Deck Builder
Search, filter and add cards to a legal 20-card deck — with live rule checks as you build.
Filter by type and element, search by name, then add cards to your deck. It enforces the real deck rules — max 2 copies of any card, 20 cards total — and warns you if your deck can't start a game.
Find and add cards
Tap a card to add a copy. Tap again for the 2nd copy — that's the deck limit.
Know what you're missing and want to see the Pack Point cost to finish this deck?
The rules this tool enforces
Pokémon TCG Pocket decks are exactly 20 cards, with a maximum of 2 copies of any single card (by name). A deck also needs at least one Basic Pokémon so you always have something to start the game with.
How the Pokémon TCG Pocket deck builder works
This Pokémon TCG Pocket deck builder lets you pick cards straight from our own catalog of 3,520 cards across 21 sets and 26 packs, so every card you see here is the same card you can pull in the game. Add Pokémon and Trainer cards one by one and the builder blocks you the moment you break a rule, instead of letting you finish a deck that will get rejected in battle.
The goal is not just a legal deck. Once you hit 20 cards the builder can hand the list straight to the cost calculator, so you find out how many packs and how many days that exact deck will realistically take before you start grinding for it.
Deck building rules the tool enforces
Every legal deck follows the same three rules, and the builder will not let you save a deck that breaks any of them.
- Exactly 20 cards, no more and no fewer.
- A maximum of 2 copies of any card with the same name, regardless of which set or rarity that copy came from.
- No Energy cards go in the deck at all. Energy is generated automatically each turn by your Energy Zone based on the types you assigned to your deck, not drawn from the deck itself.
Because the Energy Zone only produces energy for the types tied to your deck, mixing too many Pokémon types makes it harder to get the right energy on the turn you need it. A single dominant type keeps your Energy Zone consistent, while a two-type deck trades some consistency for flexibility.
The most common mistake new builders make
The single most common mistake is building a deck that has no legal way to start a game. Every deck needs enough Basic Pokémon that you can reasonably open with one in your starting hand, otherwise you can end up stuck with a hand you cannot play. Players who build around evolution lines or rare Stage 2 attackers without stacking enough Basics underneath them are the ones who most often hit this wall.
The fix is simple: build up from your Basic Pokémon first, then add the evolutions and Trainer cards around them, rather than starting from a flashy attacker and working backward.
From deck list to shopping list
Once your 20 cards are locked in, the builder can send that exact list to our deck cost calculator. That tool uses the real pack odds and the Pack Point system to tell you how many packs and how many days it should take to complete the deck, instead of leaving you to guess how far away you actually are.
Pack Point matters here because it is a guaranteed backstop, not just a bonus. Every pack you open earns 5 Pack Points, tracked separately for each pack, and those points can be spent to redeem specific cards once you save up enough, so even a run of bad luck has a hard ceiling.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards does a legal deck need?
Exactly 20 cards. Not 19, not 21. The builder will not let you save a deck at any other count.
Can I run two copies of the same Pokémon?
Yes, up to 2 copies of any card sharing the same name, no matter which set or rarity that copy comes from. Trying to add a third copy is what the builder blocks most often.
Why can't I put Energy cards in my deck?
Pokémon TCG Pocket does not use an Energy card in the deck at all. Your Energy Zone generates energy automatically each turn based on the types you set for your deck, so those 20 deck slots are reserved entirely for Pokémon and Trainer cards.