Top 5 Lightning-type cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket (November 2024)

With Pokemon TCG Pocket being available for almost a week, many players are experimenting with competitive deck building for online battles. Being a simplified version of the physical card game, decks look significantly different than anything else fans have seen before from the franchise.

One of the elements players can choose to build their decks around is Lightning. Known as the Electric typing in the main series, Lightning houses familiar creatures capable of wielding electricity, like Pikachu, Electabuzz, and Zapdos.

Here are the five best Lightning-type creature cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Note: This ranking is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

Ranking the 5 best Lighting-type cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket

5) Zebstrika

Zebstrika offers the ability to hit any opposing creature, but its damage is relatively low (Image via The Pokemon Company)

In Pokemon TCG Pocket, Zebstrika serves as a cross between Hitmonlee and Rapidash. It is a fast but weak creature, useful for its low retreat and attack cost while also being able to target a creature on the opponent's bench. This can be very valuable for the early game if players pull the card in their initial hand or the first couple of draws.

However, Zebstrika's damage is low at only 30, meaning it will do little to serious threats and ex cards. Luckily, it can escape powerful foes with its retreat cost of one. Thanks to it being a Lightning-type creature, it can still be helpful in a deck using Pikachu ex. Its presence on the bench powers up the ex card's Circle Circuit move.

4) Zapdos ex

Zapdos is incredibly inconsistent, but it is capable of one-shotting anything in the game (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Zapdos ex is one of the most inconsistent cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket. This is due to its main form of damage coming from an attack that requires the player to flip four coins, dealing 50 damage for each head. While it is one of the few creatures capable of dealing 200 damage in one attack, there is a better choice available for that kind of sudden burst damage.

Having said that, Zapdos ex has the highest damage potential of any Lightning-type creature card in the game as of writing. It also has the option to use Peck for 20 damage, only costing one Lightning energy.

With the lack of Lightning-type support in the game at the moment, it is incredibly hard to build up energy on Zapdos.

Also read: Pokemon TCG Pocket: Best Zapdos ex deck guide

3) Electrode

Electrode is one of the few Pokemon with no retreat cost (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Electrode is a popular choice for Lightning decks as it has a strong attack and no retreat cost, making it the perfect choice for finishing off a weakened target. Electro Ball only costs two Lightning energies to use and deals 70 damage. Having no retreat cost, it costs very little energy to keep in fighting condition.

The only downside to Electrode is that it has a measly 80 HP. This is far from an issue in the early game but significantly hurts its utility in the late game, where ex cards are capable of dealing over 100 damage for little investment. Much like Zebstrika, it does have some use in Pikachu ex decks.

Also read: Pokemon TCG Pocket: Card rarity guide

2) Eelektross

Eelektross deals solid damage and has a chance to paralyze its target (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Eelektross is one of the best Lightning-type lines players can use for their deck. Not only is Eelektross itself a great battler with excellent base damage for a non-ex card and a chance to paralyze, but its first evolution, Eelektrik, is fairly good in the early game, having a base 40 damage move that costs one Lightning energy.

The most important part about using creatures with chance elements in Pokemon TCG Pocket is making sure the damage remains consistent. Lots of attacks require players to flip a coin to deal bonus damage or sometimes any damage at all. Eelektross only paralyzing with its chance-based effect helps keep most of its performance consistent.

Also read: Pokemon TCG Pocket beginner guide

1) Pikachu ex

Pikachu ex is one of the easiest ex cards to use for new players, thanks to its low retreat cost (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pikachu ex is incredibly popular in online play. It is very easy to set up, only requiring three Lightning-type cards on the bench in order to deal max damage. With Pokemon TCG Pocket incentivizing decks revolving around a single type, this is an easy criteria to meet.

Pikachu ex also has some decent bulk with 120 HP and is very slippery with a retreat cost of one. Its Circle Circuit ability deals up to 90 damage and only costs two Lightning energies to use. This keeps it threatening at any stage of the game and makes it one of the most consistent options to use.

Also read: Pokemon TCG Pocket: How to open card packs for free