Ruling Simple Question About Drag Off

[Pokedad]

Pokedad here. This has happened several times recently while playing my son. Feraligatr d's Drag Off attack reads:

Before doing damage,you may choose 1 of your opponent's Benched Pokemon and switch it with 1 of the Defending Pokemon.Your opponent chooses the Defending Pokemon to switch.

If Feraligatr d is active with two L energies and my opponent's bench is empty, I assume my only option with Drag Off is to attack the defending Pokemon because there is no benched Pokemon to drag off. Seems obvious, but I just wanted to make sure.

Thanks!
Pokedad

 

[Aagron_92]

Yes, because you would bring their active to the bench, then, since he wuold be the only pokemon benched, he would come out again.

 

[Psychic Pokemon Master]

If this situation happens, you don't have to activate the Drag Off effect because the effect states that you maychoose 1 of your opponent's Benched Pokemon and switch it with 1 of the Defending Pokemon. So you can still attack but you don't have to activate the effect unless he or she has a pokemon in his or her bench....

 

[Abhorsen]

The additional effect of Drag Off is not forced at any time. You don't HAVE to switch any of your opponent's Pokemon even if they have a full bench. Like said above, the attack clearly states that you may switch the defending Pokemon for one of your opponent's benched Pokemon, you don't have to switch if you don't want to. But obviously if there is no benched Pokemon to switch Drag Off attacks the Defending Pokemon.