Pokémon Pocket: Quick Guide On How to Start From Scratch!

Starting From Scratch

If you have just started playing Pokémon Pocket and want to get into the competitive scene or climb the ranked ladder, then you probably don't know for certain what the best way to spend your resources is.

In this article, we'll show you which packs you should open if you want to build a nice collection for competitive matches. We'll also explore the best cards in the meta as well as the best decks. So, if you don't have a lot to spend, buckle up!

Start With: Genetic Apex - Charizard

First, let's go over the concept of staples. Staples are cards you simply must add to your decks. They are very versatile and fit many lists.

Professor Oak and Poké Ball are currently the two most popular cards in the game, and nearly all decks use 2 copies of each. However, you can get these cards at the in-game store, so you don't need to open any packs to get them.

So, the first real Staple you'll find in packs is Sabrina, from the very first set, Genetic Apex - Charizard.

Sabrina appears in nearly all lists, and you must always play at least one copy of her. I recommend you open this pack first until you open a Sabrina, then stop. Besides Sabrina, there's also Erica, another powerful trainer from this set as well. Nonetheless, Erica might be a Staple for Grass decks, but she doesn't see that much play nowadays because there is only one Grass deck in the meta right now.

Another essential card in these packs is Greninja. It goes in and out of the meta constantly but is always quite relevant. In fact, it is the best "sniper" Pokémon in the entire game.

Skip "Mythical Island" and Go Straight to "Space-Time Smackdown"

We used to play Leaf, a trainer from the "Mythical Island" set, quite a lot. However, nowadays we don't because we can retreat most Pokémon for very little naturally. Even the meta decks that used to play her before work fine without her now.

So, skip "Mythical Island" and go straight to "Space-Time Smackdown". You'll probably open a lot of these packs.

"Space-Time Smackdown" gave us most of our current staples and other powerful cards. Both packs in this set will give you meta cards, in fact.

In Dialga's pack, you'll find Darkrai ex and Giant Cape, which have always been incredibly strong and relevant.

In Palkia's pack, you'll find Cyrus and Mars, who are both incredible in competitive settings. You'll frequently find them in the top rankings.

Consider the "Triumphant Light", But Not Too Much

Triumphant Light is a great pack because it has Arceus ex, Leafeon ex, and Irida. But, though these cards are relatively popular, a few other meta cards are definitely more important than them, so you shouldn't completely dismiss or invest in Triumphant Light early on.

When you already have the rest of the cards I mention in this article, then you can start opening Triumphant Light packs.

Go For Giratina ex - "Shining Revelry"

Shining Revelry would have been a forgettable set, competitively speaking, if it didn't have the best card in the entire game: Giratina ex.

Open this pack until you get 2 copies of this card.

Besides Giratina ex, you'll also get Iono from these packs, who shows up occasionally in some meta decks, as well as Red. However, these two cards are not nearly as relevant as Giratina ex.

Consider Skipping "Celestial Guardians", But Think Twice Before You Do

This pack does have some cards that were once incredibly strong, like Rare Candy, but now not many decks use them.

Celestial Guardians is totally skippable if you're in a rush. However, it is still essential if you want to build stage 2 decks or Poison decks with Poison Barb.

This set also has Oricorio, which is quite strong in competitive settings but quite situational as well. If the deck you're interested in uses this Pokémon, you should open a few Celestial Guardians packs. Otherwise, you can skip it.

The biggest problem with investing in this set is that you can only get Poison Barb from Lunala packs, and Oricorio only comes in Solgaleo packs. Having to open both packs to get one card from each can be frustrating as well as time-consuming.

"Extradimensional Crisis", the Off-Meta Set

If you want to build a Buzzswole ex or Guzzlord ex list, you might have to start with this set. But if you're not interested in either of these lists, you should skip Extradimensional Crisis!

Though strong, these two lists are meta counters, so they answer other meta decks. This makes them a bit volatile because, if the meta changes, they become rather useless. It's not a valuable investment long-term.

We must highlight Silvally, the best card for NOEX formats, in this set. It should be your priority if you want to play NOEX tournaments.

Go For Sylveon ex and Suicune ex

The second and third best cards in the game are Sylveon ex and Suicune ex. I recommend you open Eevee Grove packs and then Secluded Springs packs and initially ignore Wisdom of Sea and Sky packs.

Open one of each at a time, and when you have 2 copies of Sylveon ex and Suicune ex, then go for Wisdom of Sea and Sky packs to get Elemental Switch and some support Pokémon, like Pichu and Magby.

If you read this far, thank you! I hope you had fun and enjoyed reading this article.

Don't forget to share. See you next time!