Frequently Asked Questions and Rulings

What types of cards have a Rule Box? Cards with a Rule Box cannot be played in GLC format. This includes Pokemon V, EX, GX, BREAK, Radiant Pokémon, ACE SPECs, and Prism Stars (including Prism Star Trainer and Energy cards). Ancient Trait Pokémon do not have a rule box.

Can I play more than one Pokemon of the same name so long as its not the same card? You can only play one Pokemon of the same card name. (e.g., 1 Bulbasaur, 1 Ivysaur, 1 Venusaur). However, two of the same species of Pokémon can be played as long as their card name is different (e.g., Shining Genesect and Genesect, or Alolan Grimer and Grimer).

What about Eeveelutions or Pokemon that evolve from Basics of a different type? Following GLC’s official rules, cards that are one type and evolve into a different type cannot be played in the same deck, like Eevee. Check out this article for more information.

Do you play with Weakness and Resistance? Yes. While Weakness and Resistance may make some decks better against certain others, they are not the only factor determining which matchups are favorable or unfavorable. Additionally, many types have Pokémon with different weaknesses (e.g. Colorless Pokémon may be weak to Lightning or Fighting) – creating a balanced matchup spread is part of the challenge of deckbuilding!

Can I use Dual Type Pokemon? Dual Type Pokémon are allowed, as long as one of their types matches your deck type. The card must physically be two types in order to play it in either type of deck (e.g., Volcarona STS can be played in a Fire or Grass deck, but Gallade CEC can only be played in a Psychic deck).

Can I use Tool cards that grant an additional attack even if it is a GX attack? Tools that add an attack to a Pokémon are allowed (e.g., Normalium Z: Tackle). The Seal Stone Tool cards introduced in Silver Tempest (e.g. Forest Seal Stone) are technically playable in GLC, but only Pokémon V can use the VSTAR Powers printed on them, so they are effectively useless.

Can I use more than one type of Basic Energy in my deck? Yes! Any number of any type of Basic Energy may be played in your deck.

Can I play cards like Robo Substitute, Unidentified Fossil, and Lillie’s Pokédoll in my deck? Yes. These cards are item cards, and are only treated as Pokémon when in play. They are all allowed in any type of deck.

Can I play multiple cards in my deck with the same effect, like Boss’s Orders and Lysandre? You may play one Boss’s Orders OR Lysandre in your deck – not both. This is an official Pokémon TCG Official Ruling. Similarly, you may only play one of Professor’s Research OR Professor Sycamore OR Professor Juniper per deck. These are the only cards affected by this restriction.

Any other cards with similar or identical effects may be played together. There is no restriction on Double Colorless Energy and Twin Energy, as they have different names despite their similar effects. You may also combine Hop, Hau, Tierno, Cheren, etc. in the same deck.

What about cards that are banned from Standard or Expanded format? Gym Leader Challenge format has its own ban list which you can find here. If a card isn’t on this list, it’s fair game —so feel free to play your Delinquent and Hex Maniac. Go crazy!

Can I play with cards that say “this card cannot be used in official tournaments” on them? Cards like Zacian Lv. X, Dragapult Prime, Imakuni?’s Doduo, etc., are not legal in GLC.

Can I play with Celebrations Classic Collection cards and Promos? The Classic Collection cards are not permitted in GLC unless they are from Black & White or later and abide by the existing GLC rules. This means that only Reshiram and Zekrom are legal in GLC.

Can I play with Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic cards? For the most part, no. These decks feature cards that are not legal for tournament play, either as reprints of non-GLC-legal cards (such as Charizard Base Set) or new cards that are not legal for tournament play (such as Ho-oh ex). The exception is for cards that have been printed in this set as reprints of GLC-legal cards such as Ultra Ball, Super Rod, VS Seeker, etc. These versions of these cards are legal as they are functionally identical to cards already allowed in GLC.

What if I don’t like a rule? If you and your buddies want to allow Eevee in your decks, or you want to play the Celebrations Claydol in your Fighting deck at home, or you want to play Fire against Water without Weakness, go ahead and establish your own house rules. While the official Gym Leader Challenge rules are designed for everyone, if you’d prefer to play your own spin on the format at home, go ahead!

Tournament Organizing

Gym Leader Challenge tournaments may be customized and run however an organizer sees fit. All of the below guidelines are official recommendations. Check with the Tournament Organizer to verify their rules and structure for their specific event.

Recommended Round Time Limits: It is recommended that single-game Swiss rounds have a 40 minute (+3 turns) time limit, and best-of-three matches have a 90 minute (+3 turns) time limit. Tournament organizers are welcome to shorten (or extend) the round timers as they see fit, however, many games are likely to not finish if the time limit is too short.

Proxies: Proxies are great for casual play, but are not encouraged for tournament play. However, this can vary depending on the tournament staff, so check with the tournament organizer for their decision on proxies.

World Championship Deck Cards: Tournament organizers are encouraged to allow World Championship Promo cards, as long as players use completely opaque sleeves. This is especially relevant for Tropical Beach – a card which goes for hundreds of dollars secondhand due to its scarcity, but for which World Championship Promo cards can be purchased for less than a tenth of this price.

Foreign Language Cards: Tournament organizers are encouraged to allow foreign language cards, as long as players use completely opaque sleeves. Players using foreign cards should have references available at any time during an event (printed image, physical copy, or screenshot that is easily accessible upon request). All decks with foreign language cards must be sleeved in completely opaque sleeves due to different card backs between regions. Foreign language cards are allowed both for accessibility and for player expression.

Old Prints of Currently Legal Cards: Gym Leader Challenge tournaments follow the official Reprint and Errata Legality List for Pokémon TCG. Some old prints of current cards are legal, and some are not. Please refer to this list before attending a tournament with old prints in your deck! (Note that this list does not include cards which are reprinted with the exact same wording in a different product, such as Pokémon TCG Classic Switch)

Unreleased Cards: Gym Leader Challenge tournaments should follow the set legality of the event’s region. For example, if a card has been released in Japan but not yet released in North America, it should not be allowed in a North American tournament. Due to increased availability for most GLC-legal cards, organizers are encouraged to allow new expansions immediately in tournaments, rather than the standard two weeks after release for official formats.

Advanced Rulings and Card Interactions

With Gym Leader Challenge’s wide card pool, sometimes there are some interesting and complex card interactions that come up. Here is a list of some scenarios that GLC players may encounter, and how they are ruled. If your question isn’t answered here, join the Tricky Gym discord and ask your question there!

NOTE: As of January 2024, Pokémon has begun ruling interactions by stating the game now does “know” the format, which results in a change in what cards are considered to have no effect. Some previous Gym Leader Challenge rulings here have now been adjusted, as it has been confirmed that Gym Leader Challenge restrictions are followed in the same way.

Can I utilize my opponent’s Brooklet Hill if I am not playing a Fighting or Water deck? In the Pokémon TCG, you may not play or use a card for no known effect. If you are playing a deck that is not Fighting or Water and have Pokémon of that type visible in a public zone (in play, Discard Pile, or face-up Prize Cards), you may not use your opponent’s Brooklet Hill.

Can I play Evosoda when all of my Pokémon are fully evolved? In a similar scenario, you may not use Evosoda, Wally, Salvatore, or Technical Machine: Evolution if there are no valid evolution targets. This includes if all valid targets are in public zones, like the Discard Pile, Lost Zone, or face-up Prize Cards. (Source)

What happens when my Pokémon with Splash Energy is knocked out when Lost City is in play? “[When a Pokémon with Splash Energy/Rescue Scarf attached is knocked out while Lost City is in play], The order of resolution for the effects can be decided by the owner of the Pokemon with Splash Energy attached to it. The Pokémon can either go to the Lost Zone and stay there, or use Splash Energy to return the Pokémon to your hand.” (Source 1) (Source 2)

When can I play Cynthia & Caitlin? “You can play Cynthia & Caitlin as long as there's a Supporter card in your discard pile. You can also play it by discarding a card from your hand if there's at least 1 card in your deck. But if you have no cards in your deck, you cannot discard a card from your hand.” (Source)

Could I use a card like Giratina (LOT)’s Distortion Door Ability, then remove it from play and discard it again, and then use that ability again in the same turn? Yes, moving Pokémon from one zone to another resets the Ability. (Source)

What happens when two Pokémon with ability lock abilities are in play? The order in which each Pokémon takes effect depends on which ability was activated first. For example, if Alex has a Slaking CES in the active position and Brittany attaches a tool to her Garbodor BKP or moves a Wobbuffet PHF into the active, Slaking takes precedence as it was activated first. If the abilities activate at the same time, the player whose turn it is has their ability activate first. (Source 1) (Source 2) (Source 3)

If I play Hex Maniac and attack my opponent’s Wishiwashi (COE), does its ability activate? Wishiwashi’s ability is off until the turn is completely over, so its ability is shut off and the player does not flip a coin to see if it returns to the deck.

If my opponent activates Garchomp’s (BRS) Sonic Slip ability, can I use Hex Maniac to turn off the effect? Since Garchomp’s Sonic Slip activated and placed the effect on Garchomp before Hex Maniac was played, the effect remains. (Source)

How do Fossil Pokémon evolutions work? Although Fossil Pokémon have had several implementations in GLC’s card pool, the important text is on the Pokémon which is being evolved into. The Stage, and any reminders indicating “Evolves Into X” (see Antique Dome Fossil) are not relevant. For example: Archen (SIT) says “Evolves from Unidentified Fossil,” which works as normal. But Archen (PLB) says “Put this card onto your Bench only with the effect of Plume Fossil,” meaning it cannot evolve from an Unidentified Fossil or any other card, and you must use Plume Fossil. For Archeops, all versions currently printed state “Evolves from Archen,” whether they are Stage 1 or Stage 2. It does not matter if Archen is a Stage 1 or a Restored Pokémon — as long as the name matches what’s printed on the card, it’s a legal evolution.

How does Hisuian Heavy Ball interact with face-up prize cards? In Pokémon, you may not play a card if it is known it will have no effect. The text of Hisuian Heavy Ball starts with “Look at your face-down Prize cards.” The rest of the text depends on being able to do this. If all of a player’s prize cards have been turned face-up due to the effect of a card like Town Map, that player may not play Hisuian Heavy Ball. Note that if any prize cards are turned face-down again, such as through the effect of Peonia, then Hisuian Heavy Ball would allow you to look at those now-face-down prize cards and resolve the rest of the effect with those face-down prizes.

Could I play a “dead” useless card in my deck, like Cherish Ball? If for some reason you want to play a card that is functionally useless in Gym Leader Challenge, you are welcome to include it in your deck. However, it cannot be played in a game for no effect, so you would be unable to play Cherish Ball from your hand during a game.