Gravity Wave
Gravitational Field: 30 damage. Also does 10 damage to each of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon that doesn't have a retreat cost.
This sounds like a stupid question but what really constitutes not having a retreat cost? Is it simply what is printed on the pokemon card or is it more complicated than that? For example:
What if your opponent had a Magnezone in play and benched Pokemon with metal energy attached (say a Steelix in this example). Would gravity wave now do bench damage to this Steelix because Magnezone's poke-body lets it retreat for free? Or could you argue that Steelix still has a retreat cost printed right on the card, and it is the combination of Magnezone's poke-body and the steel energy which let it retreat for free. Same thing about Salamence EX DX with Dragon Lift or Waillord's Reactive Lift. Holon WP energy in conjunction with psychic energy isn't the same situation but would that really matter?
Aside from poke-bodies & energy what about stadiums and tools: fluffy berry, I assume that too would trigger the bench damage? And how about the stadiums reduce the retreat costs of certain types (High Pressure System, Phoebe's) of pokemon? Or do they still inherently have their stated retreat cost and the stadium wouldn't trigger the condition?
So which is the definitive litmus test: the literal one where only pokemon whose printed card has no retreat cost (like infernape) or is it the practical one where if a particular pokemon could theoretically retreat without discarding any energy then it too takes damage?
Gravitational Field: 30 damage. Also does 10 damage to each of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon that doesn't have a retreat cost.
This sounds like a stupid question but what really constitutes not having a retreat cost? Is it simply what is printed on the pokemon card or is it more complicated than that? For example:
What if your opponent had a Magnezone in play and benched Pokemon with metal energy attached (say a Steelix in this example). Would gravity wave now do bench damage to this Steelix because Magnezone's poke-body lets it retreat for free? Or could you argue that Steelix still has a retreat cost printed right on the card, and it is the combination of Magnezone's poke-body and the steel energy which let it retreat for free. Same thing about Salamence EX DX with Dragon Lift or Waillord's Reactive Lift. Holon WP energy in conjunction with psychic energy isn't the same situation but would that really matter?
Aside from poke-bodies & energy what about stadiums and tools: fluffy berry, I assume that too would trigger the bench damage? And how about the stadiums reduce the retreat costs of certain types (High Pressure System, Phoebe's) of pokemon? Or do they still inherently have their stated retreat cost and the stadium wouldn't trigger the condition?
So which is the definitive litmus test: the literal one where only pokemon whose printed card has no retreat cost (like infernape) or is it the practical one where if a particular pokemon could theoretically retreat without discarding any energy then it too takes damage?
