Mythical Island Is a Promising First Expansion for Pokemon TCG Pocket

It was clear from the start that Pokemon TCG Pocket was going to be a hit. A fun digital card game attached to one of the most profitable IPs in the world? That’s a recipe for success if I ever saw one.

However, it certainly wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the game did experience a little bit of stagnation in its first few weeks. The Genetic Apex card set came with three very powerful, very well-defined deck lists: the Pikachu Ex deck, the Charizard Ex deck, and the Mewtwo Ex deck. Of those three lists, Pikachu and Mewtwo dominated the meta for two months.

It’s important to note that the developers did release a handful of new cards with its event drops, including a new Promo Pack Mankey that helped to put Pikachu Ex in its place for a while. You’d still see some variation in the deck types you were matched up against — thanks in no small part to the fact that Pokemon TCG Pocket has no ranked mode, and feels more casual as a result — but Pikachu and Mewtwo were still the dominant decks to reckon with.

With the release of the Mythical Island booster pack, the meta has been completely shaken up. Cards like Tauros, Mew Ex, Vaporeon, and Celebi Ex have drastically changed the landscape of the game, and that’s very exciting, especially since Mythical Island isn’t even considered a full expansion. That’s expected sometime in early 2025.

Still, Tauros alone promises to serve as a big threat to Ex cards in general. The introduction of Celebi Ex and Serperior brings about a powerful new contender in the meta game, while Vaporeon’s passive ability gives Misty decks more tools to play around with. Granted, I still think Misty is a poorly designed card that desperately needs a rework, but I’d be remiss not to at least acknowledge that Vaporeon’s entry into the game helps to add more variety to the meta game. That, I think, greatly outweighs Misty’s objectively frustrating card design.

This isn’t to say that the old meta decks have been completely pushed out. On the contrary, the Pikachu Ex deck now has a new tool to play around with in the form of Dedenne, who can help add Paralysis into the mix. For Psychic lovers, Mewtwo Ex is no longer your only viable option; Alakazam decks are seeing more play and consistency with the help of Mew Ex, who serves as a tanky body and a deterrent to your opponents putting strong attackers in the Active slot.

Hint hint: Alakazam also works really well as a counter to the Celebi Ex and Serperior combo, which is fast becoming the most popular deck in the game.

While Mythical Island has only added 80 new cards into the mix, the playing field already feels a lot more even across all of the deck lists. What’s even more exciting is that there are plenty of other cards with untapped potential we’ve yet to explore. Aerodactyl Ex helps to slow down evolution rushes, and I am convinced that there is still a place for the new Magikarp and Gyarados Ex to shine, even if I can’t quite see it just yet.

All of this is to say, Mythical Island has proven to be a fantastic first major update for Pokemon TCG Pocket, and it bodes well for the future of the game. It’s clear that the developers are very keenly aware of which deck lists are likely to make it to the top of the meta, and they’ve been releasing new cards accordingly to keep everything in check. If Mythical Island alone was enough to drastically change the meta, I can’t wait to see where the new expansion brings us. In the meantime, though, I’ll be spending my time trying to make Gyarados Ex work, even if it does end up being an exercise in futility.

Pokemon TCG Pocket is available now on mobile devices.