Keep all of your cards face-down for now. Players begin by flipping a coin to see who goes first before cards are drawn or shown. Then do the following...

• Put your chosen Totem Pokemon face-up in the “Totem Zone,” separate from everything else on the play field.

• Now draw 17 cards from your deck. You will then choose 7 cards to keep and the rest will be shuffled and put as your prizes face down (10 Prizes).

  • A player must have at least one Basic Pokemon in their opening hand, or else they must shuffle and redraw (Mulligan).

  • If a player is unhappy with their hand, even if they drew a Basic Pokemon, they may elect to “Optional Mulligan”, shuffling their hand into their deck and drawing a new hand. However, each Optional Mulligan you do, you draw your last starting hand size, minus one (example: 1st Mulligan draws 16 cards, keeps 6. 2nd draws 15 cards, keeps 5, etc). Your opponent will get to draw an additional card for each of your Mulligans.

• From your hand, choose an Active Pokemon and put it face down, as well as any optional Basic Pokemon on the Bench

• Both players then will flip their Totem, Active, and Benched Pokemon face up and the first player takes their turn. Place a die next to your Totem as a Tribute Cost counter, and set it to show the starting Totem Tribute Cost (explained below).

Players perform the same actions per turn as they would in a normal game of Pokemon.

Additionally, players can also bring their Totem Pokemon into play after their first turn. This requires the player to both have an open bench spot and to pay the Totem’s “Tribute Cost”. Paying this cost means the player discards a number of cards from their hand for that Totem Pokemon matching the list below.

If you cannot discard the number of cards needed, you cannot bring your Totem into play. No other card types can be Totems, except for what is listed below.

Here are the legal card types that can be a Totem and their Tribute Costs:

• Discard 1 - all Basics Pokemon

• Discard 2 - all Stage 1, Mega EX, Lv.X, LEGEND, VMAX Pokemon

• Discard 3 - all Stage 2 Pokemon

Alternatively, if the Totem Pokemon is an Evolution Pokemon, instead of paying the full cost to bring it out onto the Bench, you can instead discard one (1) card to evolve it via an eligible Pokemon on the field. You must still follow the appropriate evolution rules of the game and cannot be combined with in-game effects, such as Trainers.

If your Totem Pokemon is Knocked Out for any reason, all cards attached to your Totem are discarded, and you may choose to return your Totem into the Totem Zone or the Discard Pile. Your Opponent then draws the appropriate amount of Prize cards.

If an effect in the game would change the Totem Pokemon to a new location (hand, discard, lost zone, etc.), you may choose to redirect it back to the Totem Zone instead.

If your Totem Pokemon is sent back to the Totem Zone for any reason, the cost to bring your Totem back out into play increases by one. Make sure your Tribute Cost die reflects this.

If your Pokemon gets knocked out by damage from another Player’s Totem Pokemon, a Totem KO counter will be placed in your Totem Zone from that Player. If you receive six (6) counters from that player, you immediately lose the game. Using a die or counters to keep track is very useful.