Pokemon TCG Pocket players have free rein over what cards to include in their deck. However, those who want a better chance at winning must use compositions with powerful and synergistic Pokemon and items. Therefore, some cards won’t see much play, at least until there’s a shift in the meta or a highly synergistic critter or item comes along. One card in particular likely won’t take any space in a competitive Pokemon TCG Pocket player’s deck because the resources it requires far outweighs the value it can provide.
Pokemon TCG Pocket is billed as a more casual alternative to the original tabletop game and the digital TCG Live. The game was released in October 2024 to an enthusiastic audience, as Pokemon TCG Pocket amassed over 30 million downloads in just nine days after release. Pokemon TCG Pocket has had seven major expansions so far, but the Triumphant Light booster pack’s Giratina seems to be difficult to fit into any roster, despite its Pokemon’s prestige and its beautiful art.
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Why Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Triumphant Light Giratina is a Low-Tier Card
There are many legendary creatures in Pokemon, but only some have reached a godlike status like Giratina. The first Pokemon, Arceus, created Giratina alongside Palkia and Dialga to build and grow the universe. Giratina is in charge of antimatter and lives in the Distortion World, where everything is in reverse. This Pokemon can tear through the fabric of space and time and can only realistically be challenged by their fellow gods Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus. However, some vocal fans from Reddit have rated this Pokemon’s Triumphant Light card to be one of the worst in the game, which is disappointing given its legendary status in the canon.
Giratina’s Ability Costs too Much for the Damage it Gives
Triumphant Light Giratina is a Basic Dragon-type Pokemon with 120 HP and one ability:
| Name | Damage | Energy Cost | Additional Effect |
| Crisis Dive | 120 | Grass (1), Psychic (1), Colorless (1) | Discard two random energy from this Giratina |
Crisis Dive is powerful enough to knock out many Basic Pokemon, like non-EX Mewtwo, in one hit. It also costs three Energy, with two different types, making it more difficult than usual to trigger. Moreover, it discards two Energy after every activation, making it so that the player will have to wait for at least one extra turn for this card to attack again. This effect also affects Giratina’s survivability, as it hampers the player’s ability to achieve its expensive three-Energy retreat cost.
Giratina’s Typing Makes it a Pain to Generate Energy For
Since players can only acquire one energy from their zone every turn, the game provides limited opportunities for them to generate more of it. For example, Genetic Apex’s Gardevoir can generate one Psychic Energy to the active Psychic Pokemon, making them essential in ramping up Mewtwo EX’s high Energy cost attacks. One would think that they’d also be a great generator for Giratina, but the latter’s Dragon typing makes it impossible for Gardevoir to give them Psychic Energy. Leaf Energy generators like Leafeon EX and Serperior also work the same way, making them incompatible with Giratina as well.
Giratina essentially saps a player’s resources without an efficient option to regenerate what they waste. Those who want to use this Pokemon in their deck can use it as a match closer if the opponent has an active Pokemon with 120 or fewer HP. Outside of that, Giratina will need a Psychic and/or Leaf Energy generator that can cater to their Dragon typing in future expansions if Pokemon TCG Pocket has any plans of making it a viable card.