Pokemon TCG Pocket's Triumphant Light Expansion Just Gave Water Decks Another Powerful Card, and Everyone's a Little Over It

Pokémon TCG Pocket's initial meta was quickly dominated by a few powerful decks, notably those centered around Misty and water-type Pokémon. The frustratingly unpredictable nature of Misty's coin-flip-based energy attachment made losses to these decks feel especially unfair. Even after three expansions, instead of introducing counters, the game has only amplified Misty's power.

The core issue isn't Misty's inherent strength, but the sheer randomness of her effect. Misty, a Supporter card, lets players flip coins repeatedly to attach Water-type energy to a chosen Water-type Pokémon. This could result in zero energy, rendering the card useless, or a massive energy boost, potentially leading to a turn-one victory. This inconsistency makes playing against Misty decks feel intensely frustrating.

Subsequent expansions exacerbated the problem. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, allowing energy manipulation, and Space-Time Smackdown added Manaphy, further boosting energy. Powerful Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex capitalized on this abundance of energy, solidifying Water decks' dominance.

Triumphant Light's addition of Irida, another Supporter card, only intensified the issue. Irida heals 40 damage from each Pokémon with attached Water-type energy, providing significant comeback potential for already energy-rich Water decks. While some TCG experts suggest Irida was intended to counter Misty by forcing deckbuilding choices (limiting the 20-card deck size), many players have found ways to incorporate both, creating even more oppressive Water decks.

The upcoming scheduled event in Pokémon TCG Pocket, offering rewards for winning streaks, highlights this problem. The difficulty of achieving a five-match win streak is significantly increased by the potential for swift defeats at the hands of well-played, lucky Misty decks, especially with Irida providing a safety net. This makes playing a Water deck itself a tempting strategy for the event. The current meta strongly favors Water decks, making it likely they'll continue dominating the competitive scene.