Pokémon TCG Pocket is a dream for card collectors, offering a full simulated pack opening experience with plenty of rare cards to snap up and use in battles.
The first expansion set is called Genetic Apex and it’s important to choose which packs you open carefully if you’re concerned about finding particular hits. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences, looking at whether you should opt for Charizard, Pikachu, or Mewtwo packs.
What are the best packs in Pokémon TCG Pocket?
Other than the pack artwork, the main difference between Genetic Apex booster packs is the list of exclusive cards they offer. In the game, this can be seen as a scrolling pop-up in the booster pack screen, highlighting the best exclusive cards.
It’s easier to think of the booster packs like mini sub-sets or special sets if you’re a fan of the traditional Pokémon TCG. They’re all part of the main, overarching Genetic Apex expansion set but they have their own exclusive lists and perks for battlers.
Picking the Pikachu pack when you open up the game for the first time won’t lock you out of picking up the others at any point. You can open all three Genetic Apex booster packs, providing you wait for the timer to tick over or you stock up on currency instead.
While there are both functional and beautiful cards in all three booster packs, the top picks can be seen in the table below. This is by no means an exclusive list, but these cards stand out as being competitively viable and worthwhile for collectors.
| Booster pack | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Charizard | Charizard ex (◊◊◊◊) Moltres ex (◊◊◊◊) Alakazam ex (☆) Erika (☆☆) |
| Mewtwo | Mewtwo ex (◊◊◊◊) Venusaur ex (◊◊◊◊) Cubone (☆) Giovanni (☆☆) |
| Pikachu | Pikachu ex (◊◊◊◊) Blastoise ex (◊◊◊◊) Wigglytuff ex (☆☆) Eevee (☆) |
Note the rarity symbols to the side of each card: You can pick an Eevee from wherever (we pulled one from a Mewtwo pack, for example). But the star-rarity, full-art Eevee is tied to the Pikachu booster pack specifically.
This means you’re much more likely to be able to build your dream deck without needing to focus on one booster pack exclusively. It’s also great news for players who don’t want to spend anything to get their hands on useful cards, as the only thing that’s rare is the art, not the power itself.
In terms of competitive viability, the booster packs are roughly equal in value, with the Pikachu pack standing out slightly as the worst of the bunch. It’s not drastically bad, but the cards from the Mewtwo and Charizard booster packs have more value in terms of deck-building and matchups.
While cards in the Pikachu booster pack do have some powerful attacks and could be used in some interesting decks with the right builds, they don’t stack up to the potential damage output of Mewtwo ex or the tankiness of Charizard ex. They’re good, but not as great.
If you’re an art collector who’s hoping to pad your digital binder with specific versions of your favorite cards, you need to be mindful of which booster packs you open to avoid wasting your currency. There’s no way to refund currency in Pokémon TCG Pocket, so all pack purchases are final.
For those who are planning to play Pokémon TCG Pocket purely as a collector and pick up rare cards, it does not matter which booster packs you open. Go with whichever one offers the most interesting art and rare card exclusives.
Some rarities are much harder to track down than others. Double stars have a 0.5% chance of being pulled from a standard pack, while quadruple diamond cards have a 1.666% chance of being pulled from a regular booster pack.
If you’re hoping to build solid decks and play against other Pocket users online, it’s worth starting with the Charizard and Mewtwo booster packs before picking up the Pikachu booster pack.
The rental decks associated with Charizard ex and Mewtwo ex can hold their own in most matchups, giving players an easy way to hit the ground running on their first day of play. Additionally, the version exclusives for Mewtwo and Charizard packs hold a lot of potential for creative deck builds.
If you want to read more about the first Pokémon TCG Pocket expansion set to help you pick your first booster pack, make sure to give our full card list a read. There are 286 cards to collect in Genetic Apex, meaning there’s plenty of ways to customize your deck to suit your personal playstyle.
