Trash Talk
The Pokemon TCG has a lot of cards which have players discard cards from their hand in order to get an additional effect.
There has been a bit of confusion among Pokemon TCG Players and Judges about when you can discard the cards from your hand even if you can’t perform the additional effect. This is because sometimes the discard is a cost and sometimes it is an effect in and of itself. The wording of the card doesn’t always make that clear.
The Rules Team is publishing a series of rulings on many of these cards that are commonly played so that players and judges will be able to have consistent rulings in tournaments on whether they are allowed to discard cards for no further effect in order to clear those cards out of their hand.
In addition, to help make these rulings easier, we are providing an easy to use chart outlining what is and isn’t allowed with many popularly played cards. The sets that the Pokemon are from have been identified in {brackets}, but note that if they are reprinted as promos or secret rares, any functionally identical cards will also work the same way.
We hope this helps everyone out. Enjoy!
| Card | Attack / Ability | Comments |
| Computer Search | You cannot discard two cards from your hand if there are no cards left in the Deck to search |
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| Dowsing Machine | You cannot discard two cards from your hand if there are no Trainer cards in the Discard Pile and you cannot return cards to your hand that you used to pay this card’s cost |
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| Empoleon {DEX} | Diving Draw | You can discard a card from your hand when there are no cards left in the Deck to draw |
| Fiery Flint | You cannot discard two cards from your hand if there are no cards left in the Deck to search |
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| Lost Blender | You can use this if you have no cards in your deck, but you can’t play it unless you can put 2 cards from your hand in the Lost Zone. |
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| Mars | You cannot play this card if you have no cards left in your deck, but if you have at least one card, you can play it and get the other effect. |
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| Mysterious Treasure | You cannot discard a card from your hand if there are no cards left in the Deck to search |
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| Ninetales {TEU} | Nine Temptations | You can discard 2 {R} Energy cards from your hand if your opponent has no Benched Pokémon |
| Plumeria | You cannot discard two cards from your hand if there is no Energy attached to your opponent’s Pokémon |
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| Professor Juniper | You cannot discard your hand if there are no cards left in the Deck to draw |
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| Professor Sycamore | You cannot discard your hand if there are no cards left in the Deck to draw |
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| Sophocles | You cannot discard two cards from your hand if there are no cards left in the Deck to draw |
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| Starmie {EVO} | Space Beacon | You can discard a card from your hand when there is no Basic Energy in the Discard |
| Swampert {CES} | Power Draw | You can discard a card from your hand when there are no cards left in the Deck to draw |
| Ultra Ball | You cannot discard two cards from your hand if there are no cards left in the Deck to search |
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| Unown {AOR} | Farewell Letter | You cannot discard Unown from your Bench unless you can draw a card |
| Volcanion Prism Star {FLI} | Jet Geyser | You can discard a {W} Energy card from your hand if your opponent has no Benched Pokémon |
| Zebstrika {LOT} | Sprint | You cannot discard your hand if there are no cards left in the Deck to draw |
| Zoroark GX {SLG} | Trade | You can discard a card from your hand when there are no cards left in the Deck to draw |
