Everyone is obsessed with Mew. It’s the pink, floating DNA-cat that defines the franchise's mystery. So, when the Pokemon TCG Pocket Mythical Island expansion finally dropped, players basically collectively lost their minds. It wasn't just about the nostalgia. It was about the meta shifting. Hard.
The game had been in a bit of a stale spot. Genetic Apex was great, but you can only see so many Mewtwo EX decks before you want to throw your phone into a lake. This expansion changed the math.
What's actually in the Mythical Island set?
It’s small. Let’s get that out of the way. If you’re coming from the physical TCG where "mini-sets" can still have eighty cards, the tight focus here might surprise you. This is a targeted strike on specific types. We’re talking about a set heavily weighted toward Psychic and Grass types, with some significant cameos from the Kanto region’s rarest dwellers.
Celebi and Mew are the stars. Obviously.
But the real value isn't just in the big EX hits. It’s in the synergy. The developers at DeNA and Creatures Inc. clearly wanted to give players more ways to manipulate the bench. In the standard game, the bench is often just a waiting room. In Pokemon TCG Pocket Mythical Island, the bench becomes a resource. You’re pulling cards back, swapping energies, and playing a much more cerebral game than the "hit it until it dies" meta of the first month.
Honestly, the pull rates are... okay. They aren't legendary, but because the card pool is shallower, you have a statistically better chance of hitting that specific Articuno or Dragonite you’ve been hunting. It’s a math game. If you have 500 Shop Tickets saved up, this is where they go.
The Mew EX problem and how it changes everything
Let’s talk about Mew EX. If you’ve played even three matches since the update, you’ve seen it. It’s fast. It’s annoyingly efficient. But is it broken?
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Probably not.
The Pokemon TCG Pocket Mythical Island version of Mew EX relies on a "Genome Hack" mechanic that scales with your opponent. It’s a reactive card. If you’re playing a big, beefy Charizard deck, Mew is your nightmare. If you’re playing a fast, low-energy "weenie" deck? Mew struggles to find its footing. This is great game design. It forces players to think about deck weight. You can't just power up one god-tier attacker and expect to steamroll every match anymore.
I saw a match yesterday where a player used Celebi’s "Leaf Supply" to accelerate energy onto a Venusaur so fast the opponent didn't even have time to set up their first evolution. That's the power of this set. It speeds up the game's clock.
Why Grass types are finally viable
Before this, Grass types were kind of a joke. They were slow. They required too many coin flips. Pokemon TCG Pocket Mythical Island fixed that by introducing better energy acceleration.
- Celebi acts as the engine. It’s not there to deal damage; it’s there to make sure everyone else can.
- Exeggutor variants in this set offer a tankiness that Grass was sorely missing.
- The interaction between Erika (the supporter card) and the new Mythical Island cards creates a healing loop that is incredibly frustrating to play against.
It’s a different vibe. You aren't playing for the one-shot. You're playing for the long game. You’re outlasting the opponent. You’re being a nuisance. It’s peak Grass-type gameplay.
The shop ticket economy is the real boss
You can't just buy these packs with regular Poke Gold. Well, you can, but the game really wants you to use the Ticket system for the special promotional versions. This is where the "Pocket" part of the name gets tricky. The economy of the game is built on patience or a very fat wallet.
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If you’re F2P (Free to Play), you need to be surgical. Don’t just rip packs the second you get 120 Hourglasses. Wait for the Wonder Pick events tied to Pokemon TCG Pocket Mythical Island. Often, the game will highlight specific Mythical cards in the Wonder Pick rotation. That is your best shot at getting the rare "Full Art" versions without spending a dime.
I’ve seen people blow their entire stash of Emblems on Genetic Apex packs trying to "finish" the set. Stop doing that. The power creep in Mythical Island is real enough that your older decks are going to start feeling sluggish. You need the new Trainer cards, specifically the ones that allow for faster bench-to-active swapping.
Is the "God Pack" real in this set?
Yes. I’ve seen the screenshots. People are pulling packs where every single card is a Rare or higher. The odds are astronomical—somewhere in the neighborhood of 0.05%— but they exist. In Pokemon TCG Pocket Mythical Island, these "God Packs" usually feature the entire evolution line of the Mythical featured on the pack art. Imagine opening a pack and seeing three different rarities of Mew staring back at you. It’s the dopamine hit this game was built for.
But don’t chase it. Seriously.
The "Pity System" in TCG Pocket is actually fairly decent compared to other gacha games. After a certain amount of packs, you earn enough Pack Points to just buy the card you want. If you’re missing that one Mew EX to finish your deck, just save the points. Don't gamble for the 1/2000 chance.
Strategy: Building a "Mythical" deck on a budget
You don't need three Mew EX cards to be competitive. You really don't.
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Try a "Spread" deck. Use the new Pokémon that deal 10 or 20 damage to the opponent's bench. Because the HP totals in the Pocket version of the game are lower than the physical TCG, 20 damage is a huge deal. It puts almost every basic Pokémon into "kill range" for your main attacker.
- Focus on the Pinsir and Heracross cards in the set. They have high base damage for low energy.
- Use Mew (the non-EX version) as a pivot. It has free retreat cost, which is the most underrated stat in the game.
- Load up on Giovanni or Sabrina to manipulate the opponent's active spot.
The goal is to disrupt. If you can keep your opponent from ever getting their Stage 2 Pokémon onto the field, you win. It’s that simple. Mythical Island provides the tools to do this better than any previous set.
What most people get wrong about the meta
The biggest mistake I see right now? People are trying to play this like it’s a standard 60-card deck game. It’s not. With only 20 cards in a deck, your "win condition" needs to happen by turn three or four. If you’re still "setting up" on turn five, you’ve already lost.
Pokemon TCG Pocket Mythical Island cards are designed for speed. They have lower retreat costs and faster energy requirements. If you're still running four copies of a Stage 2 Pokémon, you're clogging your hand. Cut it down. Run a 2-1-2 or even a 2-0-2 line with Rare Candy.
The nuance here is in the deck thinning. Every card you draw that doesn't help you win this turn is a wasted resource. The Mythical Island trainers are specifically built to help you dig through your deck faster. Use them.
Step-by-Step: How to dominate the Mythical Island event
If you want to actually climb the ladder or finish the event missions, stop playing your old Charizard deck. It’s too slow for the new Psychic-meta. Here is the move:
- Farm the Solo Battles first. They give you the specific currencies needed for the Mythical Island shop. Don't ignore them. The AI is easy, and the rewards are essential.
- Prioritize the "Free" Mew. There is usually a mission-path that grants a non-holo version of the key Mythical. It's just as functional as the fancy one. Get it. Use it.
- Watch the "Wonder Pick" board. If you see a friend or a random player pull a Mew EX, use your Wonder Stamina immediately. It’s the most cost-effective way to "target" a card.
- Update your Trainer cards. Swap out one of your Potions for the new "Mythical Secret" (or whatever the localized Trainer name is in your region) that allows for energy recovery. Energy is everything in this expansion.
The game is changing. It's getting faster, more technical, and a little bit more punishing for players who just want to click the "Attack" button. But that's a good thing. It means the game has legs. It means we aren't just playing a simplified version of a better game—we're playing a unique format that requires its own kind of mastery.
Go check your Shop Tickets. If you have enough, grab a bundle of the Mythical Island packs. Even if you don't get the Mew, the common cards in this set are enough to turn a Tier 3 deck into a Tier 1 powerhouse. Just watch out for the Mewtwo players; they're still out there, and they're angry that the new kids on the block are stealing their spotlight.
Immediate Next Steps
- Audit your current deck: Remove any Stage 2 lines that take more than three turns to set up.
- Check the Shop: Look for the limited-time Mythical Island accessories. They usually disappear after the event and become some of the rarest items in the game.
- Save your Pack Points: Do not spend them on Genetic Apex cards anymore. Use them to bridge the gap for the 1 or 2 rare cards you're missing from the Mythical Island set.