<p>Just in case you have a different misunderstanding than BJ's answer covers:</p>
<p>If you do damage to a benched Pokémon with an attack that does damage to <em>both</em> Active and Benched Pokémon, then the Active Pokémon takes 20 more damage.  For example, <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/ss-series/swsh1/58/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Inteleon SSH58</a> does 120 to the Active and 20 to the Bench; with Kukui it would do 140 to the Active and 20 to the Bench.</p>
<p>If you do damage <em>only to the benched Pokémon</em>, then neither is that damage increased <em>nor do you do 20 damage to the active Pokémon</em> when Kukui is played.  From the <a href="https://compendium.pokegym.net/compendium-bw.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Compendium meta-rulings section</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>An attack has to do &quot;some&quot; damage before an effect can add &quot;more&quot; damage to it. (Jan 31, 2008 PUI Rules Team)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So for example if you play <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/sm-series/smp/SM30/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tapu Koko SM20</a> and use its Flying Flip attack, which does 20 to each benched Pokémon <em>but no damaage to the Active Pokémon</em>, it would not increase that.</p>
<p>And to be extra clear; damage <em>counters</em> or other effects are not the same as damage to the Active Pokémon.  If you planed <a href="https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/sm-series/smp/SM215/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mew SM215</a>, and used Psypower, and put all 3 damage counters on the Active Pokémon (or any other number), Kukui would not affect that.  See the Compendium again for that, the next meta-ruling down:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Placing damage counters is not the same as doing damage. Things that add to or subtract from damage done do not affect placing counters. (Jan 31, 2008 PUI Rules Team)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-21T19:48:48.100Z
2020-12-21T19:48:48.100Z
Joe
<p>No.  The card specifically states (emphasis mine):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>During this turn, your Pokémon's attacks do 20 more damage <strong>to your opponent's Active Pokémon</strong>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Damage to benched Pokémon is not affected.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kHWbE.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kHWbEm.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-22T17:04:06.033Z
Apologies, probably some semantic misunderstanding here. Not adding 20 to the benched attack is a given. I was asking if the active Pokemon damage still occurred if damage occurred elsewhere.
Beerhunter
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-21T17:04:44.113Z
2020-12-21T18:01:36.340Z
2020-12-21T18:01:36.340Z
BJ Myers
<p>Professor Kukui adds 20 damage to the Active Pokemon during an attack. Does this still occur if you attack a benched Pokemon? I know it shouldn't be added on if you poison the Active Pokemon as this is an effect of an attack.</p>

<pokemon>
Damage using Professor Kukui in Pokemon TCG
Beerhunter
# Damage using Professor Kukui in Pokemon TCG

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-21)

Professor Kukui adds 20 damage to the Active Pokemon during an attack. Does this still occur if you attack a benched Pokemon? I know it shouldn't be added on if you poison the Active Pokemon as this is an effect of an attack.

**Tags:** pokemon


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-12-21. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Just in case you have a different misunderstanding than BJ's answer covers:

If you do damage to a benched Pokémon with an attack that does damage to *both* Active and Benched Pokémon, then the Active Pokémon takes 20 more damage. For example, [Inteleon SSH58](https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/ss-series/swsh1/58/) does 120 to the Active and 20 to the Bench; with Kukui it would do 140 to the Active and 20 to the Bench.

If you do damage *only to the benched Pokémon*, then neither is that damage increased *nor do you do 20 damage to the active Pokémon* when Kukui is played. From the [Compendium meta-rulings section](https://compendium.pokegym.net/compendium-bw.html):

> An attack has to do "some" damage before an effect can add "more" damage to it. (Jan 31, 2008 PUI Rules Team)

So for example if you play [Tapu Koko SM20](https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/sm-series/smp/SM30/) and use its Flying Flip attack, which does 20 to each benched Pokémon *but no damaage to the Active Pokémon*, it would not increase that.

And to be extra clear; damage *counters* or other effects are not the same as damage to the Active Pokémon. If you planed [Mew SM215](https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/pokemon-cards/sm-series/smp/SM215/), and used Psypower, and put all 3 damage counters on the Active Pokémon (or any other number), Kukui would not affect that. See the Compendium again for that, the next meta-ruling down:

> Placing damage counters is not the same as doing damage. Things that add to or subtract from damage done do not affect placing counters. (Jan 31, 2008 PUI Rules Team)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-12-21. Score: 4

No. The card specifically states (emphasis mine):

> During this turn, your Pokémon's attacks do 20 more damage **to your opponent's Active Pokémon**.

Damage to benched Pokémon is not affected.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/kHWbEm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/kHWbE.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Apologies, probably some semantic misunderstanding here. Not adding 20 to the benched attack is a given. I was asking if the active Pokemon damage still occurred if damage occurred elsewhere.  

---

