Poisoned in Pokemon TCG Pocket: Explained and All Affected Cards

In *Pokemon Pocket*, the Poisoned Special Condition mirrors mechanics from the physical *Pokemon Trading Card Game*. When a Pokemon is Poisoned, it loses 10 HP at the end of each round until it's either cured or knocked out. This guide dives deep into the mechanics of Poisoned, detailing how it's applied, which cards can inflict this condition, ways to cure it, and the best Poison decks in the current metagame.

What Is 'Poisoned' in Pokemon TCG Pocket?

The Poisoned condition in Pokemon TCG Pocket is a persistent status effect that chips away at a Pokemon's HP by 10 points at the end of each turn. This effect is calculated during the Checkup phase of a round and doesn't dissipate on its own or through chance, like some other conditions. A Poisoned Pokemon will continue to lose HP until it's either healed or defeated. While Poisoned can coexist with other Special Conditions, it doesn't stack with additional Poison effects; a Pokemon can only lose 10 HP per turn from Poison. However, certain cards like Muk can exploit this status to deal additional damage, adding +50 DMG when facing a Poisoned opponent.

Which Cards Have the Poisoned Ability?

In the Genetic Apex set, the cards capable of inflicting Poisoned are Weezing, Grimer, Nidoking, Tentacruel, and Venomoth. Among them, Grimer stands out as a particularly effective choice, being a Basic Pokemon that can poison an opponent with just one Energy. Weezing, on the other hand, can apply Poisoned via its Gas Leak ability without needing Energy, but this can only be activated when Weezing is the Active Pokemon. For those looking to test a Poisoned deck, Pokemon Pocket offers Rental Decks like Koga’s, which includes key Poison cards such as Grimer and Arbok.

How Do You Cure Poisoned?

There are three primary methods to counteract the Poisoned condition:

1. Evolution: Evolving the Poisoned Pokemon will remove the Poisoned status, giving it a fresh start.
2. Retreat: Moving the Poisoned Pokemon to the bench halts the HP loss, though it doesn't cure the condition.
3. Item Cards: While cards like Potion can heal HP, they don't cure Poisoned directly. They can, however, extend the life of your Active Pokemon by restoring lost HP.

What Is the Best Poison Deck?

Although Poison decks aren't at the top of the Pokemon Pocket metagame, a well-constructed lineup featuring Grimer, Arbok, and Muk can be highly effective. The strategy revolves around quickly poisoning opponents with Grimer, trapping them with Arbok, and then using Muk to deal significant damage to Poisoned foes, up to 120 DMG.

Poisoned Deck Details

For alternative strategies, consider incorporating the Jigglypuff (PA) and Wigglytuff ex lineup as a backup plan within your Poisoned deck. Alternatively, the Nidoking Evolution lineup (Nidoran, Nidorano, Nidoking) offers a slower but high-damage approach to utilizing Poisoned effects.