Cards are what make up the entirety of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. You want to collect the rarest cards from Booster Packs to show your friends or win battles against them. But if you want to create the best possible deck in Pokémon TCG Pocket, you’ll need the best cards.
While the mainline Pokémon games are focused more on turn-based battles with real Pokémon, the Trading Card Game, now available on everyone’s mobile device, has a myriad of cards that range from useless to overpowered. We’ll give you a rundown of the best cards you should be using in at least one of your decks in Pokémon TCG Pocket.
The best Pokémon TCG Pocket cards
Gardevoir
A Stage 2 Pokemon evolved from Ralts and Kirlia, Gardevoir is a must-have card for any of your Psychic decks. Its passive ability, Psy Shadow, allows you to take one Psychic energy and bring it to the Psychic Pokémon in your active spot.
This means that if you have a Mewtwo ex in the active spot, it can use its most powerful move every turn. It requires four energy and consumes two. And with Gardevoir on the bench, you can feed your Mewtwo ex two Psychic energies each turn.
Giovanni
You may not think such a small boost of damage is worth a spot in your deck, but you’re wrong. Giovanni is a Supporter card that gives your Pokémon 10 extra damage to your attack. This ability comes into== clutch so often that you won’t even realize how many times it’ll win you games.
There will be many times in battle where you’re dealing damage to your opponent’s Pokémon and it’s left at 10 HP. Using Giovanni pushes it to a one-turn defeat instead of two, which can turn the tides of battle from losing to winning immediately.
Lilligant
Lilligant is useful both for her Leaf Supply ability, and her damage and health. Sitting at 100 HP, Leaf Supply only requires two Grass energy to deal 50 damage and place an extra Grass energy onto a benched Pokémon.
It only requires a Petilil to evolve from and is an easy way to build up to a Venusaur from a Bulbasaur on the bench. This way, your Venusaur won’t get hurt and Lilligant can tank some hits and deal damage back.
Misty
Misty is one of those Supporter cards that you should immediately craft if you haven’t already pulled one. It’s vital for any Water deck since she can make a Water Pokémon go from having no energy to an abundance of energy.
When you use Misty, you keep flipping coins until you get tails, and for every heads, you attach that amount of Water energy to one Pokémon. Some players have gotten lucky and pulled five, seven, and even up to a dozen energy just from how the RNG of this card works. It’s best to use her on a good Water ex card that needs a lot of Water energy.
Greninja
Another good card for a Water Deck is Greninja. Evolved from Froakie and Frogadier, Greninja can sit on your bench and still deal 20 damage to any of your opponent’s Pokémon every turn with its Water Shurikan passive ability.
It also has 120 health and the Mist Slash ability can dish out 60 damage just from two energy. This makes Greninja a great Pokémon to evolve to on your bench to act as backup for the Pokémon in your active spot.
Hypno
Speaking of cards with passive abilities, Hypno is a Psychic type that evolves from Drowzee. Every turn, you can use Hypno’s Sleep Pendulum, either on your bench or in the active spot, to flip a coin. If it’s heads, it puts your opponent’s active Pokémon to sleep.
Hypno is a great Pokémon to have sitting on your bench in any Psychic deck to try and inflict Asleep on your opponent since that can stop them from attacking during their turn. It also has 100 HP and its Psypunch ability deals 50 damage, which isn’t too bad coupled with its powerful Sleep Pendulum ability.
Butterfree
If you need some more healing Pokémon, get a Butterfree. This Pokémon evolves from Caterpie and Metapod, has 120 HP, and can deal 60 damage with its three-energy Gust move. Its best move is its Powder Heal passive ability, which lets it heal 20 damage to all of your damaged Pokémon.
So not only can you heal one Pokémon, but you can heal 20 damage from any Pokémon who is hurt. Alongside Venusaur (can heal itself with its best damage move) and Erika (can heal 50 damage from any Grass type), Butterfree can help keep your Grass Pokémon alive.
Ex cards
Since there are so many ex-type cards that are the best of the best, we’re grouping them all together to highlight the best ex cards you should use when making a deck.
- Mewtwo ex: Is unstoppable with Gardevoir on the bench, has 150 HP, and can deal 150 damage with Psydrive.
- Pikachu ex: Deals a total of 90 damage if there are three benched Pokémon. This Circle Circuit move only requires two energy.
- Charizard ex: Although it costs four energy and discards two each time it’s used, Crimson Storm deals a whopping 200 damage. It also has a good chunk of health, which is 180 HP.
- Zapdos ex: With only three Lightning energy, Zapdos ex will flip four coins and for each heads, it will deal 50 damage. This can make it deal up to 200 damage in one turn.
- Starmie ex: Only requiring two Water energy, Starmie ex can use Hydro Splash to inflict 90 damage on an enemy. It can also retreat for free.
- Venusaur ex: Sitting at 190 HP, Venusaur ex can use Giant Bloom to deal 100 damage. It also heals 30 damage each time it’s used.
- Articuno ex: Its Blizzard move only needs three Water energy to deal 80 damage. This move simultaneously deals 10 damage to all your opponent’s benched Pokémon.
- Moltres ex: This Pokémon’s best move, Inferno Dance, only requires one Fire energy, but can flip three coins, and for every heads, it can grant Fire energy to any benched Pokémon. It also has 140 HP and can deal 70 damage with Heat Blast.
The best hidden gem cards
While the previous list showcased the best of the best cards, there are a few other underrated cards that are nearly as good and shouldn’t be ignored. They aren’t necessary for decks, but they can still be incredibly useful.
- Koga: If you have a deck with Muk or Weezing, Koga is a good Supporter to have. He can pull these two Pokémon from your active spot right into your hand as a free retreat.
- Pidgeot: A Stage 2 Pokémon evolved from Pidgey and Pidgeotto, Pidgeot has 130 HP and can deal 70 damage with its two-energy Wing Attack. Not only that, but its passive ability, Drive Off, allows you to force your opponent to switch out their Pokémon from their active spot.
- Ditto: When matched against the right deck, Ditto can use Copy Anything to copy any of your opponent’s Pokémon moves. You need the same energy type and amount, but if you’re lucky enoug,h it can come in handy.
- Grapploct: Evolved from Clobbopuss, Grapploct has 130 HP and can inflict 70 damage with Knock Back. This move also pushes your opponent’s active Pokémon to the bench.
- Kabutops: From Dome Fossil to Kabuto and Kabutops, this Pokémon can use Leech Life, only requiring one energy, to deal 50 damage and heal it for the same amount of damage it dealt.
- Cinccino: Similar to how Pikachu ex works, Cinccino can use Do the Wave and will deal 30 damage for each of your benched Pokémon. This can deal a total of 90 damage if you have three on the bench.
