Pokemon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky: Meta predictions, analysis and expected cards

The Pokemon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky was recently announced, officially showcasing the title's ninth expansion set. Scheduled to go live on July 30, 2025, this pack introduces a new chapter by starting the A4 series. It also concludes the A3 series, which consisted of a main expansion and two mini packs. The A4 format is expected to follow a similar release pattern.

Wisdom of Sea and Sky will bring over 200 new cards to the title, with a strong emphasis on Gen 2 or the Johto region. Additionally, the expansion will arrive as a two-pack release, much like Space-Time Smackdown.

At the heart of this set is the legendary Tower Duo of Ho-Oh and Lugia, with each being the face of the booster packs.

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Pokemon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky: Card breakdown and competitive prediction

1) The Tower Duo: Ho-Oh ex and Lugia ex

Ho-Oh ex and Lugia ex (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Ho-Oh ex, a Fire-type, is designed as a strong support unit. It deals 80 damage with Phoenix Turbo — which requires three Colorless energy — while also drawing a Fire, Lightning, and Water Energy from your Energy Zone to distribute among your Benched Basic Pokemon. This multi-energy distribution makes it an invaluable opener, setting up the battlefield for more aggressive late-game plays.

Lugia ex is the Colorless-type powerhouse of the duo. Its attack, Elemental Blast, delivers a crushing 180 damage, but comes at the cost of discarding one of each — Fire, Lightning, and Water Energy. This makes Lugia ex highly dependent on Ho-Oh’s setup, but the payoff is worth it, capable of one-shotting most cards in the current format.

Together, they offer a synergy that’s likely to define the early meta. Expect to see Ho-Oh ex frequently used as an opener, paving the way for Lugia ex, or other experimental cards to clean up mid to late game. Ho-Oh may also appear in Dragonite and Dragonite ex decks, setting up Dratini before it evolves.

2) Espeon ex and Umbreon ex

Umbreon ex and Espeon ex (Image via The Pokemon Company)

These two Johto favorites bring unique roles to the table. Espeon ex offers 80 damage for two Psychic Energy and comes with Psychic Healing, a passive effect that heals 30 HP from an ally if Espeon is in the Active Spot. While useful in the early game, the low healing value is likely to be outpaced as the game progresses.

Umbreon ex, in contrast, is far more disruptive. Also hitting for 80 damage using two Darkness Energy, its ability Dark Chase drags a damaged Benched Pokemon into the Active Spot if Umbreon is currently active. This offers a powerful tool to finish off wounded enemies, making this critter essentially a repeatable, unrestricted version of Cyrus.

Also read: Pokemon TCG Pocket A4 pack revealed, titled Wisdom of Sea and Sky

3) Johto Starter trio

Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Basic versions of Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile are also part of this expansion. Each Pocket Monster starts with 60 HP and can deal 20 damage with just one Energy of their respective type. On their own, they’re nothing remarkable in competitive terms, but with final evolutions expected, their viability will hinge on how strong Meganium, Typhlosion, and Feraligatr turn out to be.

4) Baby Pokemon

Pichu and Cleffa (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pichu provides a Lightning Energy to one of your Benched Pokemon, while Cleffa allows you to search your deck for a random Pokemon. Their no-energy cost and early-game utility make them versatile inclusions, especially when going first, where you can’t attach any energy, essentially turning the popularly opinionated first-turn disadvantage in your favour.

5) Shiny Gyarados

Shiny Gyarados (Image via The Pokemon Company)

A nod to the iconic Red Gyarados from the Lake of Rage, this card unfortunately misses the competitive mark. Its move lets you discard any number of Benched Water Pokemon to add 40 damage per discard to a base 20 attack.

At most, that’s 140 damage while sacrificing your own board — while the damage number is solid, the trade-off is hardly worth it. While it may hold sentimental value, its actual use may be limited.

Also read: Pokemon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky new cards: Stage, ability, movesets, and more

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Pokemon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky: Key Support and Trainer Cards

All Trainer Cards revealed in the announcement (Image via The Pokemon Company)

• Lyra: Allows you to switch a damaged Active Pokemon with one on your Bench. While functional, it mirrors Leaf and doesn’t add much value.
• Silver: A potent control tool. It forces your opponent to reveal their hand, lets you select a Supporter card, and then shuffles it back into their deck. This can severely disrupt strategies dependent on powerful plays, such as Rare Candy, Misty, or Eevee Bag.
• Elemental Switch: Moves a Fire, Water, or Lightning Energy from a Benched Pokemon to your Active Pokemon. Though type-restricted, it gains value by being an Item card, allowing more aggressive plays without eating into your one-Trainer card limit.
• Rescue Scarf: When a Pokemon with this attached is Knocked Out by damage from an attack, it returns to your hand instead of the discard pile. Note: this does not apply to KO effects from poison or burn. It’s a situationally strong tech card, particularly for decks that rely on preserving key Pokemon.

Also read: Pokemon TCG Pocket Trade Token changes revealed

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Pokemon TCG Pocket Wisdom of Sea and Sky: Speculated and expected cards

The Legendary Beasts Trio as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Given the debut of Lugia and Ho-Oh ex, it’s highly probable that we’ll see the Legendary Beasts Trio, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune make an appearance. These three were central to Johto lore and would be fitting additions alongside the Tower Duo.

With the base forms of the starter trio already confirmed, it’s almost guaranteed that their evolutions (Bayleef, Quilava, and Croconaw, leading up to Meganium, Typhlosion, and Feraligatr) will be part of the set. At least two of these final forms may receive ex variants.

A Kimono Girl Trainer card would thematically align with the Eeveelutions, especially Espeon ex and Umbreon ex, as they were notably featured together in the Johto region alongside the Kimono Girls.

Johto was also rich in Baby Pokemon, so we can anticipate babies like Igglybuff, Smoochum, and Tyrogue joining the current pool, complementing Cleffa and Pichu’s theme.

Other Pokemon that could receive powerful ex variants include Crobat, Ampharos, Heracross, Scizor, Mamoswine, and Tyranitar — all fan favourites and competitive staples in the main series games.

Lastly, a Lance Trainer Card would be a fitting inclusion. As the Johto Champion, Lance's card could offer powerful synergy for Dragon-type decks. Potential effects might include a general buff to all Dragon-types or damage boosts to Dragonite, Tyranitar, Gyarados, or Aerodactyl — Lance’s team across various games and media.

Also read: Pokemon TCG Pocket Eevee Grove: All cards, types, and rarities

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Edited by Aashish Victor