All item cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket, ranked

Most cards in Pokemon Pocket have strict conditions behind them. Pokemon can only evolve once per turn, and you cannot play evolved without their basic version on the board. Similarly, despite how strong supporter cards are, they are balanced around the fact that you can only use one each turn.

However, gift cards are different. You can empty an entire hand of items in a single turn or keep it hidden for the decisive moment. Cards like Pokeball are also staples in any deck, with no meta deck functioning without them. From card draws to discounted retreats to information benefits, here's what each item in Pokemon TCG Pocket can do and which ones are worth adding to your deck.

Updated on December 31, 2024 by Asad Kashif: Pokemon TCG Pocket's Mythical Islands expansion completely changed the meta with cards like Serperior and Celebi ex dominating previously undefeated decks like Mewtwo ex. Along with the strong Pokemon, Mythical Islands also introduced some new item cards in Pokemon Pocket. We've reviewed every item in the game from scratch to evaluate whether Pokemon Flute and Mythical Slab can rank among the best item cards in Pokemon Pocket.

9

Pokedex

Watch your next draw

Pokemon Pocket is much faster than other TCG games like Hearthstone or Magic: The Gathering. With only 20 cards in each deck, it's easier to figure out what your chances are of getting 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!

Still, if you're unsure of your luck, laying down a copy of the Pokedex allows you to look at the top cards of 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 board if you can top deck a Potion or an Evolution.

8

Fossil card

Technique against specific cards

Helix Fossil, Dome Fossil and Old Amber work the same way. They're more like special base Pokémon than actual items, and they're primarily used to evolve into stronger Pokémon. Not only are these evolved versions rarer than regular cards, but they also aren't as good as some of the other Pokémon you can put in your deck.

Since these don't count as Pokemon, Sabrina can't force you to switch to them. Likewise, you can't draw them with Pokeballs.

But these fossil cards also work as technology for a number of reasons. First, they are an excellent counter to Sabrina, one of the best cards in Pokemon Pocket. They are also great tanks because you can withdraw them for free by throwing them. Also, they allow you to have an early game Pokemon to start the game with and deal damage without reducing the consistency of your Pokeballs targeting your combo pieces.

7

Pokemon flute

Return opposing discarded Pokemon to their bench

Pokemon Flute is one of the most interesting cards released in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Instead of directly improving your chance to win or damage your opponent, the Pokemon Flute takes a Pokemon from the enemy's discard pile and puts it on the bench, seemingly helping them.

The Pokemon Flute synergizes with Pidgeot ex's ability to spread Cyclone as it deals 20 more damage for each Pokemon on the enemy bench.

This item card has its uses for blocking your opponent from benching new, useful Pokémon, but that's not a good enough reason to run this card over a better one in your deck.

6

Hand scope

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 answer. In games like Yu-Gi-Oh, knowing your opponent's hand is basically the same as winning the game. This information warfare is much less extreme in Pokemon Pocket, but that doesn't mean it's useless.

Similar to the Pokedex, knowing what your opponent can do in the next few turns can greatly benefit your own game plan. If they have potions, knowing that might tell you it might not be a good idea to lower them, 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 dumping your essentials the moment you see it in the enemy's hand.

5

Drink

Heal an allied Pokémon

No matter how nuanced the battle in Pokemon Pocket is, the strongest decks in the game are the ones best at taking you in one shot. Mewtwo ex, Charizard ex and even less cracked cards like Pikachu ex want to stun you in a single turn to stop your energy invested Pokemon from doing anything.

For this, most early game phases consist of lowering your opponent's HP to get them in a comfortable hit range. If your opponent's ex cards can't finish you off immediately, they risk giving out two points after their attacks. For this reason, Potions are a great counter, allowing your Pokemon to stay alive just one turn longer, enough to turn the tide and get two points while giving one or to simply stay while your own Mewtwo-ex or Alakazam get food while sitting on the bench.

4

Red card

Shuffle the opponent's hand in the deck

Pokemon Pocket doesn't have much interruption. There are cards like Gengar ex that prevent you from playing supports and attacks like Arbok's Corner that force your opponent's active Pokemon to stay on the field, but you have to have these cards active in order to use them.

The red card instantly destroys your enemy's plans by shuffling their hand into their deck. This can single-handedly win you games by using it when the opponent has a lot of cards in their hand or when it looks like they are setting up for a game round.

3

Mythical plate

Increase the consistency of drawing Psychic Type Pokémon

We've already established cards like Professor's Research and Pokeball to be among the best cards in the game, running in every Pokemon Pocket deck without exception. This is because the ability to draw more cards or target and draw specific cards is the best way to increase your combo consistency. With most Pokémon TCG Pocket decks built around game-ending combos, getting your stuff a single turn earlier can turn the tide of battle.

If Mewtwo decks weren't already good enough, Mythical Slab provides another way to draw your Gardevoirs and Mewtwos. The item allows you to see the top card in your deck. If it's a Psychic Type Pokemon, you draw it, making the card act as a targeted Pokeball for the Psychic Pokemon. But even if the top card isn't Psychic Type, Mythical Slab puts the card at the bottom of your deck, increasing the chance you'll draw a Psychic Pokémon next turn.

2

X speed

Discount on your retreat costs

Gameplay in Pokemon Pocket is all about defeating cards. There is no face or nexus to meet. As such, prioritizing your Pokemon is a bigger deal than in other card games. This is doubly true for your former Pokemon, especially those that your opponent can target to end games quickly by scoring two points at once.

You can use multiple X Speed ​​cards in the same turn, allowing you to use Retreat on certain Pokémon for free.

In Pokemon TCG Pocket, you can choose to bench 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 conserve it. Playing two copies of X Speed ​​is a necessity in almost every deck for this reason, making it one of the best and most useful cards in Pokemon Pocket.

1

Pokeball

Draw basic Pokemon from the deck

The relatively small size of Pokemon Pocket decks makes it very easy to get your combos. As such, adding 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 Pokémon from your deck.

Additionally, Pokeballs can be used to increase the consistency of your Professor Oak cards by thinning out your deck with base Pokemon. This can be extremely powerful in decks that use evolved versions of their cards for their main combo, such as a Venusaur ex-deck.