Which Starter Booster Pack Is the Best in Pokemon TCG Pocket

You might not realize it, but the starter pack you choose at the beginning of Pokemon TCG Pocket has significant effects on your early gameplay. It might be wise not to let your heart guide you in this decision, as these shiny, attractive packs offer more than just aesthetic appeal. Each pack sets you up for a different start, which may not align with your expectations.

This guide will help you decide which starter booster pack to open in Pokemon TCG Pocket. It explains the differences between the packs and how each one caters to the specific needs of Pokemon fans.

What the Initial Booster Pack Determines

What Pokemon TCG Pocket‘s training doesn’t mention is that choosing your first free card will impact three important aspects of gameplay: your starter deck, EX Pokemon, and full art card. Each of the three packs—Pikachu, Charizard, and Mewtwo—is linked to a specific progression line that can influence your collection early in the game.

The Starter Deck

• Charizard: Grass Deck
• Mewtwo: Fighting Deck
• Pikachu: Fire Deck

Pokemon TCG Pocket greets you with a free starter deck, offering three options: Grass, Fighting, and Fire. The type you receive is determined by the first card pack you select. If you want to focus on a specific type from the start, choose your starter pack accordingly: Charizard for Grass, Mewtwo for Fighting, and Pikachu for Fire.

The EX Pokemon

• Charizard: EX Exeggcute
• Mewtwo: EX Marowak
• Pikachu: EX Arcanine

At the start of the game, you’ll receive one EX Pokemon, but, like the starter deck, the EX card you get depends on the pack you select during the tutorials. Choosing the Charizard pack gives you Exeggcute, the Mewtwo pack gives you Marowak, and the Pikachu pack yields Arcanine.

The Full Art Card

• Charizard: Charmander
• Mewtwo: Bulbasaur
• Pikachu: Squirtle

Full Art cards are unique variants with rare artwork. At the start, you can have one of these based on the pack selection. If you pick the Charizard pack, you get Charmander’s Full Art, and if you open the Mewtwo’s or Pikachu’s packs, you get Bulbasaur’s and Squirtle’s variants, respectively.

The Best Booster Pack to Open First

Here’s how to decide which booster pack to open.

Best META Starter Pack: Charizard

The best booster pack at the start of the game is Charizard’s. The reason is that you get a solid, META-adjusted deck from the beginning, and you also obtain one of the best early-game EX cards, EX Exeggcute. Also, the Full Art Charmander you receive with this bundle is among the most adorable artwork in Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Best Advanced Pack: Mewtwo

If you plan to play Pokemon TCG Pocket competitively, you should choose the Mewtwo pack. While the cards and combos you receive may not align with the early-game META, unlocking key players like Venusaur, Gengar, Giovanni, and Mewtwo will allow you to build a nearly unbeatable lineup later.

Best Aesthetic Pack: Pikachu

So far in the Genetic Apex series, Pikachu’s starter booster pack has been the weakest. While you can still create effective synergies from this roster, Pikachu’s lineup appears less competitive compared to those of Charizard and Mewtwo—at least for now.

Starter Booster Pack Tier List

The following table visualizes the value of each starter pack in Pokemon TCG Pocket.