As of January 2025, the Pokemon TCG Pocket meta is largely defined by the dominance of decks built around the powerful EX cards introduced in the Genetic Apex and Mythical Island expansions. These sets have brought forward a host of game-changing abilities and high-stat Pokémon that have shifted the competitive landscape. With an emphasis on fast-paced, high-damage plays and strategic synergies, these new EX Pokemon have quickly become the foundation of some of the most competitive and effective decks in the game.
The EX cards introduced in these expansions feature versatile abilities that allow for faster energy acceleration, powerful attacks, and unique effects that can disrupt opponents’ strategies. Whether it’s through the raw power of Charizard EX, the tanking capabilities of Gyarados EX, or the disruptive effects of support Pokemon like Serperior, these cards have reshaped how players approach deck building and battling in Pokemon TCG Pocket.
Below, we’ll take a closer look at some of the top-performing decks that are currently shaping the competitive scene and driving the metagame in Pokemon TCG Pocket:
Celebi EX
This Celebi EX deck is designed with an emphasis on quickly accumulating energy to maximize the potential of Celebi EX’s powerful attack, Powerful Bloom. The goal is to rapidly charge up Celebi EX and unleash a devastating blow to your opponent. One of the core strategies of the deck is energy acceleration, and to achieve this, supporting Pokemon like Serperior are included. Serperior’s ability to instantaneously multiply energy allow you to get Celebi EX powered up faster than your opponent can respond. This synergy helps speed up your setup, allowing Celebi EX to hit harder earlier in the game.
In cases where you’re unable to pull Celebi EX early in the game or it gets knocked out before reaching its full potential, you can throw Exeggutor into the ring. It features 160 HP for stalling tactics, and has the potential to inflict 80 damage with a successful coin flip. This allows the deck to stay competitive and not be entirely reliant on drawing Celebi EX early, ensuring that you still have a reliable way to engage while waiting for Celebi to come into play.
Mewtwo EX and Gardevoir Deck
The Mewtwo EX deck is strategically built around harnessing Gardevoir’s powerful energy-accelerating ability to rapidly fuel Mewtwo EX’s high-damage attacks, particularly the devastating Psydrive. Gardevoir’s Psy Shadow ability allows you to take a energy from your Energy Zone and attach it to the Pokemon in your Active Spot, effectively powering up Mewtwo EX much faster than most decks. The synergy between Gardevoir and Mewtwo EX is what makes this deck particularly dangerous, as the combination of attacks and energy acceleration keeps constant pressure on your opponent.
In the early stages of the game, the focus should be on evolving Ralts into Kirlia, and eventually Gardevoir. This evolution process is crucial because it unlocks the energy acceleration ability, setting up your deck for future turns when you’ll need to power up Mewtwo EX. Ralts is typically your early-game support Pokemon, and while it might not be able to deal much damage on its own, it’s vital for setting up the later stages of the game.
Gyarados EX
Gyarados EX has recently emerged as a highly popular choice in Pokemon TCG Pocket, providing a powerful and reliable Water-type option with impressive HP and potent offensive capabilities.
To enhance Gyarados EX’s effectiveness, the deck often incorporates support cards like Vaporeon and its ability Wash Out. Vaporeon’s Wash Out ability allows you to return Water Energy from your Benched Pokemon to your Active Pokemon, giving you the opportunity to reuse important resources and help set up for future turns. This synergy not only ensures that you won’t run out of Water Energy but also helps you maintain an efficient flow of resources, making it easier to power up your attacks over multiple turns. The combination of Gyarados EX’s high HP, strong attacks, and Vaporeon’s versatile support allows the deck to be adaptable in various matchups, giving you the ability to adjust to different playstyles and strategies.
Pikachu EX and Zapdos EX Deck
The Pikachu EX deck is built around a core strategy of leveraging a full bench of Lightning-type Pokemon to maximize Pikachu EX’s damage potential. Pikachu EX’s Circle Circuit attack scales based on the number of benched Pokemon, meaning the more Pokémon you have on the field, the higher the damage output becomes. By maintaining a full bench, Pikachu EX can consistently dish out heavy damage, making it a dangerous threat that forces your opponent to respond quickly.
In addition to Pikachu EX, the deck also incorporates Zapdos EX as a reliable secondary attacker. Zapdos EX brings versatility to the deck, providing a solid backup in case Pikachu EX is hiding in your deck. With its ability to hit hard with attacks like Thundering Hurricane, Zapdos EX can support the overall strategy by providing great damage output while Pikachu EX sets up on the bench. This synergy between Pikachu EX and Zapdos EX helps the deck stay competitive, especially when you’re facing opponents with strong defenses or multiple attackers.
Charizard EX and Moltres EX Deck
The Charizard EX deck capitalizes on the synergy between powerful Fire-type Pokémon to deliver devastating offensive pressure. Central to this strategy is Moltres EX and its Inferno Dance ability, which allows you to accelerate Fire Energy by flipping three coins and assigning energy equal to the number of heads to your benched Pokemon. This ability quickly powers up Charizard EX, setting it up to unleash its Crimson Storm attack. The key to this deck’s success lies in quickly accelerating energy and setting up Charizard EX as a late-game powerhouse, capable of sweeping through opposing teams once fully charged.
To support this strategy, Arcanine plays a crucial role as a secondary powerhouse. Its Inferno Onrush ability provides an extra layer of offense and consistency by allowing you to get out of tricky situations if you struggle to evolve Charmander into Charmeleon or Charizard.
The synergy between Moltres EX, Charizard EX, and Arcanine forms a powerful trio that can outmatch many of the current metagame’s threats, particularly Grass-type decks. With Moltres EX helping to rapidly power up Charizard EX and Arcanine serving as a reliable backup attacker, this deck thrives in mid-to-late game stages where it can dominate with massive Fire-type damage.
In conclusion, the Pokemon TCG Pocket metagame is defined by the power and versatility of the available EX cards. From Celebi EX’s energy acceleration to Charizard EX’s late-game dominance, these decks showcase strategic depth and high-impact plays. Stay adaptable and keep an eye on future expansions, as the metagame continues to evolve.
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