In our last article we talked about Triumphant Light, the 4th card set in Pokémon TCG Pocket. We also introduced the concept of Arceus and Pokémon with Link Abilities. However, we only managed to get through a couple of these special Pokémon. So in this article we’ll discuss more Link Pokémon and how you can use them in Battles!
Raichu:
This is an Electric Type Pokémon and one that might not look incredible at first glance. It only has 90 HP which is low for a Stage 1 Pokémon. Its offensive capabilities are a lot better though. It deals 40 damage for 2 Energy and it also deals 20 damage to a Benched Pokémon. This can be useful for targeting Pokémon that have already been damaged. It can also be used to damage a powerful Pokémon and get targeted by Cyrus! But its Link Ability also helps with its low health! If its Link Ability is activated, damaged to Raichu gets reduced by 30. This may not help with more powerful Pokémon depending on who you’re against. But it will help in the early game when your opponent might not have their Field ready! If you’re still worried about health, equip a Giant Cape to grant Raichu an extra 30 HP!
Rotom:
This is a Psychic Type Pokémon and one that is unfortunately quite restricted in its usability. It deals 20 damage for 1 Energy and not to your opponent’s Active Pokémon. Instead it deals 20 damage to one of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. It also has 70 HP which isn’t bad for a Basic Pokémon but its attack is a weak spot. Its retreat cost is only 1 Energy which is a positive. And if its Link Ability is active its retreat cost goes down to 0 Energy. This is a Pokémon that strictly only works in the early portion of a Battle. There are a couple of ways to use Rotom however. Firstly it uses Colourless Energy so it can fit into whatever Type deck you’d like. We would recommend dashing in for a quick hit and then leaving when possible. You can also use it in a similar way to Raichu to set up Cyrus later on!
Tyranitar:
This is a Fighting Type Pokémon and one that’s more powerful than the previous Pokémon combined! It deals a staggering 130 damage for 4 Energy which can defeat some EX Pokémon in a single hit! When its Link Ability is active it deals 30 extra damage which makes it even stronger! However, there are a couple of downsides to this Pokémon. Firstly its attack cost is high at 4 Energy and Fighting Type Energy Generation isn’t strong. It might take a little while to get your attack set up, so we wouldn’t use Rare Candies here. It also has a high retreat cost at 4 Energy so you’ll have to go all in on this Pokémon. However, with newer cards this Pokémon can be a game ender. Using cards like Arena of Antiquity, Lucario and Korrina can boost its attack even further!
Crobat:
This is a Dark Type Pokémon and while not as strong as Tyranitar it has the best combo potential in this list. Attack wise, it deals 50 damage for only 1 Energy which is amazing for a Stage 2 Pokémon. But its Link Ability is where it shines the most! When activated, once per turn you can deal 30 damage to your opponent’s Active Pokémon. You can use this Pokémon in a few different ways. Firstly in Dark Type decks, this is a great Pokémon to attack with and retreat since it has 0 retreat cost! But for other decks, you can combine this Pokémon with other Pokémon that can deal damage like this. The best example of this is Greninja (Genetic Apex) but you can also use Drizille and Inteleon as well if needed.
These Link Pokémon are older features but they can still work in modern games if used properly. Our next article will also focus on both Arceus and Arceus EX and their strengths! But for now, experiment with these cards and see how you can use them in your decks!