Pokémon Pocket: Best Non-ex Cards from Pulsing Aura

The new expansion in Pokémon TCG Pocket, Pulsing Aura, has arrived with very interesting new cards. This includes several non-ex cards, which are much easier to craft.

Below, we highlight some of the most important non-ex cards in the set!

Kubfu and Urshifu

The fact that Kubfu can accelerate energy onto itself is quite compelling because it allows you to stay one turn ahead when setting up one of the Urshifu evolutions.

The "dual-type" nature of the Urshifu cards is very interesting and could be useful in a more diverse metagame, especially since they remain single prize cards. However, the fact that they discard an energy when attacking slightly delays the setup of another Pokémon on the bench.

Regardless, interesting strategies could emerge from here, particularly with the use of the new Bounded Field Stadium which boosts weakness damage.

Victini

Moltres ex receives great support from this Victini, as do any Pokémon that rely on coin flips to trigger effects. The Fire archetype already has effective ways to accelerate energy, such as Charmeleon, along with powerful attackers like the Charizards. Being able to power up that raw but heavy damage with more consistency will make the archetype more interesting and less dependent on luck.

Camerupt

This is an interesting card to pair with Victini, as the two together can effectively shape how much damage is dealt. It might be a bit slow to set up, but since it is a non-ex card, it could become a small trump card for the deck.

Tepig and Emboar

When considering Victini, these two become even more appealing. Having a better chance to charge Tepig with energy and then evolving it into Emboar on the next turn to deal up to 160 damage is very promising.

Since Emboar does not discard energy to fulfill its effect, this strategy also allows you to gradually set up another Pokémon on the bench.

Crobat

Although it belongs to the Darkness archetype, it does not require specific energy to attack. This makes it versatile for other decks that have enough mobility to move it in and out of the active spot, dealing 120 damage with ease.

Additionally, Crobat could be quite interesting in a build featuring the new Bombirdier.

Bombirdier

Bombirdier deserves an honorable mention here. Retreat mobility is always valuable, especially in the Darkness archetype, which typically lacks lightweight Pokémon for retreating.

Bonsly

This provides additional early-game support for the Fighting archetype or any other deck that needs to buy a little time during the opening turns.

Budew

Budew might seem harmless at first glance, but it can make a massive difference in the early, mid, and late game, much like the Budew from the Pokémon TCG (which many players find quite annoying).

Since its attack is free, it can make an impact on the very first turn and shift the momentum for Ability-based archetypes like the Legendary Dogs (Suicune and Entei).

In the late game, Budew could be the key to handling decks that use Oricorio and its Safeguard Ability for protection, which could definitely shake up the metagame.

Celebi

Celebi is an interesting option for protecting fragile Pokémon from being knocked out. For example, it helps an Ivysaur that accelerates energy to itself but remains vulnerable, as Celebi allows the use of the same attack while in the final evolution stage.

Furthermore, there are several attacks from previous stages that can be very helpful in a pinch. It is certainly an interesting card.

In your opinion, what is the best non-ex card in the set? Let us know in the comments below!