Ruling Removing damage counters

[wonderflex]

http://pokebeach.com/scans/heartgold-and-soulsilver/58-chansey.jpg

Okay, so this card is only an example of a question I have. During a game with a friend he had a pokemon that told him to remove three damage counters just as this chansey does. His pokemon only had two damage counters on it so he said that he couldn't remove them. Is that true that if a card says to remove three counters but you only have one or two you can't remove them? Does it have to be three or nothing unless it says remove three or as many as you have?

Thanks,

Wonderflex

 

[DNA]

Remove 3, or as many as you have remaining. If Chansey has less than 3 damage counters and you flip heads, remove all the damage counters on Chansey.
This principle applies to everything that tells you to remove damage counters, as well as the Fisherman card (if you have less than 4 basic energy in the discard, take all of them.)