Pokémon TCG Pocket Gets Space Time Smackdown Expansion Today — Here's Everything You Need to Know

Pokémon TCG Pocket's latest update delivers the highly anticipated Space Time Smackdown expansion, featuring the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl theme. This dual booster pack set, themed around Dialga and Palkia, boasts 207 cards, a smaller count than Genetic Apex, but with a higher percentage of rare cards—52 alternate art Star and Crown rarity cards, compared to Genetic Apex's 60. This means a higher chance of pulling those coveted rare cards.

All Alternate Art 'Secret' Cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket: Space Time Smackdown

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The core set contains 155 cards (excluding alternate arts), including 10 powerful ex Pokémon: Yanmega, Infernape, Palkia, Pacharisu, Mismagius, Gallade, Weavile, Darkrai, Dialga, and Lickilicky. Every Pokémon type except Dragon now has a new ex Pokémon, with Darkness gaining two.

A significant addition is the introduction of Pokémon Tool cards. These attachable items provide strategic advantages in battle. Space Time Smackdown introduces three: Giant Cape (+20 HP), Rocky Helmet (deals 20 HP to the opponent when the active Pokémon takes damage), and Lum Berry (removes status conditions like Poison).

Battles

Space Time Smackdown introduces new Solo Battles across Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert tiers (eight, nine, and eight respectively; Beginner remains unchanged). These battles feature Pokémon from the new set, including Dialga ex, Palkia ex, Togekiss, Bastiodon, Glacion, Magmortar, Magnezone, Rampardos, Torterra, and more. The impact on the multiplayer meta is yet to be fully seen, but cards like Infernape ex (140 damage for two Fire Energy, albeit discarding them) and Palkia ex (150 damage plus 20 to each benched Pokémon, at the cost of three Energy) are poised to shake things up. Weavile ex offers a versatile attack dealing 30 or 70 damage depending on opponent's condition. Steel-type decks will also receive a significant boost with the addition of Dialga ex and supporting cards.

Missions and Rewards

New missions accompany the expansion, offering familiar rewards for collecting signature cards (unlocking rental decks), completing the set (Dialga and Palkia icons), and Museum missions (for 1-Star and 2-Star cards). A special mission, "Champion of the Sinnoh Region," rewards players for collecting the full-art Cynthia card and 1-Star cards of her key Pokémon (Gastrodon, Lucario, Spiritomb, and Garchomp). Rewards include Pack Hourglasses, Wonder Hourglasses, Emblem Tickets, and more (excluding Trading Tokens, though a 500-Token gift was given). New shop items include Dialga and Palkia album covers, the Lovely Hearts backdrop, and a Cynthia-themed Poké Gold bundle.

Trading

Creatures Inc. remains largely silent on the recent trading update controversy, focusing primarily on Space Time Smackdown. While a "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" (500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses) was provided, concerns regarding the high Trade Token costs for trading higher-rarity cards persist. Trading requires significant Token investment (e.g., 500 Tokens for an ex Pokémon), obtainable primarily by selling cards. This system has drawn criticism for its perceived complexity and inefficiency.