Most cards in Pokemon Pocket have strict conditions behind them. Pokemon can only evolve once per turn, and you can't play evolved ones without their base version on the board. Similarly, despite how powerful the Supporter cards are, they are balanced around the fact that you can only use one per turn.
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However, item cards are different. You can empty a whole handful of items in one turn or keep it hidden for that decisive moment. Cards like Pokeball are also staples of every deck, with no metadeck functioning without them. From card draws to discount withdrawals to information perks, here's what all the Pokemon TCG Pocket items can do and are worth packing.
7
Pokedex
Look at your next draw
Pokemon Pocket is much faster than other TCG games like Hearthstone or Magic: The Gathering. With only 20 cards in each pack, it's easier to figure out what your chances are of landing a card you desperately need in the next draw.
If you don't like what you see in the Pokedex, you can use a Pokeball to reshuffle your next draw!
However, if you're not sure about your luck, if you put down a copy of the Pokedex, you can look at the top cards in your deck. This helps you plan ahead, allowing you to play more aggressively if you draw a Sabrina next, or risk putting your main Pokemon on the field if you can land a Potion or Evolve.
6
Potion
Heals an allied Pokemon
No matter how nuanced the combat in Pokemon Pocket is, the most powerful decks in the game are the best ones to hit you. Mewtwo Ex, Charizard EX, and even less explosive cards like Pikachu EX want to knock you out in a single turn to prevent your invested Energy Pokemon from doing anything.
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For this, most early game phases consist of lowering the opponent's PV to bring them into comfortable hitting range. If your opponent's EX cards can't finish you instantly, they risk giving two points after their attacks. Because of this, Potions are a superb counter, allowing your Pokemon to stay alive for just one more turn, enough to turn the tide and gain two points while giving one, or simply block while Mewtwo EX or Alakazam feed while you are on the bench.
5
Fossil Books
Technology against specific cards
Helix Fossil, Dome Fossil, and Old Amber work the same way. They are more like a special basic Pokemon than actual items, being used primarily to evolve into a stronger Pokemon. Not only are these evolved versions rarer than normal cards, but they aren't nearly as good as some of the other Pokemon you can deck.
Since they aren't considered Pokemon, Sabrina can't force you to switch to them. Similarly, you can't draw them with Pokeballs.
However, these fossil cards also work as tech for a number of reasons. First of all, they are a very good counter to Sabrina, one of the best cards in Pokemon Pocket. They are also amazing tanks because you can retire them for free by throwing them. Additionally, they allow you to have an early game Pokemon to start the game with and take damage without reducing the consistency of Pokeballs targeting your combo pieces.
4
Hand aim
Look at your opponent's hand
Strategy card games are all about information. You can have all your combo pieces on board, but still lose if you can't figure out your opponent's response. In games like Yu-Gi-Oh, knowing your opponent's hand is essentially the same as winning the game. This information war is much less extreme in Pokemon Pocket, but that doesn't mean it's worthless.
Just like the Pokedex, knowing what your opponent can do in the next few turns can greatly help your own game plan. If they have potions, knowing that can tell you that reducing them might not be a good idea, allowing you to invest your energy better. It's also one of the best counters against the red card, allowing you to protect your hand against it by discarding the important stuff the moment you see it in the enemy's hand.
3
Red card
Shuffle your opponent's hand into the deck
Pokemon Pocket doesn't have much disruption. There are cards like Gengar EX that prevent you from playing Supporters and attacks like Arbok's Corner that force your opponent's active Pokemon to stay on the field, but you have to have those active cards to use them.
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They pack a punch.
The red card directly destroys your enemy's plans by shuffling his hand into his deck. This can win you games on your own, using it when your opponent has a lot of cards in hand or when it looks like they're setting up for an endgame turn.
2
X speed
Reduce withdrawal costs
Pokemon Pocket games are all about defeating cards. There is no face or nexus to hit. As such, prioritizing your Pokemon is a bigger deal than in other card games. This is doubly true for your EX Pokemon, especially those that your opponent can target to quickly end games by getting two points in one go.
You can use multiple X Speed cards in the same turn, allowing you to use Retreat on certain Pokemon for free.
In Pokemon TCG Pocket, you can choose to send out your Pokemon by using Retreat and discarding a certain number of attached energy. However, there are cases where you either don't have enough Energy or you need to save it. Because of this, playing two X Speed copies is a must in almost every deck, making it one of the best and most useful cards in Pokemon Pocket.
1
Pokeball
Draw the base Pokemon from the pack
The relatively small size of Pokemon Pocket packs makes it very easy to include your combos. As such, putting in extra Pokemon is rarely better than just adding the ones that help your game plan. This is largely due to the Pokeball item card, which allows you to fish for these specific basic Pokemon from your deck.
Additionally, Pokeballs can be used to increase the consistency of your Professor Oak cards by thinning out your base Pokemon deck. This can be extremely powerful in decks that use evolved versions of their cards for their main combo, such as a Venusaur EX deck.