The Mythical Island expansion for Pokemon TCG Pocket has added over 80 new cards to the digital trading card game and some of them have a huge amount of potential to shake up the meta. Whether it’s archetype-defying cards like Celebi ex and Serperior, cards which will drastically improve the performance of already powerful decks like the new Rapidash, or niche underdogs like Golem or the Pokemon Flute, Mythical Island is brimming with possibilities.
Here are the best cards for battling and deck building from the new Mythical Island expansion in Pokemon TCG Pocket.
If you’d like to read some other PTCGP content, including deck guides for Celebi ex, Pikachu ex, and Mewtwo ex, you can find more here on KeenGamer:
- Pokémon TCG Pocket | Celebi EX Deck Guide
- Pokémon TCG Pocket | Pikachu EX Deck Guide
- Pokémon TCG Pocket | Mewtwo EX Deck Guide
- Pokémon TCG Pocket | Articuno EX Deck Guide
- 10 Best and Most Expensive Pokemon Stellar Crown Cards
Pokemon TCG Pocket
Best Mythical Island Pokemon Cards
Mew ex
First up we have the poster child for the Mythical Island expansion and one of the most iconic Kanto Pokemon of all time, Mew ex. With 130 HP, Mew ex stands alongside Pikachu ex and Celebi ex as one of the weakest defensive ex Pokemon in the game but, fortunately, its moveset more than makes up for this. For one Psychic Energy, Mew ex can use Psyshot to deal a small burst of 20 damage. Meanwhile, for three Colourless Energy, Mew can instead use Genome Hacking, allowing you to choose one of the moves on your opponent’s Active Pokemon and use it for yourself.
Mew ex’s main strength lies in its versatility and flexibility. Thanks to Genome Hacking needing Colourless Energy, Mew ex can reliably work in almost any deck as a solid backup attacker. Because Mew ex is only as strong as your opponent, you can use it to counter key weaknesses to your strategy, such as using it to copy a Charizard ex’s Crimson Storm or stealing Blizzard from an Articuno. There aren’t a ton of limits to this card and, just like with Alakazam and Jynx, you can use it very effectively to turn the tide against your opponent.
But that’s also where Mew ex’s weakness comes in: it will only ever be as strong as your opponent’s deck. If you’re playing a deck worse than yours or one with very little value to your playstyle, Mew ex can feel a bit like a deadweight, especially if it’s in a non-Psychic deck. That’s a risk you might be willing to take, though, as Mew’s strengths as so vast and its counter potential is so high.
Mew ex, Incredibly Flexible
Celebi ex
Out of all the new Mythical Island cards, none have made more of a splash than Celebi ex. Not only is Celebi a very popular Mythical Pokemon, but it’s also one of the strongest cards in the entire game from both a damage and efficiency standpoint, making it unique when it comes to Grass types who usually rely on stall strategies. This has let it, alongside Serperior (who we will discuss shortly), quickly become the face of a new meta-defining deck.
Celebi ex is one of the weaker ex-Pokemon in Pokemon TCG Pocket from a defensive standpoint as it only has 130 HP, a measly 10 HP more than Pikachu ex, the current weakest ex-Pokemon. What it lacks in defence, though, it more than makes up for in power and speed, with its only attacking move, Powerful Blossom, having some of the highest damage potential in the game. This move costs two Energy and has you flip a coin for every attached Energy. For every head, Celebi ex deals 50 damage to the opposing Active Pokemon.
Grass is usually a very slow but tanky archetype, with Venusaur ex being an obvious cornerstone of that playstyle, making Celebi ex’s fast, aggressive, and very luck-reliant attacks incredibly unique. Celebi ex has the potential to ramp up as quickly as Pikachu ex and hit as hard, if not harder, than Mewtwo ex in only a matter of turns. You need to land consistent coin flips, of course, but Celebi ex even has a way of mitigating that through Serperior, who can double the amount of Energy attached to Celebi ex, thus doubling the number of coins it can flip and the potential damage it can do.
When played correctly, Celebi ex can feel unstoppable. If you just get lucky with your coin flips, you get to use all of the major advantages which let decks like Mewtwo ex and Pikachu ex rule the Genetic Apex meta without any of their weaknesses. It’s a stupidly strong card and one that will singularly handily change the meta, raising the value of Fire decks like Blaine and Charizard to counter it and batting back the likes of many meta mainstays.
Celebi ex, New Face of the Meta
Aerodactyl ex
The last standout ex Pokemon from Mythical Island is Aerodactyl ex, a new 1 Stage Fighting type ex that has a lot of counter potential against several up-and-coming decks. Aerodactly ex evolves from the Amber Fossil Trainer Card and it has 140 HP with a single Energy Retreat Cost. Land Crush is its only damaging move and it deals a respectable 80 damage for 2 Energy, but the real magic with Aerodactyl ex comes from its ability, Primeval Law. While Aerodactyl ex is in play, your opponent cannot play Pokemon from their hand to evolve their Active Pokemon.
Compared to some other ex Pokemon, Aerodactyl ex is just there to be annoying. Against certain decks which rely on getting Stage 1 or Stage 2 ex Pokemon, Aerodactyl completely shuts them down. Even in the worst-case scenario, the opponent will still need to waste Energy or resources like Leaf and X-Speed to get around Aerodactyl ex’s Ability, giving you additional time to set up or land a game-winning play. This effect becomes even stronger if you combine it with cards like Sabrina, who can force unevolved Pokemon into the Active, or even Arbok, who can keep an unevolved Pokemon in the Active.
Of course, the major downside to Aerodactyl ex is that it doesn’t counter the current meta decks in the format, namely Mewtwo ex, Pikachu ex, and, now, Celebi ex. The Mewtwo and Celebi decks do rely on evolution Pokemon but, unfortunately for Aerodactyl, both the Gardevoir line and the Serperior line will always want to stay on the Bench and never enter the Active, allowing them to sidestep and avoid Primeval Law. However, Aerodactyl ex is still a card worth keeping an eye on, especially as future expansions add more powerful evolution ex Pokemon or better search cards to make those Pokemon more viable.
Aerodactyl ex, The Primeval Headache
Serperior
Alongside Celebi ex, Mythical Island has also introduced Serperior, a new mainstay Stage 2 Grass-type whose bound to stay relevant for a long time to come. Similar to Gardevoir, Serperior’s relatively frailty as a Stage 2 Pokemon with only 110 HP isn’t a massive deal breaker as you’ll want it to stay on the Bench at all times. Its primary attack, Solar Beam, isn’t anything too impressive, but Serperior’s Ability, Jungle Totem, is well worth the excitement. While Serperior is in play, each Grass Energy attached to your Grass Pokemon provides two Energy instead of just one.
Serperior is Celebi ex’s partner in crime and a key reason why it has so quickly risen through the ranks. Jungle Totem doubles the Energy provided by attached Grass Energy which, for Celebi ex, also doubles the amount of coins it can flip for Powerful Blossom. Suddenly, instead of flipping three coins for 150 damage, a Celebi ex empowered by Serperior is flipping six coins for 300 potential damage. This is a monstrous increase in lethality, one which will only improve round-on-round. Each new Energy will also make Celebi’s average damage skyrocket, making it more dangerous the longer the fight lasts.
Serperior doesn’t just make Celebi ex more viable, though, as it also makes Grass as a type far more aggressive. Venusaur ex was already a pretty strong Pokemon with high HP, very good damage, and the ability to heal itself, with its main drawback being just how long it took to build up. Well, with Serperior, it now only needs 2 Energy to get off 100 damage and 30 healing, making it far more cost-effective and ridiculously fast for a Pokemon with that much bulk. And, just like Aerodactyl ex, Serperior is bound to see continued play into future expansions because Jungle Totem is such a boon to every current and future Grass Pokemon.
Serperior, Amazing Grass Support
Rapidash
Blaine decks got a pretty big buff with the release of Mythical Island thanks to new versions of Magmar, Ponyta, and Rapidash. Of the three, Rapidash is arguably the most interesting because, in most ways, it’s just a straight upgrade to the Genetic Apex version. It still has 100 HP and one Energy Retreat Cost but now it has a two Energy cost move, Rising Lunge. This attack does 40 damage at base and, if you win a coin flip, you get to do an extra 60 damage.
For the cost of one additional Energy, you get to either do the same base damage as the original version or enough damage to knock out most Basic or Stage 1 Pokemon. And that’s without factoring in Blaine who will give Rapidash a 30-damage boost, letting it hit 130 damage on a successful coin flip. That’s enough to OHKO Celebi ex and Pikachu ex, two of the most dominant cards in the whole format, and deal a significant amount of damage to other heavy hitters like Mewtwo ex, Gyarados ex, and more.
The only real downside with this version of Rapidash is that it is less reliable than the original. Genetic Apex Rapidash always hits for 40 and can start swinging from turn two, something this Rapidash cannot do. Additionally, popping a Blaine and then losing the coin flip can cost you a lot of ground – 70 damage is very different to 130, after all – so players who want a bit more consistency might want to stick with the old version. However, if you want to run the new Magmar or are just looking to mix up your Blaine deck with some more offensive power, Mythical Island Rapidash may be the card for you.
Mythical Island Rapidash
Golem
The final Pokemon from Mythical Island that we feel you should keep an eye on is the new Golem card. Golem and the rest of the Geodude line first appeared in Genetic Apex but all three of them have received new reprints in Mythical Island, with the Graveler and Golem reprisals being so vastly superior to the originals that they may finally have a chance to prominently feature in a Fighting deck. The new Golem, in particular, is one the bulkiest and most balanced Fighting types in all of Pokemon TCG Pocket.
With 160 HP, Golem gives even the toughest ex Pokemon a run for their money when it comes to bulk and its only offensive move, Guard Press, makes it even more defensively viable. This attack costs 4 Energy and deals a whopping 120 damage, with the added effect that Golem will take 30 less damage during your opponent’s next turn. The damage reduction is incredibly strong, allowing Golem to survive even the strongest attacks from PTCGP powerhouses like a Giovanni-boosted Mewtwo ex, Gyarados ex or even Venusaur ex (which hits Golem for Grass Weakness).
Golem’s bulk and offensive might aren’t the only reasons why it may become more prominent in the meta, though, as Golem can also use Brock’s Supporter card. Brock lets you attach an extra Fighting Energy to either an Onix or Golem and, back in Genetic Apex, he was widely regarded as the worst Supporter in the game because neither of his featured cards was very good. Jump forward to today and Brock can act as a tremendous battery for Golem, allowing it to start swinging for 120 damage far sooner. Pair that with Golem’s high health and built-in damage reduction and you have a great option for going up against most decks in the format.
Mythical Island Golem, Devastatingly Tanky
Best Mythical Island Trainer Cards
Pokemon Flute
While there are far fewer new Trainer cards in Mythical Island, the ones that have been added are very interesting and have a lot of potential. Perhaps the most confusing new card, though, is the Pokemon Flute which, at first glance, looks like a useless card which only gives your opponent an advantage. When played, the Pokemon Flute lets you put a Basic Pokemon from your opponent’s discard pile onto their Bench.
While quite niche, the Pokemon Flute does have a good deal of potential in certain decks. For example, Arbok and Pidgeot is a fun deck which uses Pidgeot’s Ability to force an undesirable Pokemon into the active, one Arbok can keep there with Corner. With the Pokemon Flute, you can reasonably KO a weaker Pokemon and then, on the next turn, bring it back from the Discard pile and force it into Active for a second time. Of course, there’s also the Pidgeot ex deck which uses the Pokemon Flute to ensure that your opponent always has a stacked Bench, allowing it to hit for 60 extra damage each turn.
Of course, the obvious downside to the Pokemon Flute is that, in most decks, it’s very risky as you’re giving your opponent a key piece of their deck back without them having to pay anything. You need to be both careful and meticulous when using Pokemon Flute because, if played poorly, it can be a boon to your opponent rather than a curse. It does have very high potential, though, so it’s worth keeping an eye on, especially in those Pidgeot-centric decks.
Pokemon Flute, Niche and Tricky Item
Mythical Slab
Alongside the Pokemon Flute, the only other new Item card from Mythical Island is the Mythical Slab, a card which has quickly risen to become an integral part of Psychic decks both new and old. Playing this card lets you look at the top card of your deck. If that card is a Psychic Pokemon, you put it into your hand. Meanwhile, if it’s not a Psychic Pokemon, you put that card on the bottom of your deck, instead.
No matter which way you look at it, this card is a massive boon for any Psychic deck. In a Mewtwo ex deck, for example, you can use Mythical Slab to easily scout for Mewtwo ex or any of the Gardevoir line, all of which are key cards to making this deck work. If you happen to pull a Pokemon you need, you can add it to the rotation immediately. If it isn’t a Pokemon, though, you’re still one step closer to pulling one you need on your next turn because that card goes to the bottom of the deck. Either way, you cut down on preparation time, which is Mewtwo ex’s main weakness as a deck.
Mewtwo ex isn’t the only deck benefiting from Mythical Slab, though, as any current or future Psychic-centric decks will be able to use this card very effectively. Paired with Poke Ball, this card makes searching for evolution Pokemon, in particular, much easier. Whether your favourite flavour of Psychic is Mewtwo, Mew, Alakazam, Gengar, or even Hypno, Mythical Slab will work wonders.
Mythical Slab
Budding Expeditioner
Mythical Island has brought three new Supporters to Pokemon TCG Pocket and the Budding Expeditioner is one of them. In many ways, you can think of this card as a Psychic-type version of Koga, only this time it works on Mew ex rather than Weezing or Muk. When played, the Budding Expeditioner lets you put your Mew ex from the Active Spot into your hand.
Just like with Koga, this card is extremely important for letting you save key pieces of your deck from KOs. In some ways, the Budding Expeditioner is even more important than Koga as Mew ex is a two-pointer and losing it to a stray attack can cost you the game: being able to pull it from the Active when it’s at risk of being knocked out is a lifesaver and can be extremely detrimental to your opponent, especially because it also acts as a free switch-in.
As mentioned earlier, Mew ex is an extremely effective Pokemon and one who can work in any deck as a great backup attacker. This gives Budding Expeditioner a ton of extra value as its strength is directly to Mew ex’s strength. You can throw both of these cards into practically any deck and they will work and perform very well, although you do need to be aware of how they will dilute your pool of cards so don’t just add them in willy-nilly.
Budding Expeditioner, Psychic Koga
Leaf
The final Mythical Island card worth discussing in this guide is Leaf, another new Supporter added to Pokemon TCG Pocket with the latest expansion. Aside from being a fan-favourite trainer, Leaf has a massive amount of potential and may allow decks primarily formed of higher Retreat Cost Pokemon to finally have a place in the meta. When played, Leaf reduces the Retreat Cost of your Active Pokemon by 2 Energy for this round.
While Leaf only takes off one more Energy from the Retreat Cost than X-Speed, that’s all she needs to do to have a huge impact. There are so many powerful cards in this game that are severely held back by their 3 or 4 Energy Retreat Cost: being able to hit hard or deal a ton of damage doesn’t mean much if you cannot escape the field in key moments. Leaf just gives those Pokemon a bit more room to breathe, especially in a meta saturated with fast, low Retreat Cost Pokemon like Celebi ex and Pikachu ex.
What’s great about Leaf is that she doesn’t power-creep or undermine X-Speed. While they do similar things and Leaf may appear as a straight upgrade on the surface, they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, using Leaf locks you out from using Sabrina, Giovanni, or any other Supporter on that turn, whereas X-Speed’s one Energy reduction may not be enough to pull out stronger, higher Retreat Cost Pokemon. Leaf’s introduction just gives you more choice and that’s great in a card game like PTCGP.
Leaf, Retreat Supporter
Those were the best new cards for deck building and battling from the new Mythical Island expansion in Pokemon TCG Pocket.
