Home News Pokemon TCG Pocket: Poisoned, Explained (& All Cards with ‘Poison’ Ability)

Pokemon TCG Pocket: Poisoned, Explained (& All Cards with ‘Poison’ Ability)

Author : Aiden Update : Jan 20,2025

This guide explores the Special Condition "Poisoned" in Pokémon TCG Pocket, detailing its effects, which cards inflict it, how to cure it, and strategies for building effective Poison decks.

Pokémon TCG Pocket features several Special Conditions mirroring the physical card game, including Poisoned. This status inflicts gradual HP loss on an Active Pokémon until cured or knocked out. Understanding its application, relevant cards, cures, and deck-building strategies is crucial for success.

What is Poisoned in Pokémon TCG Pocket?

Poisoned is a Special Condition that subtracts 10 HP at the end of each round, calculated during the round Checkup. Unlike some effects, it persists until cured or the Pokémon is defeated. While it can combine with other Special Conditions, it doesn't stack with itself; a Pokémon only loses 10 HP per turn regardless of multiple Poison applications. However, this status can be exploited by cards like Muk, boosting damage against Poisoned opponents.

Which Cards Inflict Poisoned?

In the Genetic Apex expansion, five cards inflict Poisoned: Weezing, Grimer, Nidoking, Tentacruel, and Venomoth. Grimer stands out as an efficient Basic Pokémon, poisoning with a single Energy. Weezing provides another strong option, using its "Gas Leak" ability (no Energy required) while Active.

For Poison deck experimentation, explore Rental Decks. Koga's deck, featuring Grimer and Arbok, offers a solid starting point.

How to Cure Poisoned?

Poison Cure

Three methods cure Poisoned:

Evolution: Evolving a Poisoned Pokémon removes the status.
Retreat: Benching the Pokémon prevents further HP loss.
Item Cards: Cards like Potion heal HP, extending survivability but not curing Poisoned itself.

Building a Strong Poison Deck

Poison Deck Example

While not a top-tier archetype, a powerful Poison deck can be built around the Grimer, Arbok, and Muk synergy. The strategy focuses on rapid poisoning with Grimer, opponent lock-down using Arbok, and Muk's high damage against Poisoned targets.

Here's a sample META deck leveraging these synergies:

Card	Quantity	Effect
Grimer	x2	Applies Poisoned
Ekans	x2	Evolves into Arbok
Arbok	x2	Locks the opponent's Active Pokémon
Muk	x2	Deals 120 DMG to Poisoned Pokémon
Koffing	x2	Evolves into Weezing
Weezing	x2	Applies Poisoned via "Gas Leak" ability
Koga	x2	Returns Active Weezing or Muk to your hand
Poké Ball	x2	Draws a Basic Pokémon
Professor's Research	x2	Draws two cards
Sabrina	x1	Forces opponent's Active Pokémon to Retreat
X Speed	x1	Reduces Retreat cost

Alternative strategies include using Jigglypuff (PA) and Wigglytuff ex, or a slower, high-damage approach with the Nidoking evolution line (Nidoran, Nidorino, Nidoking).