Looks like the Mega Pokemon aren’t going to be exclusive to just the physical Trading Card Game (TCG) of Pokemon. TPCi (The Pokemon Company International) has recently announced that Pokemon Pocket will also be getting its own version of Mega Pokemon this coming 30th of October.
Mega Pokemon in Pocket
Based on the official reveals, one of the main features of Mega Pokemon in Pocket is that they’re worth three prize points if knocked out. In a game of Pokemon Pocket, that’s basically the end of the match then and there if the Mega Pokemon is knocked out.
There’s also the fact that we’re currently being shown only ex Pokemon. Despite their nature as Mega Evolution Pokemon, they’re still susceptible to the Lightning-type Oricorio.
Depending on the player, risking the entirety of a single match on a single Pokemon could be off-putting. For the adventurous spirit, however, these Mega Pokemon could be incredible game closers. They offer both a robust body, comparable damage to the usual ex powerhouses, and if you or your opponent is already at match point, then that 3 prize point bounty is pretty much moot.
Mega Altaria ex
If you were to squint, Mega Altaria ex is basically Sylveon from Eevee Grove. They’re both Stage-1 Psychic-type Pokemon whose potential damage output is based on the number of allies on the bench.
There are a couple of differences between the two, though. The most obvious one is that Mega Altaria ex definitely has the bigger health pool, 190 vs Sylveon’s 90. This already gives Mega Altaria ex a significant advantage over Sylveon, as it can trade better against other Pokemon.
The other difference lies in the wording of their attack. Sylveon requires evolved Pokemon on the bench, while Mega Altaria ex can boost its attack regardless of what stage of evolution is on the bench.
It’s a small difference, but it lets Mega Altaria ex reach its maximum damage potential a whole lot easier than Sylveon. That said, a 130 maximum damage potential may not be enticing, especially since the body it’s on is already risking the entire game at knockout.
Mega Altaria ex seems like a Pokemon that requires proper handling, but its quick activation, relatively robust body, cheap retreat cost, and respectable damage potential could work in the right hands.
Mega Blaziken ex
Mega Blaziken is the first Stage-2 Mega Pokemon revealed to us by TPCi. Although Mega Blaziken ex’s attack only does 120 damage upfront, it’s actually quite comparable to Charizard ex’s Steam Artillery (150 damage).
The guaranteed burn that ‘Mega Burning’ applies means that Mega Blaziken ex is actually hitting for 140 damage, and potentially more if the burn status persists between rounds.
Because Mega Blaziken ex’s attack only needs 2 fire-type energy to activate, this puts Mega Blaziken ex ahead of Charizard ex in terms of speed. The latter would still need one turn to use its ‘Stoke’ ability to generate the needed energy to activate ‘Steam Artillery’.
Despite the fact that Mega Blaziken ex discards an energy for its attack, it just makes the Pokemon compatible with either Flareon ex and Blacephalon. The former can inherently accelerate itself using discarded energy, while the latter can make use of the Trainer card, Lusamine, to do the same.
What’s probably the most criminal aspect of this Pokemon, is that it can still easily retreat if it gets too bloodied. At the very least, the controlling player can force a copy of Cyrus or Sabrina out if necessary.
There’s a lot of potential with Mega Blaziken ex, despite the factthat it could be the cause of an immediate loss if knocked out.
Mega Gyarados ex
Mega Gyarados ex sits in a weird space. The 210 health it exhibits is nice, but across all of its variants, Gyarados has usually been in the 2-shot range when forced into an attack trade with the opponent’s active Pokemon.
What’s probably the most disheartening thing about Mega Gyarados ex is the large activation cost for its attack. This attack does have a pretty niche effect, as with some luck, Mega Gyarados ex could potentially win you a game if a key piece of the opponent’s deck was discarded.
Thankfully for interested players, cards like Misty and Energy Switcher are available to water decks. While not easy to use, Mega Gyarados ex does have some tools to get going.
Hopefully, the next set will include a baby Pokemon that can consistently help accelerate Mega Gyarados ex’s activation. In the meantime, Mega Gyarados ex capability will hinge more on whatever partner Pokemon a player chooses to run with it.