Pokemon TCG Pocket's Triumphant Light Expansion Just Gave Water Decks Another Powerful Card, and Everyone's a Little Over It

The Pokémon TCG Pocket meta has been dominated by a small number of decks since launch, with Misty's water-type deck being a particularly frustrating opponent due to its reliance on coin flips. Despite the release of three expansions, rather than being countered, Misty decks have only grown stronger, much to the chagrin of many players.

The core issue isn't necessarily Misty's inherent power, but the intensely unfun experience of losing to a deck whose success hinges heavily on chance. Misty, a Supporter card, allows players to attach a water-type energy to a Pokémon for each heads flipped, potentially leading to overwhelming early-game advantages or complete failures depending on luck. This can result in swift victories before opponents even establish a defense.

Subsequent expansions exacerbated the problem. Mythical Island introduced Vaporeon, enabling easier energy manipulation, while Space-Time Smackdown added Manaphy, further boosting energy availability. Powerful water-type Pokémon like Palkia ex and Gyarados ex further solidified the deck's dominance.

The latest expansion, Triumphant Light, introduced Irida, another Supporter card that heals 40 damage from each Pokémon with a water-type energy attached. This provides significant recovery capabilities, countering a weakness previously exploited by grass-type decks. The combination of Misty, Manaphy, Vaporeon, and now Irida, creates a frustratingly resilient water-type meta.

Some TCG experts suggest that Irida was added to force deck diversification by compelling players to choose between Misty and Irida due to the 20-card deck limit. However, many players have successfully incorporated both cards, maintaining the dominance of water-type decks.

The upcoming regularly scheduled event, offering rewards for win streaks in online competitive play, will likely be heavily influenced by this meta. The difficulty of achieving a five-match win streak is significantly increased by the potential for swift defeats at the hands of well-played (and lucky) Misty decks. Therefore, expect a prevalence of water-type decks, potentially making it a strategic choice to utilize one yourself.