Pokémon TCG Pocket is the mobile version of the popular Pokémon card game, available for Android and iOS devices. In this page, I will guide you step-by-step through building your deck and navigating the gameplay of Pokémon TCG Pocket. Additionally, I will show you how to organize a card album and set up customized boards to display on your profile
Pokémon TCG Pocket offers several ways to obtain new cards, each with its own unique features and specific advantages. Currently, there are 4 main methods available, but a fifth one (the player trading) will soon be introduced. Here’s an overview of the methods currently accessible:
Booster Packs
One of the most common ways to obtain cards is through Booster Packs. To open expansion packs, you need Pack Energy, which automatically recharges every 12 hours. This means that every day all players receive 2 free packs, allowing everyone to expand their collection and start building their decks.
If you want to open more packs per day, you will need to recharge Pack Energy using two in-game resources: Pack Hourglasses and/or Pokécoins. You can choose to open a single pack or a bundle of 10.
Pack Hourglasses: Each hourglass reduces the recharge time for Pack Energy by one hour. You can earn them by completing missions, leveling up, or participating in events.
Pokécoins: Each Pokécoin reduces the recharge time for Pack Energy by two hours. Pokécoins can be purchased with real currency.
Wonder Pick
An innovative way to obtain cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket is through Wonder Pick, which allows you to try your luck by drawing cards from booster packs opened by other players. You can view the packs opened by other players (or your friends) from the “Wonder Pick” menu located on the main page of the app. The cards obtained this way will not be taken from the player who originally opened the pack.
To perform a Mystery Draw, you’ll need Mystery Energy. The amount of energy required depends on the rarity of the cards in the pack: the rarer the cards, the higher the energy cost.
Mystery Energy automatically recharges every 12 hours, and you can have up to a maximum of 5 energy slots. If you don’t have enough energy, you can recharge it using Mystery Hourglasses (which reduce the waiting time by one hour) or Pokécoins (which reduce the Mystery Energy recharge time by two hours). There are several types of Wonder Pick:
Standard extraction: Classic mystery extraction always accessible.
Rare Draw: A special draw available only on certain occasions, giving you a chance to obtain rarer cards.
Chansey Draw: A unique Mystery Draw that offers the chance to get promotional cards. This option is also only available occasionally.
Extra Draw: Allows you to make a draw without spending any Mystery Energy.
Wonder Pick have a time limit and will expire. If you want to attempt a draw from an expired pack, you’ll need to use a Reset Clock or Pokécoins to reactivate it. Make sure you have the correct amount of Mystery Energy before attempting a draw from a reset pack.
From the Shop
The Pokémon TCG Pocket Store offers a selection of basic cards, such as Trainer cards, which are essential for strengthening your decks. These cards can be purchased using Store Coupons, which are earned by completing missions and participating in events. While the store’s selection is limited, the available cards are crucial for building a competitive deck.
Pack Points
Every time you open a booster pack, you earn Booster Points. These points can be spent in the Points Store to acquire specific cards. The store can be accessed by clicking on a booster pack and then selecting the points icon located at the bottom right. This system is perfect if you need a particular card to complete an expansion or if you’re looking for a specific item. The cost of the cards varies based on their rarity, which you can see in the table below:
Mission
Reward
1◆
35
2◆
70
3◆
150
4◆
500
1★
400
2★
1,250
3★
1,500
👑 (Crown)
2,500
How to Create a Collection
By accessing the second button in the bottom menu of Pokémon TCG Pocket, you can enter the Collection, a section that allows you to view and organize all the cards you’ve obtained. Pokémon TCG Pocket offers two tools to personalize your collection and create a virtual showcase to display on your profile: Binders and Boards. These tools will allow you to organize your cards as you like and highlight your favorites. Here’s how to do it.
Card Binders
The Binder function allows you to create a virtual album, just like you would with a physical album. You can also customize each binder with unique covers that can be purchased in the shop or earned through events. To create a new binder:
Go to the Collection section and select the “Binders” button.
From here, you can choose a cover, name the binder, and tap on each empty slot to add your favorite cards.
Press “Create New.”
Your Attractive Each binder has three sharing options, accessible via the button in the top left corner:
Private: Visible only to you.
Public: Visible to all players, who can also like your album.
Visible to Friends Only: Visible only to the players on your friends list, who will be the only ones able to like it.
After you’ve customized your binder, press “Save” to confirm. If you want the binder to be visible on the main screen of the app, click the Favorites Save button in the top left corner. When you return to the main screen, the binder will be visible in the top left.
Boards
Boards are similar to a protective frame for a card, putting it on display. This way, you can select a specific card and show it off to everyone who visits your player profile. To create a board:
Go to the Collection screen and select “Boards.“
Press on “Create New.“
Choose a background for your board and confirm your choice.
Select a card to add, and place it on the board.
You can also adjust the sharing settings through the button in the top left corner:
Private: Visible only to you.
Public: Visible to all players, who can also like your album.
Visible to Friends Only: Visible only to the players on your friends list, who will be the only ones able to like it.
Once you’ve set the sharing preferences and customized the board, you can save it by clicking the “Save” button. Now you can view your complete board. If you want it to be visible on the main screen of the app, click the Favorites Save button in the top left corner while viewing the board. It will then appear at the top left of the main screen of the app.
How to Build a Deck
To play Pokémon TCG Pocket, it’s important to have a deck that follows these rules:
The deck must contain at least 20 cards.
It must include at least one Basic Pokémon.
You can have a maximum of two copies of each card.
Creating a deck is simple, just follow these steps:
Tap the second icon in the Pokémon TCG Pocket menu and select “Decks.“
Tap the “Create Deck” button and choose “Create a New Deck.“
Assign a name to the deck by clicking on the bar at the top.
Customize the accessories (game coin, playmat, etc.).
Choose up to three types of energy, which will be generated during battles.
Select the deck’s cards by clicking on the card slots.
Game Rules
Below, I will explain all the game rules so that you can play with the right knowledge and face every challenge in the right way
Playing Field
The playing field is divided into the following zones:
Deck: Your deck zone.
Active Zone: This is where the Pokémon that must battle is placed. Only one Pokémon can be active at a time.
Bench: This is where Pokémon are placed to prepare for battle. It can hold up to 3 Pokémon.
Energy Zone: This is where Energy spheres are placed, which you can manually assign to Pokémon cards in play. One Energy sphere can be assigned per turn.
Discard Pile: This is where all used cards go, including defeated Pokémon.
Cards in your hand: Cards in your hand (you cannot have more than 10 cards).
General Rules
The deck must contain at least 20 cards.
Energy recharges at the beginning of each turn.
Each player can assign only one Energy per turn.
To win, you need to score 3 points: a defeated Pokémon is worth 1 point, a defeated EX Pokémon is worth 2 points.
A player cannot have more than ten cards in hand at any time.
If a player cannot place a Pokémon in the Active Zone, they lose.
The first player to start cannot place Energy or attack.
A Pokémon can evolve once per turn.
Each player can play only one Trainer card per turn.
Pokémon Card Mechanics
Health Points (HP): Each Pokémon has a certain number of Hit Points. When the damage inflicted on a Pokémon meets or exceeds its HP, the Pokémon is defeated and sent to the discard pile.
Type: Each Pokémon needs one or more specific types of Energy to attack, as indicated on the card.
Abilities: Some Pokémon can activate special abilities in addition to attacking.
Pokèmon Attack: To perform an attack, a Pokémon must have a certain number of Energy cards attached, which can range from one to several. Next to the name of the attack, the damage that will be dealt to the opponent’s active Pokémon is indicated. However, some Pokémon, such as Moltres EX, do not deal direct damage but instead activate a special effect. In these cases, it is necessary to read the effect description below the attack to understand its impact on the game.
Retreat Cost: Indicates the number of Energy cards you must discard from the Active Pokémon to retreat it and replace it with one of the Benched Pokémon.
Rarity: Pokémon card rarity.
Weakness: A Pokémon’s Weakness indicates a specific type (such as Water, Fire, etc.) to which the Pokémon is vulnerable. On the card, the Weakness is represented by an Energy type icon and a numerical value. If an opponent’s Pokémon uses an attack of a type that your Pokémon is weak to, the damage of the attack will increase by that value. For example, if the card shows a Weakness with +20, the opponent’s attack will deal 20 additional damage on top of the base damage.
Evolution Stage: The evolution stage of a Pokémon indicates its evolutionary level. The evolution levels follow this structure: Basic -> Stage 1 -> Stage 2. In the evolution stage section, the stage of the Pokémon will be displayed, and if it is not a Basic Pokémon, an icon representing its previous form will be shown.
Status Effects: Some Pokémon cards can activate status effects with attacks and effects.
Pokémon Status Effects
Poisoned: Poisoned Pokémon take 10 damage during each Pokémon Checkup. Poison can be combined with other Special Conditions.
Asleep: Asleep Pokémon cannot attack or retreat. The player whose Pokémon is Asleep flips a coin during each Pokémon Checkup. If heads, the Pokémon wakes up. If tails, it remains Asleep.
Paralyzed: A Paralyzed Pokémon cannot attack or retreat. It recovers during the Checkup of its owner’s next turn.
Burned: Burned Pokémon take 20 damage during each Pokémon Checkup. The player whose Pokémon is Burned flips a coin during each Pokémon Checkup. If heads, the Pokémon recovers from the burn. If tails, it remains Burned. Burn can be combined with other Special Conditions.
Confused: When a Confused Pokémon attacks, its owner flips a coin. If heads, the attack proceeds as normal. If tails, the attack fails and the player’s turn ends.
Game Phases
Battle Preparation:
A coin is flipped, and the player who gets heads goes first.
Each player draws 5 cards and selects at least one Basic Pokémon to be the Active Pokémon. If desired, they can place additional Pokémon on the Bench.
Start of the Battle:
After the preparation phase, the placed cards are revealed, and the duel begins.
Turn Phases:
Draw: At the beginning of each turn, the player draws a card from their deck.
Play Cards: During the turn, you can play Pokémon cards, evolve them, or use Support cards in the Active Zone or on the Bench.
Attach Energy: Each player can place one Energy card per turn. Energy is necessary for attacking and activating Pokémon abilities.
Attack: You can attack with your Active Pokémon if it has enough Energy. Each Pokémon in the Active Zone can attack only once per turn.
