Energy card

An Energy card is one of the three categories of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the other two being Pokémon cards and Trainer cards. Energy cards are used to power up the Pokémon in order to attack. They are attached to a Pokémon and stay there unless something removes it or the Pokémon retreats (the equivalent of recalling a Pokémon). Energy can be provided in eight different types (colors), as well as a ninth "Colorless" type that any other type of Energy can substitute for. Almost all Pokémon require certain amounts of specific types and sometimes Colorless Energy to attack. An important distinction is between Basic Energy cards and Special Energy cards. If using certain battle rules, Energy cards will not be used. For people using those rules, Energy cards are quite useless and they sometimes complain that there are too many (usually 20-30) Energy cards in theme decks and that they are being cheated.

Basic Energy
Basic Energy cards come in six varieties: Fighting, Fire, Grass, Lightning, Psychic, and Water and since the Diamond and Pearl set Darkness and Metal. Each Basic Energy card provides one Energy of the type shown. Because Basic Energy cards are the only exception to the rule limiting up to four cards with a certain name in a deck, Basic Energy cards are the primary source of fuel in a deck. They are also considered the least expensive cards.

They provide no additional benefit than supplying Energy but can be easily drawn, are expendable, and can be easily retrieved via Trainer cards or Pokémon.

All Basic Energy Cards are CGI-illustrated, and many carry no illustration credits. However, since they were originally illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi and have changed little in their appearance since then, one can deduce that Kinebuchi is still the illustrator for Basic Energy cards today.

Special Energy
Any Energy card that isn't a Basic Energy card is a Special Energy card. They either provide more than one Energy at a time, grant special properties to the Pokémon using it, or sometimes both. Double Rainbow Energy, for example, can provide two Energy of any type and reduce damage done it its holder. However, Special Energy cards are hard to obtain, since they are not exempt from the 4-card rule, compounded with the relatively few cards capable of finding them. Before the Diamond Pearl set two types of Energy could only be found in the form of Special Energy cards: Darkness and Metal Energy. Pokémon with attacks that require these types of Energy will usually be able to do more damage or produce better effects than attacks that use Basic Energy cards, and the Darkness and Metal Energy cards themselves have benefits the new basic energy provide no additional benefits. These are the most valuable energies and tend to be enjoyed by those who consider Energy cards rip-offs.

Another disadvantage is that the card game generally discourages use of Special Energy cards. Some Pokémon and Trainers benefit if their opponent is holding Special Energy cards or lose some of their powers if they're holding them. For example, Electabuzz from EX Unseen Forces takes reduced damage from Pokémon with Special Energy cards attached to it.

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