Pokemon TCG Pocket will be adding Tool cards soon. This guide is a helpful primer on Pokemon Tool cards and their possibilities.
Pokemon TCG Pocket: What Are Tool Cards?


In the Pokemon TCG, Pokemon Tool cards are Trainer cards that get equipped to a Pokemon of the player’s choice. The card stays attached to the Pokemon until a card effect removes it, or until the Pokemon that is holding it gets removed from the field. Like Energy, Tool cards get sent to the discard pile if the Pokemon it is attached to leaves the field in any way unless a card effect states otherwise. A Pokemon can hold only one Tool card at a time, but players can use as many per turn as they would like and are able to—they are not restricted to one per turn like Supporter Trainer cards.
What are Some Examples of Pokemon Tool Cards?


Because Pokemon Tool cards are based on held items in the mainline video game series, the Pokemon TCG has had many examples of Tool cards since the Gold and Silver era. They can have all sorts of effects that alter the Pokemon the card is attached to in some way. Some notable examples that feel especially relevant to the current Pokemon TCG Pocket meta include Tool cards that decrease the retreat cost of the Pokemon it is attached to, such as:
- Air Balloon, which decreases the Pokemon’s retreat cost by two Energy;
- and Escape Board, which decreases the Pokemon’s retreat cost by one Colorless Energy and allows it to retreat even when Asleep or Paralyzed.
Some Tool cards act like TMs from the games and give the Pokemon holding the card access to a new attack. Other Tool cards, like Weakness Policy, remove the Pokemon’s weakness altogether. There is really no limit to the kinds of effects Pokemon Tool cards can have. Many Pokemon TCG Pocket cards are based on real TCG cards with slight changes, so it’s possible for cards such as these to make their way into the game in the future.
Some Pokemon Tool cards are based on items from the video games—like Air Balloon—while others are unique to the TCG—like Escape Board. Pokemon TCG Pocket has already included a mix of established elements and new creations in its cards, such as the Kanto Gym Leader Supporter cards along with the original Budding Expeditioner character. Tool cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket may take from the games, the TCG, and include its own unique creations as well.
Are There any Tool Cards Confirmed for Pokemon TCG Pocket?


No specific Pokemon Tool cards have been confirmed for Pokemon TCG Pocket yet, but we do know they will be added to the game soon. In the recently revealed trailer for the upcoming Space-Time Smackdown expansion, a Pachirisu EX card was shown off with the move “Sparking Gadget.” For two Lightning Energy, the attack does 40 damage plus 40 more if Pachirisu EX has a Pokemon Tool attached to it. It stands to reason that Pokemon Tool cards will be included in the Space-Time Smackdown set to synergize with Pachirisu EX, and possibly other cards, too, instead of releasing Pachirisu EX with an effect that can’t be activated.
When Will Tool Cards Be Added to Pokemon TCG Pocket?
Pokemon Tool cards will almost certainly be added in the Space-Time Smackdown expansion, which is due to drop at reset time on Wednesday, January 29. Pokemon TCG Pocket’s reset times are 1 AM for Eastern Time, 12 AM Central Time, 11 PM Mountain Time, and 10 PM Western Time. It is currently unknown how many Pokemon Tool cards will be added or what they will be.
What Other Card Classifications Can be Added to Pokemon TCG Pocket?


With the addition of Pokemon Tool cards, most card classifications from the TCG have been incorporated into Pokemon TCG Pocket. The last major card type that is missing from Pocket are Stadium Trainer cards. These cards serve as a “backdrop” for the battle, offering a continuous effect that applies to both players regardless of who played it. Only one Stadium card can be active at a time, and the current Stadium will be replaced when the opposing player plays their own. It’s uncertain if or when Stadium cards will be added to Pokemon TCG Pocket because incorporating them will require altering the playing field to give the cards their own space.
The potential for Special Energy cards to be added to Pokemon TCG Pocket is also uncertain since Energy isn’t treated as cards and is instead generated once per turn, separate from the player’s deck. It will be interesting to see if some Pokemon Tool cards will feature the effects of well-loved Special Energy cards, like the all-inclusive Rainbow Energy, which counts as one of any standard Energy type; or even the game-changing Double Colorless Energy, which counts as two Colorless Energy at once.
Other complex TCG concepts, like the Lost Zone—cards that are out of play and can’t be retrieved—or Owner’s Pokemon—Pokemon that are associated with a specific Trainer—are similarly unlikely to appear in Pokemon TCG Pocket, at least for the time being.
Published: Jan 24, 2025 02:53 pm