The most sought-after card in Pokémon TCG Pocket doesn't feature any Pokémon

Pokémon TCG Pocket recently celebrated its first six months with a special release: the Celestial Guardians expansion, which focuses on Pokémon from the Alola region. Although the set has brought highly anticipated cards, such as regional evolutions and new illustrations, one card in particular has stolen all the attention—and it doesn't represent any Pokémon.

It's the Rare Candy, an item that in the card game has a decisive effect: it allows a basic Pokémon to evolve directly to its Stage 2, skipping Stage 1. In a dynamic environment like Pokémon TCG Pocket, this mechanic has changed the way many players build their decks.

How Rare Candy works

The card allows, for example, that if a player has a Froakie in play, they can evolve it directly into a Greninja, without going through Frogadier. This type of play reduces the turns needed to deploy powerful cards, which represents a considerable competitive advantage.

Since its appearance in the Celestial Guardians expansion, Rare Candy has become an essential card, on par with other staples like Professor's Research or Poké Ball. However, unlike the latter, which are available in the store, Rare Candy can only be obtained through packs of the new expansion, which has increased demand.

Impact on game strategy

"The fast pace of TCG Pocket makes Stage 2 cards impractical if you have to wait three turns", experienced players explain in specialized forums. This situation has led many users to prefer Pokémon EX, which require less preparation. However, Rare Candy offers an intermediate solution that brings back strategies with full evolutions.

Another advantage is that this card can appear in both types of expansion packs, preventing a single pack from becoming dominant in the market. The community is spending large amounts of Pokéwatches (the game's currency) in search of the desired item.

A growing game

Pokémon TCG Pocket continues to establish itself as one of the most popular apps of the moment. With challenges that encourage collection—such as one that requires accumulating more than 5,000 different cards—and constant updates, the title keeps a very active user base.

Rare Candy is emerging as a key card in the metagame, not for representing a legendary or exotic creature, but for its strategic value. Its demand