Expert Battle in Pokémon TCG Pocket: How the Hardest Mode Works

Solo battle has four difficulty tiers: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert. Two independent sources confirm Expert sits at the top, with tougher opponent decks than any of the tiers below it.

• Every new expansion set ships its own wave of Expert Battle opponents alongside the set's release
• The roster of fights keeps growing release after release — nothing gets removed as new sets launch
• Each opponent runs a themed deck built around one or two Pokémon ex from that set

This is the mechanic that makes Expert Battle distinct from lower tiers. Nearly every Expert opponent locks your own deck to Pokémon of one particular type — for example, you might be required to beat a Fire-type rival deck using only Water-type Pokémon in your own deck.

• The required type is different boss by boss, and is shown on that battle's selection screen before you queue
• Your regular ranked deck almost never qualifies as-is — you need to build or switch to a same-type deck first
• Some fights layer on extra requirements on top of the type restriction, such as a turn limit or using only cards below a certain rarity

Two sources independently confirm two separate reward layers on every Expert Battle:

• A first-clear reward focused on Pack Hourglasses, plus smaller currency — paid out exactly once per opponent, the first time you win
• A separate Battle Trial bonus objective on the same fight — a tougher win condition layered on top, paying out additional Shop Tickets once completed

Because the first-clear reward is Pack Hourglass-centric, clearing every Expert Battle at least once is worth doing purely for that currency — even if you never revisit the fight or attempt its Battle Trial.

Since rewards are front-loaded onto the first clear, Expert Battle is best treated as a one-time checklist per set rather than a farming loop.

• Clear each new set's Expert opponents once for the Pack Hourglasses, then move on
• Building a dedicated type-restricted deck just for one Expert fight is rarely worth keeping outside that fight, since Ranked play draws from a much wider card pool
• Treat the Battle Trial bonus objectives as optional — nice for the extra Shop Tickets, but not something to chase if your type-restricted deck is a struggle to build