Pokemon Abilities are perfect ways to get extra effects going each turn. WhilePokemon TCG Pocketdoes not have as many Abilities to choose from compared to the long-standing Pokemon TCG, there are plenty of options that crop up to the top due to their usefulness in a battle.
Some Abilities help their types gain an advantage, while others are splashable and can be combined with any deck to open up new paths to victory. So, which are the best Abilities, and which ones require a bit more legwork to utilize? Here are Pokemon with Abilities you should keep an eye out for due to their usefulness.
Updated July 01, 2025, by Alexander Pinera:Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Mythical Island manages to bring over some of the most powerful Abilities in the main game to the pocket version of the card game. While some abilities can be used to make different plays during your turn, others create barriers that your opponent will need to work around if they intend to beat you in a game. As long as you have these abilities on your side, you’re able to significantly improve the power ceiling of your deck for some easy wins. So get ready to improve your deckbuilding. These are the best Pokemon abilities to choose from.
17Serperior Jungle Totem
Double Energy
Jungle Totem gives Grass decksa whole new way to accelerate Energy. Rather than getting an extra Energy from the Energy Zone, it instead doubles the amount of Energy already on the field. The only catch is that you need to Evolve Snivy all the way into Serperior.
Not only does this Ability instantly double your Energy, but it also works while Serperior is safe on the Bench. This means it doesn’t need to attack to get the effects to kick off, and it doesn’t have to be vulnerable in the Active Spot where your opponent can shut it down.
16Vaporeon Wash Out
Modular Energy
Vaporeon’s Wash Out Ability is unique since it works as an alternative or supplemental way of getting your Water Pokemon ready to attack. It doesn’t generate Energy on its own but lets you rearrange the Energy on the field as long as it’s Water.
This can be surprisingly useful if you put your mind to it. You can move an Energy to pay for a Retreat Cost, then move any other Energy on the field to your new Active Pokemon to get it to attack on the same turn.
15Aerodactyl Ex Primeval Law
Return To The Stone Age
Primeval Law is an easy Ability to set up, requiring only that you Evolve your Old Amber into Aerodactyl ex. Once Aerodactyl ex is on the field, your opponent won’t be able to Evolve any Pokemon they have in the Active Spot.
This can stop your opponent from doing many things, including recovering HP by Evolving their Active Pokemon, getting Abilities they need on the field, or Evolving to bypass Status Effects. The best part is Primeval Law works even if Aerodactyl ex is on the Bench.
14Druddigon Rough Skin
An Aggressive Stall Tactic
Druddigon has a tough Ability called Rough Skin. Each time your opponent lands an attack on Druddigon, they also take 20 damage. This makes Druddigon an excellent Pokemon to draw into at the start of a game, since you can place it on your Active Spot for defensive maneuvers.
Even if you don’t have the Energy needed to attack with Druddigon, Rough Skin gives your opponent a constricting choice. Do they try to beat over Druddigon with their weak Pokemon at the start of the game? Or let it sit there while you set up your Evolutions on the Bench?
13Porygon
Peek At Your Next Card
Porygon isa funny little Colorless Pokemonwith a unique design. It also has an Ability that is unique to itself. Data Scan lets you look at the top card of your deck once per turn.
While this doesn’t do much in terms of damage or getting points, you can use it to see if your next draw will help you out or not. Then, you can combine this Ability with a card like Poke Ball, which will shuffle your deck and give you a different card for your next draw.
12Butterfree
Heal Your Pokemon
Butterfree has a very helpful Ability since it can heal your entire team by 20 every turn. This means any Pokemon that took a beating from your opponent has a chance to come back if the game stalls long enough.
Butterfree also doesn’t need to be in the Active Spot, making it an excellent method of supporting your team from the safety of the Bench.
11Victreebel
Wrangle Up A Benched Pokemon
Fragrance Trap doesn’t let your opponent’s Pokemon run away. They can try, but as long as Victreebel is in the Active Spot, you’ll be able to drag them back out without effort.
Victreebel can choose any Pokemon from the Bench, which will allow you to strike at your opponent’s weakest targets. So, it is a very useful Ability to use to score some strategic points.
10Poliwrath
Too Tough To Touch
Poliwrath has some extra protection due to its Counterattack Ability. Each time it takes damage due to one of your opponent’s attacks, it deals 20 damage right back. With 150 HP, this means weaker Pokemon will put themselves at risk of trying to take Poliwrath down.
Mega Punch also does decent damage, giving Poliwrath a way to strike back after being hit. This can bridge the gap and even create game states where your opponent must sacrifice one of their cards to take down yours.
9Cloyster
A Hardened Shell
Cloyster has 120 HP and an Ability that makes your opponent’s attacks weaker each time they hit. Shell Armor allows Cloyster to last just a bit longer, but with a three Energy Move that does 70, it doesn’t really offer much else besides protection.
Regardless, taking ten less damage can buy you at least one extra turn when dealing with some weaker Pokemon. This works best if you get Cloyster out early in the game.
8Greninja
An Aggressive Ability
Greninja’s Water Shuriken is one of the most aggressive Abilities in Pokemon TCG Pocket. Once Greninja is on the field, you can start dealing an extra 20 damage each turn to any Pokemon on your opponent’s side of the field.
This is the perfect counter for when your opponent uses Potion to buy themselves an extra turn since the damage from Greninja evens the odds in a fight.
