The Pokémon TCG delivered an incredible showcase on the grand competitive stage! The best players battled fiercely for the title of Pokémon TCG 2025 Champion.
This year’s event featured a wide range of decks, though Gholdengo ex and Dragapult ex Dusknoir stood out with the strongest representation going into Day 2. While Gholdengo ex had the biggest surge in Day 2, none of its pilots managed to break into the Top 4. Instead, the finals came down to Gardevoir ex facing off against Dragapult ex Dusknoir, capping off an exciting weekend of competition.
Day 2 Deck Distribution
1st Place Gardevoir ex – Riley McKay
Pokémon: 16
4 Munkidori TWM 95
3 Ralts SVI 84
2 Kirlia SVI 85
2 Gardevoir ex SVI 86
1 Scream Tail PAR 86
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Flutter Mane TEF 78
1 Lillie's Clefairy ex JTG 56
1 Mew ex MEW 151
Trainer: 33
4 Professor's Research JTG 155
4 Iono PAL 185
2 Arven OBF 186
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
3 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
2 Rare Candy SVI 191
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
2 Nest Ball SVI 181
1 Super Rod PAL 188
1 Secret Box TWM 163
2 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
1 Technical Machine: Devolution PAR 177
1 Bravery Charm PAL 173
2 Artazon PAL 171
Energy: 11
7 Psychic Energy SVE 13
4 Darkness Energy SVE 15Gardevoir ex has been one of the strongest choices in Scarlet & Violet – Black Bolt meta, and it managed to win first place in Worlds, beating the popular Dragapult ex Dusknoir in the finals. This deck relies on Gardevoir ex and Scream Tail as damage deals and has Munkidori for the additional Counter damage. Lillie’s Clefairy ex has been a popular addition to combat popular Dragon decks like Dragapult.
An early Flutter Mane can slow the opponent’s pace, buying you enough time until you can set up your attacks. Scream Tail and Munkidori require damage Counters to get the most out of them, so Gardevoir ex’s Psychic Embrace plays a role here to ensure you have the damage Counter and maximize your damage output.
2nd Place Dragapult ex Dusknoir – Justin Newdorf
Pokémon: 23
4 Dreepy TWM 128
4 Drakloak TWM 129
3 Dragapult ex TWM 130
2 Duskull PRE 35
2 Dusclops PRE 36
1 Dusknoir PRE 37
2 Budew PRE 4
1 Latias ex SSP 76
1 Hawlucha SVI 118
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex TWM 141
1 Munkidori TWM 95
Trainer: 30
4 Professor's Research JTG 155
4 Iono PAL 185
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
2 Hilda WHT 84
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
4 Night Stretcher SFA 61
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
3 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Jamming Tower TWM 153
Energy: 7
3 Luminous Energy PAL 191
2 Psychic Energy SVE 13
1 Fire Energy SVE 10
1 Neo Upper Energy TEF 162Dragapult ex Dusknoir finished in second place at the Pokémon TCG Worlds. Dragapult ex can play fast, but this version cuts out Rare Candy entirely due to counter plays like Budew that can render them useless.
Dragapult ex deals 200 damage to the opponent’s Active Pokémon with its Phantom Dive attack and 60 damage to the opponent’s benched Pokémon. The list also has Munkidori as backup damage, allowing you to push that extra damage you need to get a knock-out on higher HP Pokémon.
Dusclops and Dusknoir are added damage, which can set you up to get a knock out on a Benched Pokemon that your opponent is relying on or to make sure you can deal with an Active Pokemon.
3d Place Raging Bolt ex Ogerpon ex – Shizuki Nakagawa
Pokémon: 21
3 Hoothoot SCR 114
3 Noctowl SCR 115
3 Raging Bolt ex TEF 123
3 Teal Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 25
2 Fan Rotom SCR 118
1 Raging Bolt SCR 111
1 Koraidon SSP 116
1 Ditto MEW 132
1 Chien-Pao SSP 56
1 Latias ex SSP 76
1 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
Trainer: 28
4 Professor Sada's Vitality PAR 170
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
1 Crispin SCR 133
1 Iono PAL 185
1 Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
3 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
1 Energy Retrieval SVI 171
1 Energy Switch SVI 173
1 Prime Catcher TEF 157
3 Area Zero Underdepths SCR 131
Energy: 11
5 Grass Energy SVE 9
3 Lightning Energy SVE 12
3 Fighting Energy SVE 14Raging Bolt ex Teal Mask Ogerpon ex is in the top 4! This deck uses Ogerpon’s Teal Dance to attach a Grass Energy and draw a card, adding more resources to your hand as you attach Energy. Those Energy cards can be used to attack with Ogerpon ex to activate its Myriad Leaf Shower to damage the opponent’s Active Pokemon.
However, in most cases, we’ll be discarding the Grass Energy to pump up Raging Bolt ex’s Bellowing Thunder attack to push for a heavier attack and one-shot an opponent’s Pokémon.
Raging Bolt ex has remained one of the top performers in Pokémon TCG for a while now, and it can play pretty aggressively to disrupt the opponent’s strategy and make it hard for them to get back in the game.
4th Place Charizard ex Pidgeotto ex – Junya Tanaka
Pokémon: 21
4 Charmander PAF 7
2 Charmeleon MEW 5
3 Charizard ex OBF 125
2 Pidgey OBF 162
1 Pidgeotto MEW 17
2 Pidgeot ex OBF 164
2 Duskull PRE 35
1 Dusclops PRE 36
1 Dusknoir PRE 37
1 Cleffa OBF 80
1 Chi-Yu PAR 29
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
Trainer: 32
4 Arven OBF 186
3 Iono PAL 185
3 Boss's Orders PAL 172
1 Jacq SVI 175
1 Briar SCR 132
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
3 Ultra Ball SVI 196
3 Rare Candy SVI 191
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
2 Super Rod PAL 188
1 Nest Ball SVI 181
1 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
1 Air Balloon BLK 79
1 Maximum Belt TEF 154
2 Artazon PAL 171
Energy: 7
6 Fire Energy SVE 10
1 Mist Energy TEF 161The Charizard ex is still a popular choice among the best players, having Pidgeot es as a searcher to find the cards you need and adding more consistency to your deck.
We’re relying on Rare Candy to speed up the Charizard ex evolution, skipping the Charmander evolution to have Charizard ex a turn earlier. Charizard ex can then activate his Infernal Reign to attach Fire Energy and speed up the attack turn process. Using Burning Darkness, Charizard ex can deal 180 damage to the opponent’s Active Pokemon and an additional 30 damage for each Prize Card your opponent has taken.
Charizard ex is popular for one-shotting high HP Pokémon, especially in the late game when your opponent has taken a couple of Prize Cards. Dusclops and Dusknoir are other sources of damage to make sure you get the knock out on a Benched or Active Pokemon.
5th Place Charizard ex Pidgeotto ex – Öjvind Svinhufvud
Pokémon: 21
3 Charmander PAF 7
1 Charmeleon PAF 8
1 Charmeleon MEW 5
3 Charizard ex OBF 125
2 Duskull PRE 35
1 Dusclops PRE 36
1 Dusknoir PRE 37
2 Pidgey MEW 16
1 Pidgeotto MEW 17
2 Pidgeot ex OBF 164
1 Chi-Yu PAR 29
1 Cleffa OBF 80
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169
Trainer: 33
3 Arven OBF 186
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
2 Iono PAL 185
1 Briar SCR 132
1 Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171
1 Professor's Research JTG 155
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
4 Rare Candy SVI 191
2 Super Rod PAL 188
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Pal Pad SVI 182
1 Night Stretcher SFA 61
1 Secret Box TWM 163
1 Defiance Band SVI 169
1 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
1 Artazon PAL 171
1 Mesagoza SVI 178
Energy: 6
5 Fire Energy SVE 10
1 Mist Energy TEF 1616th Place N’s Zoroark ex – Mateusz Łaszkiewicz
Pokémon: 17
4 N's Zorua JTG 97
4 N's Zoroark ex JTG 98
3 Munkidori TWM 95
2 N's Reshiram JTG 116
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex TWM 141
1 Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 64
1 Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 112
Trainer: 35
4 Arven OBF 186
3 Iono PAL 185
3 Boss's Orders PAL 172
1 Professor's Research JTG 155
1 Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171
3 Nest Ball SVI 181
3 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Ultra Ball SVI 196
1 Super Rod PAL 188
1 Pal Pad SVI 182
1 Night Stretcher SFA 61
1 Energy Switch SVI 173
1 Secret Box TWM 163
1 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
1 Switch SVI 194
1 N's PP Up JTG 153
2 Technical Machine: Turbo Energize PAR 179
1 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
1 Air Balloon BLK 79
2 Artazon PAL 171
Energy: 8
7 Darkness Energy SVE 15
1 Fighting Energy SVE 14N’s Zoroark ex’s Trade is a value ability, discarding a card to draw 2 and add more resources to your hand. N’s Zoroark ex relies on other N’s Pokémon to activate its Night Joker to deal damage. For 2 Darkness Energy, we get to copy N’s Reshiram attacks, Powerful Rage or Virtuous Flame, depending on the scenario of the game. N’s PP Up is perfect to speed things up and attach an Energy to your N’s Zoroark ex from the discard pile.
7th Place Gholdengo ex – Piper Lepine
Pokémon: 15
3 Gimmighoul SSP 97
1 Gimmighoul PAR 87
4 Gholdengo ex PAR 139
1 Gholdengo SSP 131
2 Genesect ex BLK 67
1 Togepi OBF 83
1 Togekiss SSP 72
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Munkidori TWM 95
Trainer: 34
4 Ciphermaniac's Codebreaking TEF 145
3 Arven OBF 186
3 Boss's Orders PAL 172
1 Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171
4 Superior Energy Retrieval PAL 189
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
3 Nest Ball SVI 181
1 Ultra Ball SVI 196
1 Tool Scrapper WHT 85
1 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
1 Night Stretcher SFA 61
1 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
1 Rare Candy SVI 191
1 Energy Search Pro SSP 176
3 Air Balloon BLK 79
1 Artazon PAL 171
1 Levincia JTG 150
Energy: 11
3 Metal Energy SVE 16
2 Lightning Energy SVE 12
1 Grass Energy SVE 9
1 Water Energy SVE 11
1 Fire Energy SVE 10
1 Fighting Energy SVE 14
1 Psychic Energy SVE 13
1 Darkness Energy SVE 15Gholdengo ex’s Coin Bonus is a value engine, drawing you a card each turn and 2 cards if Gholdengo ex is in the Active spot. This is adding resources to your hand, which will be crucial to our strategy as we’ll be relying on discarding Energy cards to push damage with Gholdengo ex. Gholdengo ex’s Make it Rain deals 50 damage for each Basic Energy card you discard, allowing you to one-shot any Pokémon in the Active spot if you have the Basic Energy cards to discard.
Superior Energy Retrieval will be important to get the Energy cards back into your hand from the discard pile and discard them a second time to push damage with Make it Rain.
8th Place N’s Zoroark ex – Marco Cifuentes Meta
Pokémon: 19
4 N's Zorua JTG 97
4 N's Zoroark ex JTG 98
2 Toedscool PAR 16
1 Toedscruel PAR 17
2 Munkidori TWM 95
2 N's Reshiram JTG 116
1 Cleffa OBF 80
1 Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex TWM 141
1 Pecharunt ex SFA 39
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
Trainer: 34
4 Arven OBF 186
2 Janine's Secret Art PRE 112
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
2 Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171
2 Iono PAL 185
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
3 Nest Ball SVI 181
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
2 Super Rod PAL 188
2 Energy Switch SVI 173
1 Ultra Ball SVI 196
1 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
1 Pal Pad SVI 182
1 Unfair Stamp TWM 165
2 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
1 Binding Mochi PRE 95
2 N's Castle JTG 152
Energy: 7
7 Darkness Energy SVE 15
