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These two Pokémon TCG Pocket cards are the best cards in the game, and their use is essential to any strategy
Poké Ball and Professor’s Research (Professor Oak) will be the most important cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket during the first few weeks, thanks to their primary function: drawing more cards.
Pokémon TCG Pocket has been a huge success since its launch, with collection, download, and player numbers outpacing even the acclaimed Pokémon GO. Although there is only one expansion set and one promotional set at launch, the sheer variety and number of cards available allows for different tactics that vary in both execution and usefulness. However, there are two cards that can be considered the most important cards in the game, as their use is essential to increase the consistency of any type of deck.
Poké Ball and Professor’s Research (Professor Oak), the two most important cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket for their usefulness
While it might seem that the most powerful card in Pokémon TCG Pocket would be a Pokémon like Pikachu ex, Mewtwo ex, or Charizard ex, the reality is quite different. First of all, these are not cards that represent one of these memorable creatures, but support cards that allow our decks to be more consistent. We’re talking about the Poké Ball and Professor’s Research (Professor Oak), two cards that help draw more cards and speed up all kinds of strategies. Here’s what each one does and how to get them:
- Poké Ball: Put 1 random Basic Pokémon from your deck into your hand. Its number is 005/P-A, and it comes in the Promo-A set. It can be purchased directly from the store using cards. Using it gives us direct access to Basic Pokémon to place as Active Pokémon or in the Bank, which is a good starting point to make sure we have a solid playing field for the first few rounds. It has no usage limit, so we can use as many copies as we want in a turn.
- Professor’s Research (Professor Oak): Draw 2 cards. Its number is 007/P-A and he is part of the Promo-A set. It can be bought directly from the store with cards. Although drawing two cards may seem “small”, these two additional cards can give us a break in crucial turns, or even allow us to have missing combo pieces that can trigger key plays that allow us to win in the same turn. Because it is a support card, it is limited to one use per turn and cannot be used if we have already used another card of that type.
The importance of these two cards in particular is such that every deck, regardless of strategy, should have two copies of each. There is no excuse, considering how easy they are to obtain. The reason is obvious: any card that helps us draw more cards gives us an advantage over our opponent for two reasons: with more cards in hand, we have more possible plays, and by speeding up the arrival of cards from the deck to our hand, we can put our strategy into action sooner. After all, what’s the point of having very powerful Pokémon in your deck if you never get a chance to use them because of a bad card balance?
Please note that these cards may become obsolete when other cards with better and more efficient effects are released. It is also possible that their use may be restricted or banned in the future if they are considered “too powerful”. This is common in competitive card games, where officials change the metagame balance every few months to maintain player interest, varied strategies, and a healthy environment.