A new expansion set always has the potential to disrupt a TCG, introducing a slew of new cards to get picked apart by its respective community. Pokémon TCG Pocket players are currently split on whether an upcoming Mythical Island card will be groundbreaking or mediocre.
Mythical Island was announced by the Pocket team on Dec. 12, 2024, with a vibrant trailer showing off some of the new cards joining the game five days later. One card that’s been a source of fierce debate ever since this reveal is Mew ex.
Mew is arguably one of the most iconic critters from the first generation of Pokémon, and all the cards that it features across the standard Pokémon Trading Card Game are suitably punchy. The Pocket card seems to be following suit, although some players aren’t sold on its value.
This Pocket ex card comes with one of Mew’s attacks from the Scarlet and Violet era of the standard game—Genome Hacking. In the mobile game, it’ll let the user pick an attack from an opponent’s Active Pokémon and use it in return for three Colorless Energy Tokens.
This will let Mew ex access powerful attacks like Articuno ex’s Blizzard, allowing it to speedily adapt to a weak type match-up and gain a strong move without any drawbacks. Moves like Blizzard are currently sweeping the competitive meta, sometimes being worked into decks like Starmie ex. Energy sources like Gardevoir’s Psy Shadow or Misty could also help get Mew ex up and running in a battle quickly.
If the user was playing against an opponent with a mandatory set-up in their deck, this could be a win condition. Energy management is crucial in Pocket matches, and most heavy-hitting abilities come with a strict Energy tax to mitigate their power.
With 130 HP to go alongside this unique attack, Mew ex looks like a beast. Some Pocket fans felt the same, responding in shock to the images of the card in the teaser trailer online.
One noted, “This is like an auto include in any deck tbh,” while others pointed out how it could counter current fan-favorite decks, like Charizard ex. A player jokingly shared that this Mew ex would simply mean “bye bye Charizard.”
Not everyone was sold on this card potentially being a lizard killer, though. Some felt that it seemed interesting on paper but that it’d feel “mid” in practice, while others vented that the other aspect of the original Pokémon TCG‘s Mew ex—drawing three cards—had simply been forgotten about.
One underwhelmed viewer even dubbed the card “super gimmicky,” admitting that it might still be good against Charizard.
While it’s hard to say what this card will look like in battle until the expansion set drops, it’s safe to say that it’ll see a lot of action—if people can pull it. Mew ex has been getting more and more hype from players anxiously awaiting Mythical Island alongside the new Marshadow and Aerodactyl ex cards.
The Mythical Island-themed booster packs will be available for fans to rip into on Dec. 17, 2024, for both Android and iOS users. If you want to get your hands on a Mew card before then, make sure to add the secret Mew immersive art to your digital collection.
