The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has just rolled out its latest major update, introducing the highly anticipated Space Time Smackdown expansion, themed around Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. This new set is now available and comes in two distinct booster packs, each themed after the legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia. With a total of 207 cards, Space Time Smackdown is smaller than the previous set, Genetic Apex, which boasted 286 cards. However, it compensates with a higher concentration of rare cards, featuring 52 alternate art, Star, and Crown rarity cards, compared to Genetic Apex's 60.

Every Alternate Art 'Secret' Card in Pokémon TCG Pocket: Space Time Smackdown

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The official card count for Space Time Smackdown stands at 155, excluding the alternate arts. This set introduces 10 ex Pokémon: Yanmega, Infernape, Palkia, Pacharisu, Mismagius, Gallade, Weavile, Darkrai, Dialga, and Lickilicky. Notably, every Pokémon type now has a new ex Pokémon, except for Dragon, and the Darkness type has gained two new additions.

A significant highlight of Space Time Smackdown is the introduction of Pokémon Tool cards. These new items can be attached to the active Pokémon to enhance their battle capabilities. The set includes three new tools: Giant Cape, which boosts the Pokémon's Hit Points by 20; Rocky Helmet, which inflicts 20 HP damage to the opponent's Pokémon whenever the active trainer takes damage; and Lum Berry, which removes conditions like Poison from the Pokémon.

Battles

With the release of Space Time Smackdown, Pokémon TCG Pocket has added new Solo Battles across various difficulty tiers. The Intermediate tier now features eight new battles, the Advanced tier has nine, and the Expert tier includes eight, with no additions to the Beginner tier. These battles spotlight Pokémon from the new set, such as Dialga ex and Palkia ex, alongside other notable Pokémon like Togekiss, Bastiodon, Glacion, Magmortar, Magnezone, Rampardos, and Tortrerra.

In multiplayer, the impact of Space Time Smackdown on the meta is still unfolding. Cards like Infernape ex, which can deal 140 damage for just two Fire Energy, and Palkia ex, which mirrors Mewtwo ex's power, are poised to shake things up. Weavile ex's one Energy attack, capable of 30 or 70 damage depending on the opponent's condition, also promises to be a game-changer. Steel type decks are expected to receive a significant boost with the addition of Dialga ex and other supportive cards.

Missions and Rewards

Alongside Space Time Smackdown, Pokémon TCG Pocket has introduced numerous new missions. These missions follow familiar structures, such as collecting signature cards to unlock rental decks and completing the entire set to earn Dialga and Palkia icons. Museum missions are back, challenging players to collect 1 Star and full art 2 Star cards. The secret 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.

Completing missions earns players Pack Hourglasses, Wonder Hourglasses, Emblem Tickets for the shop, and other rewards, though notably, no Trading Tokens. To celebrate the addition of trading, Creatures Inc. gifted players 500 Trading Tokens. New items in the shop include Dialga and Palkia album covers and the Lovely Hearts backdrop, with a new Poké Gold bundle focusing on Cynthia replacing the previous Gardevoir bundle.

Trading

The trading update, introduced just yesterday, has stirred controversy within the community. Creatures Inc. has remained silent on the matter, focusing instead on promoting Space Time Smackdown. The "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" included 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses, sufficient for trading one ex Pokémon.

The crux of the controversy lies with Trade Tokens, which are necessary for trading cards at 3 Diamonds or higher. Trading a 3 Diamond card requires 120 Trade Tokens, a 1 Star card needs 400, and a 4 Diamond card (an ex Pokémon) demands 500. Players can only acquire these tokens by selling cards from their collection, with varying token values based on card rarity. For instance, selling five ex Pokémon yields enough tokens to trade one ex Pokémon, and selling one Crown rarity card provides enough for three ex Pokémon trades.

The community has expressed strong dissatisfaction, labeling the system as "hilariously toxic" and a "monumental failure," criticizing the laborious nature of trading and the missed opportunity for a more community-friendly feature.