Water Decks Gain Powerful Card in Pokemon TCG Pocket's Triumphant Light Expansion

When Pokémon TCG Pocket first launched, the meta quickly became dominated by a select few decks, with one centered around Misty and water-type Pokémon gaining notoriety for its ability to overpower opponents early on, largely dependent on the outcome of coin flips.

Now, three expansions later, one might expect other cards to have emerged to counter or replace Misty decks. However, the latest expansion has only bolstered Misty decks, much to the frustration of many players.

Some variety would be appreciated
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For context, it's not that Misty decks are necessarily the most powerful in the game. The issue lies in the luck-based nature of Misty, which can make losing to them feel particularly frustrating. Misty is a Supporter card that allows the user to select a water-type Pokémon and flip coins until they land on tails. For every heads flipped, a water-type energy is attached to the chosen Pokémon. This mechanic can result in attaching anywhere from zero to numerous energy cards, potentially enabling a player to win on the first turn or power up strong cards before the opponent can respond effectively.

Why would they ever make a card like this?
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The situation has worsened with subsequent expansions introducing cards that enhance Misty's effectiveness. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, which can freely move the bonus energy among water-type Pokémon. Space-Time Smackdown brought Manaphy, adding even more water energy to the board. Both expansions also introduced powerful water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex, keeping water decks at the top of the meta.

DeNa, What the Heck are You Doing?
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The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, has introduced another card, Irida, which further strengthens Misty decks. Irida, also a Supporter card, can heal 40 damage from each Pokémon with water-type energy attached. This addition allows water-type decks to stage significant comebacks, especially with the energy distribution capabilities provided by Misty, Manaphy, and Vaporeon.

Some Pokémon TCG experts suggest that Irida's introduction might be an attempt by developer DeNA to force players to make strategic choices about which Supporters to include in their limited 20-card decks. However, many players have found ways to incorporate both Misty and Irida, maintaining the dominance of water decks.

Three days away… what will you all be playing?
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With a regularly-scheduled event approaching, where rewards such as a gold profile badge are offered for winning five matches in a row, the prevalence of water decks is expected to continue. Given the difficulty of achieving such a win streak, especially against decks that can dominate early and recover with cards like Irida, many players are considering joining the water deck trend to compete effectively.