10 cards you’ll never see in Pokemon TCG Pocket
The Pokemon CompanyPokemon TCG Pocket offers a streamlined version of the Pokemon Trading Card Game in mobile format. This means that some of the more unusual cards in the game’s history can’t be used.
Some of the cornerstones of the Pokemon TCG are vastly different in Pocket, such as Energy cards being gradually doled out, and Prize cards not existing at all in the game’s current state. This means some very Basic cards need to be changed in order to fit the format.
There are some cards from the Pokemon Trading Card Game that were so bizarre or broken that they were banned from play or were never formally released. This means they have zero chance of becoming part of Pocket.
10. _____’s Pikachu
The Pokemon CompanyThe blank space on this Pokemon card’s title is intended for the player to write their own name down, as its mechanic is tied to the owner’s birthday.
This card’s Birthday Surprise potentially deals extra damage if it’s the player’s birthday. Naturally, this would be a pain to prove in a cardboard format, which is why this card is banned.
In Pokemon Pocket, the problem has less to do with proving a birthday than the player constantly shifting it in the settings, just to gain a small advantage. It would be easier if this Pikachu just never ate its cake.
9. Mr. Mime
The Pokemon CompanyThe Pokemon Trading Card Game and Pocket are both heavily reliant on coin flip mechanics, much to the annoyance of Misty’s enemies around the world.
There are a handful of Pokemon cards that introduced an additional random chance mechanic: Rock-Paper-Scissors. One of these was the Mr. Mime from the Lost Origin expansion.
Naturally, adding a Rock-Paper-Scissors mechanic would be a major pain, especially as it’s used so infrequently and on non-competitive cards. This means Mr. Mime here will be stuck on the bench.
8. M Sachiko-EX
The Pokemon CompanyThis strange Japan-exclusive card was given away at a concert to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon Trading Card Game.
M Sachiko-EX’s “Galaxy Voice” attack deals 10 damage for every second that the player sings, with the opponent keeping count.
While this would be a hilarious mechanic to include in Pocket, it would be both a nightmare to implement and incredibly easy to cheat. Pokemon fans will have to find another game to stretch their vocal chords.
7. Unown
The Pokemon CompanyMost Pokemon Trading Card Game matches are won via taking Prize Cards or through deck out. There are some cards with alternate win conditions, though these are extremely tricky to pull off.
One of these alternate win cards is the Unown from the Lost Thunder expansion. If the player has 35 cards in their hand and this Unown is the Active Pokemon at the start of their turn, they win the game.
Unfortunately, Pocket only has a maximum deck size of 20, making this card’s win condition impossible to pull off.
It’s possible to have a version of this card with a reduced hand requirement, but that could potentially make it too easy to pull off the combo, especially if future cards have more draw effects.
6. Xatu
The Pokemon CompanyLike the Lost Origin Mr. Mime, the Xatu from the Legendary Treasure expansion has a Rock-Paper-Scissors mechanic which would be a pain to implement for only a few cards.
In the case of this Xatu, the effect is incredibly powerful when tied to an extra random effect. In this case, the winner draws three and the loser discards three, all for the cost of an attack and one Psychic energy.
This draw/mill effect would be too strong for Pokemon Pocket’s limited deck size, so this Xatu won’t be landing anytime soon.
5. Zorua and Celebi
The Pokemon CompanyZorua and Celebi was never formally released in any packs, which means it’s already banned from official play, and it’s easy to see why.
When this card uses its “Who is Who?” attack, both players switch positions and continue the match using their opponent’s deck.
This card has a ton of potential for abuse. Most notably, you could fill your deck with junk cards, then pull the Captain Ginyu swap when your opponent pulls out something strong, leaving them no good options, except the hope of another deck switch.
4. Slowbro
The Pokemon CompanyThe Slowbro card from the BREAKpoint expansion has a separate win condition. In this case, using the “Walk-Off Homer” attack when only having one Prize card left lets you win the game.
As Pocket doesn’t have any Prize card mechanic, this means the BREAKpoint Slowbro lacks its main selling point, and can’t pull off its win condition.
Technically, a version of this Pokemon could be concocted using Pocket’s Points system mechanic, but at that point, it becomes a totally different card.
3. Imakuni?’s Doduo
The Pokemon CompanyThe Imakuni cards were never meant for official play in the Pokemon Trading Card Game. They mostly consist of unusual and funny effects that spoof the game’s mechanics.
In the case of Imakuni?’s Doduo, it has two unusual effects. The first is Frenzied Escape, which involves the player throwing the card as far as they can, kind of like a Pokemon version of Gambit from the X-Men.
Imakuni?’s Doduo also has the “Harmonize” attack, where the player must sing. Once they stop singing, they deal 30 damage.
Poor Imakuni?’s Doduo just has too many strange things about it to ever be part of Pocket. Hopefully, Imakuni will be part of an April Fool’s set in the future, with something designed for Pocket.
2. Suzukisan
The Pokemon CompanyImakuni’s reign of terror isn’t over yet. In this case, he appears on the Suzukisan card, which has a similar issue to M Sachiko-EX.
When Suzukisan is played, the player must sing and dance to the chorus of a song called “Let’s Trade Please,” which was performed by the band Suzukisan. The player can then switch a Pokemon from their hand with their Active Pokemon.
While it would be funny to see players needing to sing into their phones as part of an in-game mechanic, it would be impossible to implement Suzukisan’s effect into Pocket.
1. Blaine’s Quiz Show
The Pokemon CompanyThe quiz in Blaine’s Gym in Pokemon Red & Blue was annoying on its own, but it would be potentially game-breaking in Pocket.
Blaine’s Quiz Show involves putting a card from your hand face down and asking the opponent to guess the name of one of its attacks. If they guess right, they draw 4 and if they guess wrong, you draw 4.
This effect would be a nightmare to implement in Pocket. One option would be to include a list of every attack in the game, but this would become more bloated over time and it would be easy for players to get names mixed up.
Players could potentially type in the name, but that would potentially lead to the game giving a wrong answer in instances where players know how to say the name, but not how to spell it.
Any instance of giving a player a smaller list of options to choose from offers an advantage that wouldn’t exist in the physical game, as they could potentially guess the right answer.
Blaine’s Quiz Show is already banned in the regular Pokemon Trading Card Game, and the myriad possibilities of its effect mean it’s unlikely to appear in Pocket anytime soon.
Pokemon TCG Pocket is all about assembling the best decks possible and grabbing powerful cards. So, check out our guides on farming free packs, how to collect the immersive cards, and how to complete the Secret Missions.