The Fantastical Parade set (B2) has stormed into Pokémon TCG Pocket, packed with a good number of EX and Trainer cards, as expected from a major expansion. Both categories hold many meta-relevant additions, and the Trainers are particularly creating a lot of buzz among players.
So let’s take a crack at all the Supporters, Items, Pokémon Tools, and alse, a thrilling new debut in the game!
Diantha
Kalos Champion Diantha makes her long-awaited debut in Pokémon TCG Pocket, and as speculated by eagle-eyed fans, she is designed as an aid for Psychic types.
When your Psychic Pokémon has 2 or more 
Energy attached, Diantha can heal a whopping 90 DMG from it, but it also expels 2 Energy in the process.
While losing 2 Energy sounds shady, it’s actually no issue whatsoever, especially for Diantha’s ace, Mega Gardevoir.
When Mega Gardevoir EX attacks, you can take 3 Energy from the Energy Zone and attach it to any of your Psychic Pokémon in play. Assume you use Diantha on Mega Gardevoir EX, you are left with one Energy, and you can then attach the following turn’s Energy to it and continue attacking.
If you’re healing something other than Mega Gardevoir EX (Giratina EX, for instance), then to supplement the lost Energies, give 1 from the turn’s Energy, and the other, Giratina EX can generate on its own accord.
Likewise, you can add Dawn to the mix to transfer Energy from a Benched Psychic type to the Active Spot.
Regardless of who you use it on, Diantha offers the most healing of any Supporter in TCG Pocket (even surpassing Lillie’s 60), and the ‘side effect’ is easily counter-able.
Sightseer
Sightseer is a new addition to the long list of deck-searching Trainers in TCG Pocket, and frankly, it is rather underwhelming.
It is used in decks that rely heavily on Stage 1 Pokémon (such as Eeveelutions), but honestly, there are better options. Copycat, May, Eevee itself… all offer better play as they often not only find what you want, but can even replace a bad or bricked hand.
There are chances that Sightseer turns up nothing at all, and aside from finding a needed Stage 1, it doesn’t really do anything. In many situations, you actually draw what you want early game, rendering Sightseer useless.
So even if you are eager to utilize Sightseer in your deck, don’t add more than one copy.
Juggler
One look at Juggler, and you can see that it’s meant for mostly a specific reason: Lugia EX.
In a deck consisting of Lugia EX, Magby, and Zeraora (running on 
and 
Energies), you can retreat Magby for free, bring Lugia EX to the forefront, and use Juggler to transfer , , and 
(from Zeraora) to Lugia EX, and make it attack. Of course, adding a Colorless type like Arceus or Mega Kankaskhan to carry the surplus of Energy and transfer it to Lugia for perhaps a second attack.
Another fun deck to use Juggler is Giratina EX | Darkrai EX | Greninja (run on 
and Energies), paired with Arceus EX.
Pehaps even a draconic deck of Druddigon, Salamence, and Giratina EX?
To be fair, using Lugia EX and multiple Energies in general are very situational, and you can’t count on them for Ranked battles. As such, Juggler is more of a collector’s piece than anything else. Try using it when you’re doing solo battles to add some spice.
Piers
Piers is associated with Galarian Obtagoon, and the pair in TCG Pocket is quite formidable, especially when you see that Galarian Obtagoon hits and behaves like a makeshift EX Pokémon.
Galarian Obtagoon boasts a respectable 150 HP, and for only 2 Energy, it hits for 70 DMG. But… if the target already has damage on it, say from its pre-evolutions or chip damage from Darkrai EX or Greninja, Galarian Obstagoon does a superb 120 DMG.
When Piers comes into the picture, things turn darker for the opponent, as just having Galarian Obstagoon in play (even if it’s on the Bench) lets you discard 2 Energy from your opponent’s Active Pokémon. This is insane and can completely change the tide of the battle!
A simple Drakness deck consisting of the Galarian Obtagoon line, Piers, Darkrai EX, and maybe even Mega Absol EX makes for a highly oppressive team.
Seriously, Darkness may be the overall best type in Pokémon TCG Pocket, getting better with each new set!
Lucky Ice Pop
To give you a perspective on the Lucky Ice Pop Item card, imagine Misty, but for healing!
To begin with, it heals 20 DMG from a Pokémon (just like a Potion), and instead of just getting dumped into your discard pile, you flip a coin. If heads, you get to reuse it again.
In the next turn that you use the Lucky Ice Pop, you get to use the same mechanism again. Alternatively, you keep using it on the same Pokémon in the same turn, healing it completely if you get consecutive heads. See where the Misty reference comes from?
For Mega Evolutions that usually have 200+ HP, the Lucky Ice Pop can make them unkillable. Just think how much stronger a 300+ HP Mega Venusaur EX (310 HP from Leaf Cape and 2x Mega Rising Lilligant on Bench) would be with this Item!
The Lucky Ice Pop is arguably the most annoying (for your opponent, lol) and meta-defining card from the Fantastical Parade set, and is going to age well.
Jaw Fossil
Jaw Fossil is a new Fossil card that works as a Basic, can’t be drawn from the Poké Ball, and evolves into the Tyrantrum line (directly with Rare Candy).
Tyrantrum may not be as strong as Rampardos but it is quite viable!
For 3 
Energy, Tyrantrum does 100 DMG, and if your cards in play and fewer than your opponent’s, you end up doing an insane 180 DMG, that too with no repercussions!
So as long as you maintain a smaller Bench than your opponent, Tyrantrum is insane. Pair this Garchomp EX or even Silvally to make a serious deck. This is a sleeper hit in the Fantastical Parade expansion, and is bound to see more usage down the line.
Sail Fossil
Sail Fossil is a new Fossil card that works as a Basic, can’t be drawn from the Poké Ball, and evolves into the Aurorus line (directly with Rare Candy).
There’s nothing much to talk about the Plume Fossil. It’s an Item that behaves like a Basic but cannot be drawn by a Poké Ball or Pokémon Communication. It evolves into Archeops through Archen or directly with a Rare Candy.
Aurorus has a silly 3 Energy requirement to use a 90 DMG move. If that wasn’t concerning enough already, it also discards 2 Energy in using this move while paralyzing the target.
Forget about the paralyzing shenanigans, why is the Energy requirement not 2 and what’s with the heavy Energy disposal? The Water meta isn’t too good a shape in TCG Pocket, and Pokémon like Aurorus just make it worse when you compare it with Tyrantrum.
Pokémon Tools are super useful cards that have been available in the physical TCG games and follow these rules in Pokémon TCG Pocket:
- Pokémon Tool cards can be attached to your Active or Benched cards, and they provide some special battle effects.
- They stay attached to the Pokémon in question until it leaves play.
- Like Item cards, you can use as many Pokémon Tool cards as you like during a turn, but each Pokémon can have only one Tool attached at a time.
The Fantastical Parade set has introduced two important Pokémon Tools.
Protective Poncho
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s here! After so many expansions, we finally have something to help shrug off Genetic Apex Greninja’s snipe hits on the Bench: Protective Poncho!
Any Benched Pokémon armed with the Protective Poncho takes no damage from the opponent’s attacks or abilities.
The core target audience of this Pokémon Tool is those suffering from Greninja’s onslaught since every meta until now. Obviously, this also applies to other Pokémon, such as Palkia EX or Space-Time Smackdown Spiritomb (among others).
This Tool is an excellent addition to Pokémon TCG Pocket and is bound to see usage. No wonder it is one of the Crown Rares from the Fantastical Parade set!
Metal Core Barrier
Any good Metal Pokémon is going to salvage the Metal Core Barrier, but its success largely depends on adding a new Metal type to the deck: Galarian Perrserker.
Let’s first understand what the Tool in question does.
So any Metal type adorned with the Metal Core Barrier takes -50 DMG from the opponent’s attacks. Add Adaman, and it takes -70 DMG! However, once you use the perk, you immediately dispose Metal Core Barrier to your discard pile.
This is where Galarian Perrserker makes its grand entrance.
When you evolve Galarian Perrserker, you can bring back 2 random Pokémon Tools from the discard pile and put them in your hand. In other words, with 2 Galarian Perrserker on the Bench, you can retrieve Metal Core Barrier twice, and for three different turns, you take at least -50 DMG!
This is a huge boon for certain Metal types in particular.
- Melmetal EX dishes out 150 DMG if it has a Tool attached, and it has a neat 170 HP. Now, if you get back Metal Core Barrier at least once after its initial usage, you can attack with Melmetal EX twice, and that amounts to an astronomical 300 DMG!
- Skarmory EX can tango with Jasmine Supporter, Metal Core Barrier, and its ability to tank an astounding 120 DMG!
- The beefy 220 HP Mega Steelix EX takes -90 DMG by virtue of Metal Core Barrier, Adaman, and its move’s effect.
Metal Core Barrier and Galarian Perrserker could become a mainstay for Metal decks. This type has been silently impressive over multiple expansions, and this duo would only make them shinier!
Stadiums are Trainer cards whose effects affect all Pokémon in play (both you and your opponent) and can be used once per turn.
- This card stays in play after you use it, unlike Items and Supporters, which are discarded after they are used.
- Only one Stadium can be in play at a time, and it’s discarded only after a new Stadium enters the battlefield or if the effect of a Pokémon/Trainer disposes the Stadium.
- Stadium cards of the same name cannot be played when the same Stadium is already active.
The Fantastical Parade set has debuted Stadium cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket, and has introduced three of them.
Peculiar Plaza
The Peculiar Plaza is arguably the most meta of all Stadium cards in the Fantastical Parade. It essentially works like a free Leaf Supporter, reducing the retreat cost of all Pokémon on the battlefield by 2. It also helps preserve Energy, letting them attack from the very next turn.
This helps any Pokémon, offering free retreat to most cards, since they tend to have a retreat cost of 2 or less. This opens the doors for unpredictability and can even spike the usage of Cyrus (2 copies in a deck). Honestly, this is a fun card, and sure to see widespread usage in the meta!
Starting Plains
Another super useful Stadium, Starting Plains offers +20 HP to all Basics in play. So, when you attach a Giant Cape to a Grass Basic like Teal Mask Ogerpon EX and have Starting Plains in effect, it goes from 130 HP to 180 HP! Good ol’ Celebi EX also hits 180 HP.
A 60 HP Crimson Blaze Bulbasaur with Giant Cape (+30 HP) + Starting Plains (+20 HP) + 2x Mega Rising Lilligant (+40 HP) achieves 150 HP, making Mega Venusaur EX more tangible than ever, even against Fire-type opponents.
This Stadium benefits one and all, but Grass types with Giant Cape, Lilligant, and healing support from Erika are the biggest winners.
Training Area
The Training Area Stadium card primarily benefits Eeveelution decks since they revolve around Stage 1 Pokémon. In fact, this Stadium serves as the first effect of the Eevee Bag Item, helping Eeveelutions do +20 DMG.
While the scope of this Stadium is limited, Eeveelutions are popular and viable, making this card another cool addition to the game.
Well, there you have it. We have got quite an eventful meta with these new Trainer cards from Fantastical Parade, and it’s interesting to see how players adapt to the new Stadium cards.
One thing’s for sure, that there’s exciting times ahead with Trainer cards!
As always, happy collecting and battling, Pokémon TCG Pocket-ers!
