Pokémon TCG Pocket Expands with Space Time Smackdown Today

The latest update for Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has brought the exciting Space Time Smackdown expansion, themed around Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, into the mix. This new set, available in two booster packs themed after Dialga and Palkia, contains a total of 207 cards, making it smaller than the previous Genetic Apex set which had 286 cards. However, Space Time Smackdown boasts a higher concentration of rare cards, with 52 alternate art, Star, and Crown rarity cards compared to Genetic Apex's 60, offering collectors a higher chance to snag these prized pieces.

Every Alternate Art 'Secret' Card in Pokémon TCG Pocket: Space Time Smackdown

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Space Time Smackdown's official card count stands at 155, as alternate arts are not included in the overall collection number. Among these, you'll find 10 ex Pokémon cards featuring Yanmega, Infernape, Palkia, Pacharisu, Mismagius, Gallade, Weavile, Darkrai, Dialga, and Lickilicky. Every Pokémon type, except Dragon, now has a new ex Pokémon, with the Darkness type gaining two new additions.

One of the most significant additions to the game with this set is the introduction of Pokémon Tool cards. These cards can be attached to the active Pokémon to enhance their battle performance. The new set introduces three such tools: the Giant Cape, which boosts the Pokémon's Hit Points by 20; the Rocky Helmet, which inflicts 20 HP damage to the opponent's Pokémon whenever the active trainer takes damage; and the Lum Berry, which can remove conditions like Poison from the Pokémon.

Battles

As with every new set release, Space Time Smackdown introduces new Solo Battles to Pokémon TCG Pocket. These are spread across different tiers, with eight new battles in the Intermediate tier, nine in the Advanced tier, and eight in the Expert tier. Notably, no new battles have been added to the Beginner tier. These battles feature Pokémon introduced in the set like Dialga ex and Palkia ex, as well as Togekiss, Bastiodon, Glacion, Magmortar, Magnezone, Rampardos, Tortrerra, and more.

In the realm of multiplayer, it's too early to determine the impact on the meta, but many of the Space Time Smackdown cards show great potential. For instance, Infernape ex can deal a powerful 140 damage with just two Fire Energy, despite discarding both on impact. Palkia ex mirrors Mewtwo ex, delivering 150 damage for four Energy while also damaging benched Pokémon, albeit at the cost of three Energy. Weavile ex's single Energy attack does 30 damage, or 70 if the defending Pokémon is already damaged. Steel type decks are also set to receive a significant boost with the addition of Dialga ex and other supporting cards.

Missions and Rewards

Alongside Space Time Smackdown, a variety of new missions have been added to Pokémon TCG Pocket. These missions follow a familiar structure, where collecting signature cards unlocks rental decks, and completing the entire set rewards players with Dialga and Palkia icons. Museum missions are back as well, challenging players to collect each 1 Star card and full art 2 Star card, with the ultimate secret mission, Champion of the Sinnoh Region, awarded for collecting the full art Cynthia card and 1 Star cards of her key Pokémon: Gastrodon, Lucario, Spiritomb, and Garchomp.

Completing these missions earns players Pack Hourglasses, Wonder Hourglasses, Emblem Tickets for the shop, and other rewards, though notably, no controversial Trading Tokens. However, to celebrate the addition of trading to the game, Creatures Inc. has gifted players 500 of these tokens. The shop now offers new items such as Dialga and Palkia album covers and the Lovely Hearts backdrop, and a new Poké Gold bundle focused on Cynthia has replaced the previous Gardevoir bundle.

Trading

Since the release of the trading update, Creatures Inc. has not made any public statements regarding the feature, focusing instead on promoting Space Time Smackdown. The "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" included 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses, sufficient for trading a single ex Pokémon. However, the trading system has stirred controversy due to the requirement of Trade Tokens for trading cards at 3 Diamonds or higher. Trading a 3 Diamond card requires 120 Trade Tokens, a 1 Star card requires 400, and a 4 Diamond card (an ex Pokémon) requires 500.

Trade Tokens can only be obtained by selling cards from a player's collection, with varying returns based on card rarity. For example, selling a 3 Diamond card yields 25 Trade Tokens, a 1 Star card yields 100, and a Crown gold card, the rarest in the game, yields 1500. This system has been criticized as "hilariously toxic" and a "monumental failure" by fans, who argue that it makes trading unnecessarily laborious and detracts from community engagement.