PUI Ruling vs. Giovanni Trainer Card

[marril2k]

I was at league when this intresting senario came up. The Giovanni Trainer card from Gym: Challenge reads:

Originally Posted by Giovanni (Gym: Challenge)

Choose 1 of your Pokémon in play with Giovanni in its name. For the rest of your turn, you may evolve that Pokémon even if you just played or evolved it this turn or if this is your first turn. This effect also applies to the Pokémon it evolves into.

Okay... but wait, Pokemon USA, Inc. stated in a ruling on Rare Candy:

Originally Posted by Compendium ex

Q. Can I use Rare Candy on the first turn of a game (when Pokemon are not normally allowed to evolve)?
A. No. There is nothing in the card that allows it to break this rule. Nothing evolves on the first turn of the game! (Sep 11, 2003 PUI Rules Team Meeting)

So does this mean that that line of text in Giovanni is now excluded or perhaps is this ruling from PUI wrong? Just a thought,

-marril

[Big Daddy Snorlax]

Actually, PUI's ruling is based directly on Japanese rulings. Japan has been very clear on the subject - NOTHING evolves on the player's first turn of the game. Remember though, in Japanese play, older sets are not used with newer sets. They no longer consider the Giovanni trainer card something that they need to consider in their current rulings.

The habit of going back and looking at every card in light of newly introduced game mechanics seems to be unique to western play. That's why we have such confusing compilations of rulings. *cough* Ditto *cough* When Jimmer was explaining the "nothing evolves on the player's first turn of the game" concept, we brought up the Giovanni trainer. Jimmer basically said, "let's just hope nobody opens that can of worms!!!" Then he grabbed his head, screamed loudly, and we moved on. :D

We can ask if it is really important to you, but it may take a while to get an answer.

BDS

[PokePop]

For now, play it as the exception that proves the rule.
It's proves the rule (correct use of "prove" here, as in "proving grounds") because it specifically says that it works on the first turn. No other evolving card has that statement.

[Chrisbo]

Pop & BDS are both correct. In fact, we made a special note regarding Giovanni in the similar question down in the "Wally's Training" section of the Compendium-EX. I'll make a note to edit the one in "Rare Candy" next week.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention,
- CHRISBO, Team Compendium