Pokémon TCG: Top 10 Best Pokémon Abilities

Hello to all. I'm Rodrigo, bringing news, curiosities and information about Pokémon TCG.

When we look at all the cards that were released for Pokémon TCG, there are those who marked us for generations – ever since the early days on Wizards of The Coast's Base Set, the Ruby/Sapphire days. Then to Diamond and Pearl and the consolidation, at the time, of the Expanded format, now from Black/White era onward, with our emotional memory and also the memory of Expanded format decks which can wreak havoc with combos, or that play with the help of our very personal deckbuilding.

Below is my personal list of Pokemon abilities which are very strong and relevant throughout the Expanded format.

10 - Doubling of basic energies

Regarding the doubling basic energies mechanic we have:

- Gardevoir NXD 57, from Black/White: Next Destinies for the psychic type;

- Venusaur SLG 3, from Sun/Moon: Shining Legends for the grass type;

- Charizard PGO 10, from Sword/Shield:Pokémon GO for the fire type;

9 - Energy transfer between the Pokemon in Play

Regarding the energy transfer between the Pokemon, we have these examples:

- Weavile-GX UNM 132, from Sun/Moon: Unified Minds for the dark type;

- Aromatisse XY 93, from X/Y: Base Set for the fairy type;

- Bronzong BST 102, from Sword/Shield: Battle Styles for the steel type;

- Sceptile PRC 8, from X/Y: Primal Clash for the grass type, which besides energy transfer, heals 30 points of damage;

- Shining Genesect SLG 9, from Sun/Moon: Shining Legends for the grass type.

Honorable mentions go to Venusaur BS 15 from the Base Set which was the "founding father" of this mechanic and Sceptile RS 20 from Ruby/Sapphire: Base Set, which came in the new batch of Hoenn Pokemon.

8 - "Rain Dance" Mechanic

"Rain Dance" with single type energy

- Emboar BLW 20, from Black/White: Base Set for the fire type;

- Blastoise BCR 31, from Black/White: Boundaries Crossed for the water type;

- Hydreigon DAA 110, from Sword/Shield: Darkness Ablaze for the dark type;

"Rain Dance" with mixed energy

- Swampert FST 64, from Sword/Shield: Fusion Strike which attaches one fighting energy and one water energy to one of your Pokemon;

- Coalossal RCL 107, from Sword/Shield: Rebel Clash which attaches one fighting energy and one fire energy to one of your Pokemon;

- Dragonite UNM 151, from Sun/Moon: Unified Mind which attaches one electric energy and one water energy to one of your Pokemon;

- Vikavolt SUM 52, from Sun/Moon: Base Set which attaches one electric energy and one grass energy to one of your Pokemon;

7 - Crazy Code

Before Archeops hype and train came along in the Sword/Shield set, the only charger for special energy we had was Porygon Z, with its Crazy Code ability, which attaches how many special energies you'd like from your hand directly to your Pokemon.

6 - Primal Turbo

A newer release from this set's expansion, it gained notoriety due to its ability of charging special energies in deck to one of your Pokemon.

It has synergies with the Lugia VStar deck due to its ability of bringing colorless Pokemon from the discard pile to the bench, speeding up Archeops' summoning without having to follow the evolutionary line, and considering that each Archeops gets two special energies, with two Archeops it is enough to have a quick speeding dynamic to any attacking Pokemon and therefore build your game plan.

5 - Garbotoxin

This one i s practically made for the Ultra Necrozma CEC 164 deck, as it disables this same Pokemon's ability called Ultra Burst, which he can only attack with if the opponent has two Prize Cards or less to win the game.

So that's when Garbodor BKP 57 comes in, with its Garbotoxin ability, which when there's any Tool card attached to it, it cancels out all abilities of all Pokemons in players' hands, discard piles, and in play, except Garbotoxin.

4 - Dance of Tribute

This card is an excellent "Draw Power" engine, in case any damage knocks out your Pokemon (it doesn't count any damage due to "bad status");

Its ability, Dance of Tribute is useful in case any of your Pokemon is destroyed by enemy attacks, as it will make you draw 3 cards.

3 - Stellar Guidance

Jirachi is practically a search of any card resources of the Supporter kind if it was placed from your hand to the bench. It is the "founding father" of cards we already know, such as Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60 in Sun/Moon; and Lumineon V BRS 40 in Sword/Shield.

The biggest difference here is that as it is an EX card, it can combo with the card Scoop Up Net RCL 165, in which it is recycled as many times as you'd like and it's always possible to use its effect, as it prevents the recycling of GX and V Pokemon, and doesn't say anything about the EX Pokemon (it was because of this combo that Shaymin-EX ROS 77 was banned.

2 - Gormandize

With its Gormandize ability, Snorlax is capable of drawing cards to your hand up to 7 of them, which is something amazing regarding Draw Power to get more resources in hand easily.

And the best part: you have access to this card, as the other one that has this same function isn't in our mere mortal's reach: Tropical Beach PR-BLW BW50, which is only given to players that reach the best spots in Worlds, even though its effect after drawing, that your turn is ended, makes it significantly worse than Snorlax.

1 - Copying attacks through abilities

One of the best Tag Team Pokemon cards of all times, and one of the most beloved cards in Expanded, it has the ability of copying any attack from GX and EX Pokemon that are in the discard pile, making it a wildcard in terms of strategies in deckbuilding.

Besides it, we have its predecessor, Mew-EX DRX 46 which is not only restricted to copying attacks from the Pokemon in play, but also opponent's Pokemon (as long as it fulfills the necessary energy requirement)

The cards that could cause trouble to it are: Path to the Peak CRE 148, Power Plant UNB 183, Silent Lab PRC 140 and Mimikyu CEC 97 (this last one specially to Mewtwo & Mew Tag Team).

So for decks that play with Mewtwo & Mew-GX UNM 71, it is obligatory to use the Stadium Chaotic Swell CEC 187.

Dark Asset

It is the cards in your hand drawing power, similar to the Shaymin-EX ROS 77 effect in Black/White. Its Dark Asset ability makes it draw cards until you have 6 in your hand.

Mudedenne

At the time of this card's release, it had a lot of hype due to its "Draw Power" strategy, which was needed to have deck filtering, as in taking out cards in your hand you no longer want.

Its Mudedenne ability makes you discard your hand and draw 6 cards, which is almost like a "Professor's Research".

Supporter Search

Here we have phenomenal examples which are present in many decks regarding resource searching. In Sun/Moon: Guardians Rising peak, we had in the Standard format Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60 as a fundamental card in any deck, both due to its ability (which was what mattered), as it was also a good attacker.

As for the current Sword/Shield metagame question, coming from the Brilliant Stars set, we've had Lumineon V BRS 40, which has the same function of when placed from your hand to the bench, it can search for a Supporter card in your deck and place it in your hand. And in Expanded, it will be easier to look for this type of card with the existence of Dive Ball PRC 125, and it goes without saying that when Irida ASR 147 rotates, it will also be very useful regarding this search filter.

Pokémon that offer up benefits in their Retreat cost

- Zeraora-GX LOT 86, from Sun/Moon: Lost Thunder which states that if any Pokemon has an electric energy attached, it will have their retreat cost zeroed;

- Darkrai-EX DEX 63, from Black/White: Dark Explorers which states if any Pokemon has a dark energy attached, it will have their retreat cost zeroed;

- Manaphy-EX BKP 32, from X/Y: Breakpoint which states if any Pokemon has a water energy attached, it will have their retreat cost zeroed;

- Hydreigon-EX ROS 62, from X/Y: Roaring Skies which states if there's any Stadium in play, dragon type Pokemon will have their retreat cost reduced by 2 colorless energies less.

Dark Aura

This card is basically a reprint of Tyranitar EX 29 from the Expedition set, all the way back in the 2000s. With the same name, Dark Aura, it makes every energy attached to it become dark type.

Imagine if in the future Pokemon Co. were to make a "Dark Aura" that could affect all Pokemon in play?

Again, I stress that this is a personal list of cards that had a relevancy factor to me and of course, involving the playability matter in general when it comes to deckbuilding, seeing opponents play in real life and in PTGCO (when it comes to Expanded).

What about you? Which were your relevant cards? Comment down below your personal list and share your opinion.