Hi. The Johto set in Pokemon TCG Pocket has been announced. This set releases in the mobile game on Wednesday July 30, 2025.
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Here is the initial cards news source.
The original plan was to do 2 separate posts. Due to time, I am combining 2 posts I had written offline and put them together as 1 mega-post. Read what you want.
Wishlist Feature For Trading + Trade Feature Fix
Due to some laziness, I post the screenshot from Pokebeach.
Johto Starter Pokemon
All of the 3 starter Pokemon have 60 HP with 20 damage attacks. An early game 20 damage attack is good. Put early pressure on the opponent or set up a possible two hit knockout.
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Baby Pokemon With Zero Energy Attacks + Togepi
Baby Pokemon with zero energy attacks make their debut in Pokemon TCG Pocket. These are Basic Pokemon with a low 30 HP amount.
Even though the HP is low, the Baby Pokemon have zero energy attacks. During your first turn going first, you cannot manually attach energy from your Energy Zone. If you lead with a Baby Pokemon, you can use the free attack for setup purposes.
Cleffa
Cleffa is a weak 30 HP Psychic Pokemon with zero weakness and zero retreat cost.
The free attack of Twinkly Call lets you put a random Pokemon from your deck into your hand. In theory, getting this attack going first on your first turn helps with setting up an Evolution Pokemon during your next turn.
Pichu
Pichu is a 30 HP Basic Lightning Pokemon. It has zero weakness and a zero retreat cost.
The Crackly Toss free attack lets you take one Lightning Energy from your Energy Zone and attach it to 1 of your Benched Basic Pokemon.
Togepi
This Togepi has 60 HP. The Charm attack requires 1 Energy to reduce 20 damage done by the Defending Pokemon.
This is a very colourful card. It would be in high demand if it was printed physically.
I think there may be more Baby Pokemon. Maybe Smoochum, Azurill, Elekid, Magby appears.
Ho-Oh ex
This Ho-Oh ex is a Basic Fire Pokemon with 150 HP, Lightning weakness and it has a retreat cost of 2.
The Phoenix Turbo is an interesting attack. It requires 3 Colourless Energy or 3 of any Energy type. Phoenix Turbo does 80 damage and it provides good energy acceleration in the form of 1 Fire, 1 Water and 1 Lightning Energy to your Benched Basic Pokemon in any way you like.
Providing 1 Fire, 1 Water and 1 Lightning Energy really goes well with Lugia ex or any other Basic Pokemon on the Bench.
Lugia ex
Lugia is a Basic Colourless Pokemon ex attacker. This has 150 HP, Lightning weakness and a retreat cost of 2.
The Elemental Blast attack is a pretty powerful attack. It does require 1 Fire, 1 Water and 1 Lightning Energy to deal a whopping 180 damage. After the attack you discard 1 Fire, 1 Water and 1 Lightning Energy from Lugia ex.
Possible Combos
Ho-Oh ex + Lugia ex is the most obvious combo here. Attack with Ho-Oh ex to powerup Lugia ex.
Ho-Oh ex could be used also to power up Snorlax ex or Snorlax. Snorlax is a Colourless attacker that can use any Energy type.
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Cleffa could be beneficial in Evolution based decks. Turn 1 Cleffa helps with setting up Evolution Pokemon.
Pichu + Ho-Oh ex + Zeraora seems pretty strong on Turn 1. Use Pichu to powerup Ho-Oh ex on turn 1 going first. At the end of Turn 1, Zeraora's ability makes Zeraora gain 1 Lightning Energy.
The Youtube trailer has a few more card reveals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzaOiArrYfE
Gyarados
Here is a new Gyarados card. This one has 130 HP, possibly Lightning weakness and an unknown retreat cost.
The Wild Swing attack requires 2 Water Energy to deal 20 base damage. You may discard any number of Benched Water Pokemon. This attack does 40 more damage for each Water Pokemon discarded in this way.
Discarding 1 Benched Water Pokemon results in 60 damage, discarding 2 makes it 100 damage, and discarding all 3 Water Pokemon on the Bench gives the maximum damage of 140 damage.
Discarding Water Pokemon on the Bench for an attack is very reckless. Even with the Fishing Net item card and Celestic Town Elder for recovery, discarding Pokemon for an attack boost is pretty crazy.
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Espeon ex & Umbreon ex
We did not get Espeon ex & Umbreon ex in the Eevee Grove set. Instead we get them in the Johto set in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Eevee decks have more options with attackers. There could be something like 3 different Eevee decks. One with Sylveon ex & Espeon, Sylveon ex + Greninja and Umbreon ex dark deck. There could be more.
Espeon ex
Espeon ex is a Stage 1 140 HP Psychic Pokemon with Dark weakness and 1 retreat cost. The Psychic Healing ability can be used once during your turn and only works while Espeon ex is in the Active Spot. You may heal 30 damage from 1 of your Pokemon.
The Super Psy Bolt attack has a good energy cost to attack damage ratio. For 2 Psychic Energy the attack does 80 damage.
Umbreon ex
Umbreon ex is a Stage 1 Evolution of Eevee or Eevee ex with 140HP, 2 retreat cost and Grass weakness.
The Darkness Fang does 80 damage with the cost of 2 Dark Energy.
What makes Umbreon ex really scary is its ability. It is pretty much a Cyrus effect. Once during your turn, you may bring out an opponent's Benched Pokemon that is damaged and bring it to the Active Spot. A gust effect ability on a Pokemon is generally pretty powerful in the TCG (physical or Pocket mobile game).
Lyra & Silver
Around 0:43 of Trailer video
Lyra
In the regular Pokemon TCG, Switch is a regular Item card. I guess in the Pocket version, they are making switching Pokemon a more rare effect. Lyra lets you Switch your Active Pokemon that is damaged with 1 of your Benched Pokemon. Switching in a weak Pokemon with a different Pokemon is useful in some cases. I am not sure if Lyra is worth a Supporter spot.
Silver
Silver is an interesting Supporter card. You get to see the opponent's hand. If the opponent has a Supporter card in their hand you may choose a Supporter card you find there and shuffle it into the opponent's deck.
I think Silver would be even more powerful if you put that chosen Supporter card from opponent's hand to the bottom of their hand. As the deck is shuffled, the opponent can get lucky and redraw that Supporter card during their next turn.
I think Silver is an okay card. Not all decks will use this. If you suspect that your opponent has a Cyrus or Sabrina that can win the game against you then you can use Silver to remove that one threat.
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Rescue Scarf & Elemental Switch
Rescue Scarf
Rescue Scarf is an interesting tool card. The effect activates when the Pokemon this card is attached to is Knocked Out by damage from an attack. After Knockout from damage, you put the Knocked Out Pokemon into your hand instead of the discard pile.
Having the Pokemon return to hand into the discard pile is useful if you want to that Pokemon for attacking again. Some decks fall apart when a certain Pokemon gets Knocked out. Rescue Scarf gives you an out where you can use a Pokemon again.
Elemental Switch
Elemental Switch is a specialized Energy Switch card. It is designed with Lugia ex and Ho-Oh ex in mind.
I can see Elemental Switch being used outside of Lugia ex and Ho-Oh ex decks. You can use this with Manaphy in Water based decks or in Lightning decks with Zerora and Magneton.
I think Elemental Switch is a powerful item card. Not game breaking but enough to help certain decks out there.
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Thank you for reading.