Hello all you fans of the Pokemon Trading Card Game and casual readers. Pokemon cards come in many different types. Among those types are Trainer cards. These cards are incredibly versatile and essential to almost any game. But which are the best ones?
Today we’ll be looking at the top 15 Trainer cards in the Expanded format. If you are reading this in the far future this will take into account all cards released before August 20 of 2021. Also no cards that were banned at that time will be included. We will be taking into account how strong of an effect the card provides and also how versatile that effect is. Also bear in mind that there are hundreds of Trainer cards that cover a wide variety of effects, so it’s possible that your favorite will be overlooked. With that said, let’s get into the list.
15. Professor’s Letter
This Item is a great and simple card for getting energy. It lets you search your deck for any two basic energy and put them into your hand. It’s a great all around card for most decks.
14. Life Dew
This Tool card’s effect activates when the Pokemon it is attached to is knocked out. When this happens, your opponent takes one less prize card. Making your opponent take one less prize card is so good that this card is an Ace Spec card. A player may only use one Ace Spec card per deck.
13. Hypnotoxic Laser
This Team Plasma Item card instantly poisons your opponent’s Active Pokemon. You also flip a coin and if heads, that Pokemon is asleep as well. These are some potent Special Conditions that can add some helpful damage and even give you a free turn.
12. Acro Bike
Acro Bike allows you to look at the top two cards of your deck. You must put one into your hand and discard the other. This is one of the only useful draw Items and is great if you need to deck thin.
11. Lusamine
Lusamine puts two in any combination of Supporter and Stadium cards from your discard pile into your hand. This Supporter card was briefly banned from the Expanded format because playing two in a deck can allow you to never run out of cards. It has since been unbanned and we are free to play it to our heart’s content. Stall decks everywhere thank you.
10. VS Seeker
This Item card allows you to put a Supporter Card from your discard pile into your hand. Effectively this card becomes any Supporter card in your discard for you to play whether it be draw support of a switching effect. It’s really handy as long as you play enough of the Supporters you want to retrieve.
9. Rescue Stretcher
In my opinion, this is the best card for getting Pokemon out of your discard pile. The Rescue Stretcher Item allows you to either put one Pokemon from your discard pile into your hand or shuffle three Pokemon from your discard pile into your deck. I love the versatility of getting a single card immediately or planning ahead for more Pokemon.
8. Float Stone
This Tool card says that the Pokemon it is attached to has no retreat cost. Having no retreat cost is useful in many circumstances.
7. Boss’s Orders
Boss’s Orders lets you switch your opponent’s Active Pokemon with one of their Benched Pokemon. This Supporter isn’t essential to the game, but definitely changes it completely by undermining your opponents preparation and changing their board state to better suit you.
6. Marnie
Marnie is a draw and disruption Supporter card. When you play it, both players shuffle their hands and put them onto the bottom of their decks. Then you draw the top five cards of your deck and your opponent draws the top four. This card’s shuffle mechanic is unique because it guarantees that you won’t get the same cards again.
5. Cynthia
This Supporter shuffles your hand into your deck and draws six cards. Nice and simple.
4. Ultra Ball
This Item is the most versatile of the Pokemon search cards. You may discard two cards from your hand and then search your deck for any Pokemon you want. Everyone needs Pokemon to play.
3. Cynthia & Caitlin
This is one of the unique Tag Team Supporter cards. Cynthia & Caitlin puts a Supporter card from your discard pile into your hand. You may also discard a card from your hand to draw three cards. Draw support + retrieval = good all around card.
2. Computer Search
This is another one of the Ace Spec cards that we mentioned early. As such you can only play one in your deck, but it’s worth it. Computer Search discards two cards from your hand and lets you search your deck for any card you want. Just any card.
1. Switch
And here’s the card that is played in nearly every deck. The Switch Item card allows you to switch your Active Pokemon with one of your Benched Pokemon but it does so much more than that. The act of switching can rid your Pokemon of effects, bypass retreating blocks, and be used more than once per turn. There’s so much hidden talent in this card.
