Retreat Cost and Switching in the Pokémon TCG

Your Active Pokémon is not stuck there forever. Moving it to the Bench and bringing up a different Pokémon is one of the most useful plays in the game, whether you want to save a damaged Pokémon, get rid of a Special Condition or bring in a better attacker. There are two ways to do it: retreating and switching.

Retreating

Retreating is a normal action you can take during your turn, before you attack.

Look at the Retreat Cost at the bottom right of your Active Pokémon. Each Colorless symbol is one Energy.
Discard that many Energy from the Active Pokémon. Because the symbols are Colorless, any type of Energy works.
Swap the Active Pokémon with one of your Benched Pokémon.

A Pokémon with no symbols in its Retreat Cost retreats for free.

Rules to remember

You can retreat only once per turn.
The Pokémon you retreat keeps its damage counters and any Energy you did not discard.
Pokémon Tools stay attached.
You need at least one Benched Pokémon to swap with.
You can retreat and then still attack with the new Active Pokémon, if it has the Energy it needs.

Switching with card effects

Many cards move your Active Pokémon to the Bench without paying a Retreat Cost. Common examples are Items that “switch your Active Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon”, and Abilities that move a Pokémon into the Active Spot.

Switching is not retreating, which makes a big difference:

You pay no Retreat Cost.
It does not use your once-per-turn retreat, so you can switch and retreat in the same turn.
It works on Asleep and Paralyzed Pokémon, which cannot retreat.

Special Conditions and the Bench

Any move to the Bench, by retreating or switching, removes all Special Conditions from that Pokémon. This is the main way to cure Poison, Burn and Confusion.

Asleep and Paralyzed Pokémon cannot retreat. You need a switching card, an evolution (which also removes conditions) or a heal effect.
Confused Pokémon can retreat normally. Retreating is often better than risking the coin flip to attack.
Poisoned and Burned Pokémon can retreat normally.

More details are in Special Conditions explained.

When your opponent moves your Pokémon

Some opposing effects, often called “gust” effects, bring one of your Benched Pokémon into the Active Spot. Your old Active Pokémon goes to the Bench and loses its Special Conditions. If the new Active Pokémon has a large Retreat Cost and no Energy, it can be stuck there, which is exactly why players use these effects.

When to retreat

Retreating costs Energy, and Energy is one attachment per turn, so it is a real price. Good reasons to pay it:

Save a Pokémon that is about to be Knocked Out, especially a Pokémon ex that would give up 2 Prize cards.
Escape a Special Condition that would otherwise stop your attack or deal damage in Pokémon Checkup.
Bring in the right attacker, for example one the defending Pokémon is weak to. See Weakness and Resistance.
Spread damage: move a damaged Pokémon to the Bench and heal it later.

And reasons to hold off:

You would be left without Energy to attack next turn.
A free switching card in your hand would do the same job.
The Pokémon you would bring up is even more vulnerable.

Deck-building tips

Include a “pivot” Pokémon with free or low Retreat Cost. Start with it, then retreat into your main attacker cheaply.
Play a few switching Items. They solve Asleep and Paralyzed, and save Energy.
Avoid too many Pokémon with a Retreat Cost of 3 or more unless your deck has ways to move them.

The beginner deck-building guide shows how many switching cards a first deck usually needs.

Tracking retreat in PTCG Companion

PTCG Companion has a Retreat Used toggle for each player, so nobody retreats twice in one turn. It resets when you tap Turn ➔. When you retreat or switch, select the Benched Pokémon and tap ⇄ in the app: the damage moves with each Pokémon, and the one that goes to the Bench loses its Special Conditions.