Need Rules Clarifications

[jazee]

Me and my sons are new players but getting the hang of it. Could someone clarify a few things, some are general rules, other's are card specific (and our league is in hiatus for the Worlds right now.)

1) Can you use your Poke Power on your first turn? I assume yes, as technically your draw of basics go to your bench and then you choose which one to be the defending.

2) Can a Poke Power be used for any card in play or just the defending and if any card in play can you use the Poke Power on more than one Pokemon per turn?

3a) Can you Level Up on your first turn or Level Up considering evolving for the sake of first turn rules? b) If you retreat a Lv.X you don't have to remove the Lv.X right?

4) Claydol's PokePower to draw so you have 6 cards says you can discard "up to 2 cards" Does this mean you HAVE to discard at least one to use the power? Or if you have less than 6 can you draw up to 6 without discarding?

5) Hippowdon Sand Eject, does the second attack do 100 damage no mater if the defending pokemon for the first 60 attack was knocked out and there's a new defending pokemon or does it reset back to 60 when there's a new defending Pokemon?

 

[PokePop]

Sorry for the delay in answering.

1. Yes. The only restrictions on first turns are playing Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums (first player only), and evolving normally (both players).

2. Any card in play can use it's own Poke-Power unless the text of that Poke-Power says it only works when the card is in a certain place. Unless a Power has the text "You can only use one XXX per turn", you can use that same Power on multiple Pokemon each turn. The "Once per turn you may..." text refers to just that Power on that Pokemon.

3a. No. Leveling up follows the same timing rules as Evolving. A Pokemon must have been in play for the entire turn in order to Level it up. And of course it must also be Active.
3b. Right. It only has to be active to level up, but once leveled up, it stays a Level X.

4. Not discard! You have to place at least one card on the bottom of your deck to draw cards. Note that it says "if you do...". So, if you didn't, you don't.

5. That attack places an effect on the Defending Pokemon, not on the Hippo. So if that Defending Pokemon leaves the Active position (because of being KO'd or benching or evolving), the effect is gone.