Switching and Prize Denial

Pivot Tools and Retreat Cost Reducers

Beach Court SVI 167
Rescue Board TEF 159

Switching and Scoop Up Effects

Items

Switch Cart ASR 154
Switch SVI 194
Scoop Up Cyclone TWM 162

Supporters

Thorton LOR 167
Furisode Girl SIT 156
Kieran TWM 154

Prize Denial

Cheren’s Care BRS 134
Volo LOR 169
Professor Turo’s Scenario PAR 171
Legacy Energy TWM 167

Switch Cart, like Switch, enables you to change your Active Basic Pokémon without paying its Retreat Cost. Switch Cart serves as an alternative switching option in decks with a high demand for switching cards. Unlike Switch, Switch Cart can only move a Basic Pokémon from your Active Spot—but it carries an additional benefit as it also heals 30 damage from the Pokémon it removes from the Active Spot.

Decks that run Switch Cart tend to run 3-4 copies of the card.

Switch enables you to change your Active Pokémon without paying its Retreat Cost. Currently, Switch is one of the most common cards in the Standard format. Many decks run 4 copies of Switch, and few run less than 2. Because you can only retreat one time in a turn, Switch helps to ensure that you’ll be able to get the right Pokémon in the Active Spot when you need to.

Thorton switches one of your benched Pokémon in play with a Basic Pokémon in your discard pile. This can mean pulling a Support Pokémon like Lumineon V out of play in favor of switching into the prior evolution of one of your attacking Pokémon, like getting a discarded Magnemite in preparation for evolving into Magnezone ex using Rare Candy. Because Thorton retains turns in play, if a Pokémon switched out with Thorton has been in play for a turn, it can quickly evolve into the Evolution Pokémon you need.

Thorton is an uncommon inclusion in decks, but those that would want it would tend to run 1-2 copies of the card.

Furisode Girl is a means of forcing a Basic Pokémon from deck directly into the Active Spot. This can aid in getting a bad starting Pokémon out of the Active Spot, help to get a good one there in its place, or in putting a Pokémon with any sort of walling or other protection effects into the Active Spot.

Decks will not often run Furisode Girl. Decks that do will not often run more than 1 copy.

Cheren’s Care is a potent Supporter card that serves both as a Prize denial option and as a makeshift switching card. In exchange for using up your Supporter card for the turn, you can use Cheren’s Care to pick up a damaged Colorless Pokémon and all cards attached to it from your field, denying your opponent the opportunity to take easy Prize cards from its knockout. Additionally, you can use Cheren’s Care as a sort of emergency switching option to remove an unwieldy Pokémon from your Active Spot to then put what you want into the Active Spot.

Only Colorless-focused decks tend to play Cheren’s Care. Those decks tend to run just 1-2 copies of the card.

Volo tears away your opponents hopes for an easy two- or three-Prize knockout by discarding one of your Benched Pokémon V (including VMAX, V-UNION, and VSTAR). This means that in addition to removing heavily damaged attacking Pokémon V, Volo can be used to remove support Pokémon like Lumineon V from play.

Not every deck will run Volo, and indeed, many won’t. Those that do want Volo will likely include just 1 copy of the card.

Professor Turo’s Scenario, like Cheren’s Care, is a potent Supporter card that serves both as a Prize denial option and as a makeshift switching card. In exchange for using up your Supporter card for the turn, you can use Professor Turo’s Scenario to pick up a damaged Pokémon from your field, discarding any attached cards, but denying your opponent the opportunity to take easy Prize cards from its knockout. Additionally, you can use Professor Turo’s Scenario as a sort of emergency switching option to remove an unwieldy Pokémon from your Active Spot to then put what you want into the Active Spot.

Not all decks run Professor Turo’s Scenario. Decks that do tend to run just 1 copy of the card.