu (PAF 27)), but only for matching Energy.

Understandably, this may cause some confusion due to the wording of the card. This was a hotly debated topic for quite some time, with multiple ways to rule this card, but the ultimate purpose of these rules are to preserve the intention of the original card and port them — without undue confusion — into the DBF. As such, we must look to the Standard Format’s interactions as guidance when the card’s text is vague. Outside of one particular interaction with Alakazam ex (MEW 65), which is the exception and not the rule, this is how the card works in the Standard format. Ergo, this card will be read practically rather than technically.

Ruling

A good way to look at this is, your two Active Pokémon have two separate Attack Steps — each fitting into a “slot”. Once one Pokémon attacks, that “slot” has been used. Thus, if you use Ninjask (or another Pokémon that “hits and switches”) to switch into something else, it cannot attack because it is in the place of a Pokémon that has already attacked.

Ruling

The Ability “Festival Lead” reads that your Pokémon can attack twice, even waiting for after your opponent promotes a new Active Pokémon if you score a knockout. In Double Battle Format, there are two Attack Steps — one for each of your Active Pokémon — including for when you check for KO. However, like the video game, there is only one Promote Step that is placed at the end of both Attack Steps. You can find more information on this on the Rules Page, but in this instance it’s relevant to note that this affects Seaking (and other double-attacking Pokémon) greatly.

In this instance, since the Promote Step is after both of your Active Pokémon have attacked, it means that the first Pokémon will have to attack your opponent’s other Active Pokémon as it is the only other eligible target. Only if you knock out the last remaining Defending Pokémon with your first attack will your opponent need to promote new Pokémon to be attacked. This is obviously a bit complex, so an example may be necessary for clarity. Please see below.

Example

Let’s assume you have two Active Pokémon, with one Active Pokémon being Dipplin (TWM 18), while the other is Seaking (PRE 21). And, let’s say for example that your opponent has a Pokémon with 120 HP, and a Pokémon with only 60 HP in their Active Spots.

First, your Dipplin attacks for 80 damage into your opponent’s 60 HP Pokémon for the knockout. You calculate the damage, they are KO’d, and you draw your prize card. Your opponent does not promote yet, per the rules. You also have Festival Grounds in play, so you may choose to have Dipplin attack a second time, or pass. This time, its only target is your opponent’s remaining Defending Pokémon — their 120 HP Pokémon — so if you choose to attack with Dipplin, it must attack that Pokémon as it is the only legal target. You choose to attack with Dipplin, leaving the defending Pokémon at 40 HP.

It is now Seaking’s turn to attack. Seaking can now only target the 120 HP Pokémon — now 40 HP, after Dipplin’s attack — with Spike Draw. You choose to do so, knocking out that Pokémon. Since there are no other legal targets, and Seaking has a remaining attack, your opponent then promotes two new Pokémon (if possible). You can now choose a new target for Seaking to attack.

However, if Dipplin’s attacks knocked out both Defending Pokémon, Seaking would have no target for its attacks and would unfortunately be forced to pass and not attack at all, as Festival Lead’s Promote Step workaround is predicated on having an initial target.

Ruling

As a targeted effect, it affects just one of your Pokémon.

Ruling

Even though there are two Attack Steps, there is only one Pokémon Checkup phase. If you use Volbeat to put a Pokémon into play, such as Budew or another Pokémon that can attack for no Energy, then it is not eligible for an attack as that Pokémon has not been promoted yet. This goes equally for any other Call for Family-esque attacks that put new Pokémon into play.