Pokémon-GX (TCG)
Pokémon-GX (Japanese: ポケモンGX Pokémon GX), officially written Pokémon-GX, are a type of Pokémon found in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. They were first introduced in the Sun & Moon expansion. Pokémon-GX have a stylized 
graphic on the card name.
Pokémon-GX work very similarly to both Pokémon-EX from the Black & White and XY series and Pokémon-ex from the EX Series. They possess considerably higher HP and stronger attacks compared to their regular counterparts. The Pokémon-GX rule, contained within a Rule Box, says that when a Pokémon-GX is Knocked Out, the opponent takes two Prize cards instead of one. Also like Pokémon-ex, Pokémon-GX are classified with their usual stage of Evolution, contrary to Pokémon-EX which had fully evolved Pokémon as Basic Pokémon.
The main trait that makes Pokémon-GX differ from previous types of Pokémon is their exclusive mechanic called GX attacks. These are based on the Z-Moves mechanic introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon and like them, have more powerful effects and/or damage output than normal attacks. However, a player can only use one GX attack per game unless under an effect that specifies otherwise. After using a GX attack, that player flips over a GX marker to note that they have used their GX attack for the game. Some effects check if a player has used a GX attack, either on the previous turn or in the game overall.
Copying GX attacks still counts as using one and, if the player has already used a GX attack, the copied attack has no effect. Zoroark-GX's Trickster-GX does not fail to copy a GX attack due to that player having not used one previously.
Aesthetically, the artwork on Pokémon-GX covers most of the card, with the background illustration fading into the top and bottom-most areas, while still having the Pokémon break the card's borders (following on previous Pokémon variant cards). As such, the card text presented across the artwork is outlined, resembling Full Art cards. A blue and black bar containing the GX attack name separates it from the other attacks and the effect text is colored blue. Finally, the card border features a black line running over it.
Ultra Beasts Pokémon-GX have a 
graphic on the card name instead, with the GX attack bar, effect text and Pokémon-GX rule box also colored red instead of blue. The art for all non-Full Art Ultra Beast Pokémon-GX have an Ultra Wormhole in the background. According to the game's director, Atsushi Nagashima, the blue cards express a feeling of justice, while the red cards express the sense of "otherness" of the Ultra Beasts.[1]
Pokémon-GX released in main expansions and subsets are usually accompanied by Full Art and Secret Rainbow Rare (Hyper Rare in Japan) prints.
Tag Team Pokémon-GX
Starting with the Team Up expansion, a new kind of Pokémon-GX was introduced: TAG TEAM Pokémon-GX. These cards combine two or three Pokémon that share at least one type to form a Tag Team, which is reflected in the card's artwork focusing equally on each Pokémon. As a result, due to the various possible combinations between Pokémon of different evolutionary stages, TAG TEAM cards are always treated as Basic Pokémon cards and have higher HP than regular Basic (and, in some cases, even Evolved) Pokémon-GX. These cards have a TAG TEAM rule, located in a Rule Box, that says when a TAG TEAM is Knocked Out, the opponent takes three Prize cards instead of one. (The Pokémon-GX rule does not apply.)
The GX-attack of TAG TEAM cards includes a '+' sign next to the attack's Energy cost. This indicates that if the Pokémon has more Energy cards attached than the ones required to perform that attack, or if a certain action was taken during the turn (such as playing a particular card), an additional effect is applied, as specified by each card's GX-attack.
In terms of layout changes, a TAG TEAM label is added below the card's name, the Pokémon-GX Rule Box is replaced by the TAG TEAM Rule Box and the top-left and bottom-right corners are covered by matching outlined polygons. All these elements are colored yellow. TAG TEAM Cards have a slightly altered 
graphic on the card name.
There are two Ultra Beast TAG TEAM cards. They have a different 
graphic, but with the GX attack bar, effect text and Pokémon-GX rule box also colored red instead of blue, like regular Ultra Beast-GX cards. They do not have a Ultra Wormhole in the background of their art.
TAG TEAM cards featured in expansions are accompanied by the usual Full Art and Rainbow Rare variants as well as a second, alternate artwork variant that expands on the story behind each group of Pokémon. With the exception of cards originating from the Japanese Dream League subset, all Regular TAG TEAM prints feature artwork by Mitsuhiro Arita.
Pokémon that have appeared as Pokémon-GX
GX
TAG TEAM GX
See also
References
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This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. |
