Pikachu: One Punch-Chu!
It's not just cute. It packs a serious punch.
Hey everyone, today I want to tell you about the new latest card that’s about to burn a hole in everyone’s wallet—Pikachu EX!
This card might not be legal everywhere yet, but it’s making waves in Japan! Recently, it claimed first place in a city league tournament, showcasing its strength by taking down the competition—even against a Klawf deck, which it should be weak to.
Before we dive into the list, let’s talk a little about the card itself.
With only 200HP, Pikachu EX might seem easy to knock out, but its powerful ability, Resolute Heart, changes the game. This ability acts like a free Survival Brace, allowing Pikachu to survive a potential knockout hit—so long as it’s at full HP.
Pikachu EX’s attack, Topaz Bolt, knocks out nearly everything in the meta. It deals an impressive 300 damage, but it has some steep conditions. It requires three different types of energy, all of which must be discarded upon use, making it a powerful yet difficult move to pull off.
How then, does Pikachu even get going in the first place? There are a couple of ways to charge it up. There’s the new Magneton card, that when used—allows you to charge three basic energies from the discard pile to any Pokemon you’d like. Maybe even in Lost Box, with Mirage Gate.
But the winning City League list uses this engine: Blissey EX and Glass Trumpet.
The winning City League list by たくみ:
This list looks incredibly fun to play. It utilizes the new VVIP Battle Pass Ace Spec (Precious Trolley) to set up the board, Radiant Greninja to discard energies, and then Glass Trumpet to power up Pikachu with Blissey’s support. Keeping at least two Blissey on the board is key—it maximizes each Trumpet’s effectiveness and lets Pikachu attack with just a single hand attachment.
The list also includes some interesting tech cards, like Mew EX for draw and the potential Genome Hacking, as well as the new Gravity Mountain Stadium. Gravity Mountain gives Pikachu the ability to take down bulky Stage 2 Pokemon like Charizard and Dragapult, even with over 300HP. Plus, two Water Energies are also included to let you bench snipe with Greninja.
There’s also room for other attackers or support Pokémon in this deck. For instance, Munkidori could be included if you switch from Water to Dark energy, or Baby Zamazenta, which makes a solid single-prizer attacker given Pikachu’s use of Metal energy. It also does feel like you need some extra draw power, which is where a card like Fezandipiti EX might help.
Overall, the list still has room for refinement. Arven also feels underutilized, as the only tool card in the deck is Turbo Energise. Adding a few other tools, like Defiance Band, could reduce the deck’s dependence on Gravity Mountain. I’d also think about using Forest Seal Stone and Lumineon V, since the deck relies heavily on Precious Trolley for that turn two board setup.
To conclude!
It’s a very cool archetype that I can definitely see lines of play in the current meta, and I’m hyped to have an actually good playable Pikachu. Once it releases, I’m sure someone is going to create a list that’s usable in the competitive scene. Until then, we can only watch as Japan continues to cook in the kitchen.
Til’ we next meet,
Spenser