Summary
With the addition of Tools toPokemon TCG Pocket, the Trainer Cards category is edging closer to matching the depth of the physicalTCG. The only missing piece now is Stadium Cards, which will likely join the game in the future. For now, players must choose the most effective Tools and Items from a relatively small selection.
Pokemon Pocket’s Space-Time Smackdown expansion adds six new cards—three Items and three Tools. But which of them deserves a spot in meta decks? Here’s a ranking to help players decide.
Since the expansion includes only three new Item Cards and threenew Pokemon Tools, we’ve combined both categories for this list. However, it’s important to remember that Item and Tool Cards function differently. The key distinction is that Tools attach to a single Pokemon, while Items can be used multiple times, even on the same Pokemon.
Ranking Criteria
This list ranks the new Item and Tool Cards based on their utility, synergy, and popularity in the meta.
5Skull & Armor Fossils
Fossils Are Formulaic at This Point
Space-Time Smackdownintroduced two new Fossil-based Pokemon: Cranidos and Shieldon. Cranidos evolves into Rampardos, while Shieldon becomes Bastiodon. However, neither of these new cards are high-performing, making Skull and Armor Fossil cards unpopular in the current metagame.
Fossils were once used tocounter Sabrina plays, but with Cyrus now in the meta, they are no longer a viable option. The rise of Bench-sniping decks has further diminished their utility, leaving them with no safe place on the board. Cards like Hitmonlee and Greninja can take out Fossils before they provide any real value, reducing them to mere evolution enablers with little impact beyond that.
4Lum Berry
Special Conditions Are Not a Big Deal
Lum Berry is part of the first batch ofPokemon Tools introduced inPokemon Pocket. This unique card serves as the game’s first direct counter to Special Conditions—debuffs inflicted by opposing Pokemon. When a Pokemon holding Lum Berry is affected by a Special Condition, the ailment is cured at the cost of discarding the Tool. And that’s where the problem lies.
If Lum Berry provided permanent protection againstSpecial Conditions like Confusion, it would rank higher on this list. However, in its current form, it’s too fragile to be a reliable tech card. Most Special Conditions stem from an opponent’s Active Pokemon’s attack, meaning they can be inflicted repeatedly. Lum Berry, on the other hand, only removes them once, making its impact negligible in most cases.
Moreover, Special Conditions are not a major threat inPokemon TCG Pocket’s current meta. Even if they were, most can be removed simply by benching or evolving the affected Pokemon, further diminishing Lum Berry’s relevance.
3Rocky Helmet
Everyone Needs a Portable Druddigon
Rocky Helmet is another Pokemon Tool introduced inPocketwith the A2 expansion. This card grants a Pokemon an effect similar to Druddigon’s Rough Skin, dealing 20 damage to any attacker regardless of whether the Pokemon has Energy attached. It’s an ideal pick for stall strategies, turning bulky Pokemon into passive damage dealers.
One of Rocky Helmet’s biggest strengths isits synergy with Druddigon. When equipped, it doubles Druddigon’s chip damage, allowing it to deal 40 damage in retaliation. However, this unique Tool comes with a notable drawback.
Rocky Helmet is relatively easy to counter—opponents can simply avoid attacking the Pokemon wearing it. Even worse, it only works when the Pokemon is in the Active Spot, making it useless on the Bench. Despite these limitations, it has carved out a place in the meta, helping players enhance their tank strategies, which earns it a high ranking on this list.
2Giant Cape
Extra HP Is Always Welcome
Giant Cape is one of thebest Trainer Cards in the Space-Time Smackdown set, second only to Pokemon Communication in overall ranking. While its effect may seem similar to healer cards like Potion or Erika, it offers a far more impactful advantage that can shift the course of a match. Instead of restoring HP after an attack, Giant Cape increases a Pokemon’s max HP, allowing it to endure stronger hits.
Pokemon TCG Pocketplayers quickly recognized Giant Cape’s value, incorporating it into meta decks struggling with low HP stats. While an extra 20 HP might seem minor, it’s often just enough to survive an opponent’s ultimate attack for one more turn. And inPocket, lasting one extra round can be the difference between knocking out an enemy and securing victory.
1Pokemon Communication
The Future of Pokemon Pocket Item Cards
Deck manipulation has been one of the biggest challenges forPokemon TCG Pocketplayers since its launch. Unlike the physicalTCG,Pocketinitially lacked cards that allowed players to search their decks for specific cards. Instead, options like Mythical Slab merely increased the odds of drawing certain cards. That changed with the introduction of Pokemon Communication, an Item Card that finally offers deck manipulation—albeit with a catch.
Pokemon Communication lets players return a card from their hand to the deck in exchange for one extra draw. While this doesn’t guarantee pulling the desired card (since draws are still RNG-based), it becomes a valuable tool as matches progress. WithPocket’s 20-card deck limit, players can often predict the top card after a few turns, making Pokemon Communication a calculated risk worth taking, especially when stuck with unhelpful cards.
Thanks to its immense utility, Pokemon Communication is undoubtedly the best Item Card in the Space-Time Smackdown set. In fact, many players are calling for more cards like it to further refine deck manipulation, highlighting just how well-received it has been in the community.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience the fun of collecting Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) cards with Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, an upcoming game for iOS and Android devices from Creatures Inc., the original developers of the Pokémon TCG, and DeNA Co., Ltd. In this game, you will be able to open two booster packs every day at no cost. you may collect digital cards featuring nostalgic artwork from the past as well as brand-new cards that are exclusive to Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.Be on the lookout for new “immersive cards,” which will make you feel as though you’ve leapt into the world of the card’s illustration.
