Pokémon TCG Evolution Rules Explained

In the Pokémon TCG, a Basic Pokémon evolves into a Stage 1 and a Stage 1 into a Stage 2, by putting the evolution card from your hand on top of the Pokémon it evolves from. You can evolve a Pokémon only if it has been in play since the start of your turn, and neither player can evolve on their own first turn.

A Basic Pokémon goes straight into play from your hand. Stage 1 and Stage 2 cards are Evolution cards, played only on top of the right Pokémon. If you're new to the rest of the turn, start with how to play the Pokémon TCG.

How does evolving work?

Every Evolution card says what it evolves from. Ivysaur says "Evolves from Bulbasaur", so you play it from your hand onto a Bulbasaur you have in play, in the Active Spot or on the Bench. It stays where it is, now with Ivysaur's HP and attacks. On a later turn, Mega Venusaur ex, a Stage 2, can go on top of it.

You evolve during your turn, before you attack, and you can evolve as many of your Pokémon as qualify.

When can't you evolve a Pokémon?

You can't evolve in three cases:

On your first turn. This applies to both players, so going second doesn't let you evolve on turn 2.
On the turn the Pokémon came into play. A Bulbasaur you bench this turn has to wait until your next turn.
Twice in one turn. A Bulbasaur can become Ivysaur this turn and Mega Venusaur ex next turn, never both on the same turn.

A card can change these rules. The one players ask about is Rare Candy, a Standard-legal Item: "Choose 1 of your Basic Pokémon in play. If you have a Stage 2 card in your hand that evolves from that Pokémon, put that card onto the Basic Pokémon to evolve it, skipping the Stage 1. You can't use this card during your first turn or on a Basic Pokémon that was put into play this turn." So a Basic that was in play when your turn started can skip its Stage 1, but still not on your first turn.

Since every evolution waits a turn, an evolution deck needs the Basic and its evolution early. Play Hands in DeckSequence, which is free, takes a combo query such as Riolu plus Mega Lucario ex and shows the odds of having both by each turn, from your list's exact counts. Those turn odds count only the draws you're sure of, so treat them as a floor.

What happens to damage and Energy when a Pokémon evolves?

Attached Energy, Pokémon Tools and damage counters all carry over to the evolved Pokémon. Every Special Condition and every effect of an attack on it ends. An Asleep or Poisoned Pokémon that evolves is no longer Asleep or Poisoned, and a Pokémon hit by Bulbasaur's Bind Down, which stops it retreating during its owner's next turn, can retreat again once it evolves.

A Riolu with 20 damage on it has 60 HP left of 80. Evolve it into Mega Lucario ex, with 340 HP, and it still has 20 damage, so 320 HP left. Special Conditions explained covers what each condition does.

What does evolving look like in a game?

Five turns of a game: Bea goes first with Chikorita in the Active Spot and Bulbasaur on her Bench. Alex has Riolu Active, Makuhita on his Bench, and Mega Lucario ex and Hariyama already in hand.

On turn 1, Bea's first turn, she can't evolve or attack. She attaches a Grass Energy to Chikorita.
On turn 2, Alex's first turn, he can't evolve either, so Mega Lucario ex and Hariyama stay in his hand. Riolu's Accelerating Stab does 30 damage to Chikorita.
On turn 3, Bulbasaur has been in play since setup, so Bea evolves it into Ivysaur. She benches a second Bulbasaur, which can't evolve until her next turn. Chikorita's Razor Leaf puts 20 damage on Riolu.
On turn 4, Riolu evolves into Mega Lucario ex and keeps its 20 damage and its Energy. Makuhita evolves into Hariyama on the Bench, since two different Pokémon can each evolve once. Aura Jab does 130 and Knocks Out Chikorita, and Bea moves Ivysaur into the Active Spot.
On turn 5, Ivysaur has been in play since Bea's last turn, so it evolves into Mega Venusaur ex, a Stage 2 the turn after its Stage 1.

The board above is the replay board DeckSequence builds from PTCG Live battle logs. Paste the log from one of your own matches and you get the same turn-by-turn replay. Sign up for DeckSequence and log your next match.

How do Mega Evolution Pokémon ex evolve?

Mega Evolution Pokémon ex follow the same evolution rules as any other Pokémon. Each is a Basic, a Stage 1 or a Stage 2, and you play it like one.

Card	Stage	Evolves from
Mega Kangaskhan ex	Basic	Nothing, it goes straight into play
Mega Lucario ex	Stage 1	Riolu
Mega Gardevoir ex	Stage 2	Kirlia

The difference is Prizes. When a Mega Evolution Pokémon ex is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 3 Prize cards, against 2 for other Pokémon ex and 1 for most Pokémon. How Prize cards work shows what that does to a game.

Does the Pokémon's name have to match?

The name on the Pokémon in play has to match the "Evolves from" name exactly. That matters for Trainer's Pokémon, whose owner's name is part of the card name. Iono's Bellibolt ex evolves from Iono's Tadbulb, so it can't go on a regular Tadbulb. Check the owner's name when you build the line.

Next: how to build a consistent Pokémon TCG deck, from the deck-building rules to how many of each card to run.

Pokémon TCG evolution rules: how to evolve, and when you can't