The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has just rolled out a thrilling update, introducing the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl-themed Space Time Smackdown expansion. This eagerly anticipated set is now accessible and brings with it a collection of 207 cards, spread across two booster packs themed around the legendary Dialga and Palkia. While smaller than the previous Genetic Apex set with its 286 cards, Space Time Smackdown compensates with a higher concentration of rare cards, featuring 52 alternate art, Star, and Crown rarity cards compared to Genetic Apex's 60.
Every Alternate Art 'Secret' Card in Pokémon TCG Pocket: Space Time Smackdown
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The official card count for Space Time Smackdown stands at 155, excluding the alternate arts. This set introduces 10 ex Pokémon, including Yanmega, Infernape, Palkia, Pacharisu, Mismagius, Gallade, Weavile, Darkrai, Dialga, and Lickilicky, ensuring that every Pokémon type, except Dragon, gets a new ex card. Notably, the Darkness type receives two new ex cards.
A significant addition to Space Time Smackdown is the introduction of Pokémon Tool cards. These innovative cards can be attached to the active Pokémon to enhance its battle capabilities. The new set includes 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 clears conditions like Poison from the Pokémon.
Battles
With the launch of Space Time Smackdown, Pokémon TCG Pocket introduces fresh Solo Battles across various difficulty tiers. The Intermediate tier boasts eight new battles, the Advanced tier offers nine, and the Expert tier features eight, though the Beginner tier remains unchanged. These battles spotlight Pokémon from the new set, such as Dialga ex and Palkia ex, as well as Togekiss, Bastiodon, Glacion, Magmortar, Magnezone, Rampardos, Tortrerra, and others.
In the multiplayer arena, it's too soon to predict how the meta will evolve, but many cards from Space Time Smackdown show promising potential. For instance, Infernape ex can unleash 140 damage with just two Fire Energy, albeit at the cost of discarding both. Palkia ex, reminiscent of Mewtwo ex, deals 150 damage for four Energy while also damaging benched Pokémon by 20, though it loses three Energy in the process. Weavile ex offers a potent one Energy attack dealing 30 or 70 damage if the defending Pokémon is already hurt. Steel type decks are set to benefit significantly from the inclusion of Dialga ex and other new cards, joining forces with existing powerhouses like Melmetal and Bisharp.
Missions and Rewards
Alongside Space Time Smackdown, numerous new missions have been added to Pokémon TCG Pocket. These missions follow familiar patterns, such as collecting signature cards to unlock rental decks and completing the entire set to earn Dialga and Palkia icons. The Museum missions are back, challenging players to collect 1 Star cards and full art 2 Star cards, with the secret mission, "Champion of the Sinnoh Region," awarded for gathering the full art Cynthia card and 1 Star cards of her key Pokémon: Gastrodon, Lucario, Spiritomb, and Garchomp.
Completing these missions rewards players with Pack Hourglasses, Wonder Hourglasses, Emblem Tickets for the shop, and other items, though notably, no Trading Tokens are included among these rewards. To celebrate the trading feature's addition, Creatures Inc. distributed 500 free Trading Tokens to players. The shop has been updated with new items like Dialga and Palkia album covers and the Lovely Hearts backdrop, and a new Poké Gold bundle featuring Cynthia replaces the previous Gardevoir-themed one.
Trading
Despite the excitement surrounding Space Time Smackdown, Creatures Inc. has yet to address the controversial trading update. While the "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" provided 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses, the developer has remained silent on fan feedback. The crux of the controversy lies with Trade Tokens, which are essential for trading cards at 3 Diamonds or higher, requiring 120 for a 3 Diamond card, 400 for a 1 Star card, and 500 for a 4 Diamond card (an ex Pokémon).
These tokens can only be acquired by selling cards from a player's collection, with varying returns: 25 tokens for a 3 Diamond card, 100 for a 1 Star card, 125 for a 4 Diamond card, 300 for a 2 Star or 3 Star immersive card, and 1500 for a Crown gold card. Lower rarity cards hold no value and require no tokens for trading. This system means players must sell multiple high-value cards to trade just one, leading to widespread criticism from the community who view it as overly restrictive and detrimental to the trading experience.
