Hello all you fans of the Pokemon Trading Card Game and casual readers. The Pokemon Trading Card Game thrives on the multitude of playable strategies. While it is easy to zoom out and say that the only objective in Pokemon is to hit your opponent harder than they hit you, there is a lot more nuance than that. For example, which Pokemon Type do you prefer to play? There are the hard hitting fire types that burn away energy when they attack. There are electric types that specialize in lightning fast attacks. There are colorless types that sacrifice power for adaptability. And there are the cerebral psychic types that manipulate energy cards, other Pokémon, and damage counters to pull off unusual attacks.

Today we’re going to be looking at the top 15 best psychic type cards in the Pokemon TCG. This list will only take into consideration cards released before May of 2021. We will be judging these cards based on the abilities printed on the cards alone so unfortunately multi-card combos are off the table.

Malamar & Garbodor.

Before we get into the list, I would like to give some honorable mentions to Malamar and Garbodor. Both of these cards sport amazing support abilities, but these abilities alone don’t make them competitive enough to rank with the other cards on this list. In addition, many basic psychic types combo incredibly well with Malamar but aren’t super good on their own. With that said, let’s get into the list.

15. Garbodor

Garbodor from Guardians Rising.

• This Stage 1 Pokemon has 120 HP.
• Garbodor’s Trashalanche attack deals 20 damage for each item card in your opponent’s discard pile and only costs one energy. Item cards are a crucial part of any deck and your opponents often play multiple in the same turn so this attack becomes powerful quickly.
• For three energy, Acid Spray deals 70 damage and discards an energy from your opponent’s active Pokemon if you flip heads.

14. Mega Gengar EX

Mega Gengar EX from Phantom Forces.

• This Mega Pokemon has 220 HP.
• This Pokemon only has one attack, but it has access to multiple. For three energy, you can use the Phantom Gate attack. This attack allows you to use the attacks of one of your opponent’s Pokemon. This means that if your opponent has a powerful attack, you now have it, too. You don’t even need the energy for the attack, you can just use it.

13. Mew (Fates Collide)

Mew from Fates Collide.

• This Basic Pokemon has 50 HP.
• This Pokémon’s attack lets you search your deck for a Pokemon and put it into your hand. It only costs one energy and can be helpful in setting up your board. 
• The Memories of Dawn ability allows you to use the attacks of any of your Basic Pokemon in play as long as you have the energy needed for it. This versatility allows Mew to use the attacks of powerful EX, GX, and V Pokemon without risking multiple prize cards.

12. Muk & Alola Muk GX

Muk & Alolan Muk from Unbroken Bonds.

• This Basic Tag Team Pokemon has 270 HP.
• The Severe Poison attack costs three energy to use and poisons your opponent’s active Pokemon. Once they are poisoned, they take 80 damage at the end of each turn instead of 10. This damage happens much more often than conventional attacks and goes through abilities that would usually block GX Pokemon.
• The Poison Absorption costs four energy and deals 120 damage. In addition, if your opponent’s active Pokemon is still poisoned from your previous attack or some other means, this attack heals 100 damage from MukMuk.
• Since MukMuk is a GX Pokemon, it has access to a powerful GX attack. Nasty Goo Mix GX paralyzes and poisons your opponent’s Pokemon and you don’t even need any energy. However, if you get four energy onto MukMuk, the poison from this attack does 150 damage instead of 10.

11. Mew EX

Mew EX from Legendary Treasure.

• This Basic EX Pokemon has 120 HP.
• For one energy, Mew’s replace attack allows you to rearrange any energy you have in play. This can make it much easier to get any energy you want on or off of Mew.
• Why would you want energy on your Mew when this is his only attack? Well Mew’s Versatile ability is exactly what it suggests. With it you can use the attacks of any Pokemon in play as long as you have the right energy. You can even use your opponent’s attacks. 

10. Wobbuffet V

Wobbuffet V from Sword & Shield.

• This Basic V Pokemon has 220 HP.
• The HP of Wobbuffet is slightly higher than usual and it helps with his attack. Gritty Comeback costs two energy and allows you to swap the damage on both active Pokemon. This can allow you to fully heal your Wobbuffet while dealing tons of damage to your opponent if you play it right. 
• Gritty Comeback obviously doesn’t do anything if your opponent decides not to attack you, so Wobbuffet has the Shadow Bind attack just in case. For two energy, this attack deals 70 damage and your opponent can’t retreat next turn. 

9. Gengar & Mimikyu GX

Gengar & Mimikyu GX from Team Up.

• This Basic Tag Team Pokemon has 240 HP.
• For two energy, the Poltergeist attack reveals your opponent’s hand and does 50 damage for each trainer card there. Every deck needs to play trainer cards, so this attack is bound to do some good damage before your opponent catches on. 
• If you’re up against a smart opponent, they will immediately start getting rid of their trainers. That’s when you use your GX attack. Horror House GX only costs one energy and says that your opponent can’t play any cards from their hand during their next turn. Often this just freezes your opponent for a turn. This attack can also make both players draw cards until they have seven in their hand if you have an extra energy attached. This can refill their hand with trainers and give you cards you need as well.

8. Nidoqueen

Nidoqueen from Team Up.

• This Stage 2 Pokemon has 160 HP.
• For three energy, Nidoqueen can use the attack Power Lariat. This attack deals 10 damage plus 50 more for each evolution Pokemon you have on your bench. 
• Nidoqueen’s Queen Call ability lets you search your deck for any Pokemon and put it into your hand. This can be used to power up Nidoqueen’s attack or as a powerful supporting ability for almost any deck.

7. Lunala Prism Star

Lunala Prism Star from Ultra Prism.

• This Basic Prism Star Pokemon has 160 HP.
• Lunala’s Full Moon Star attack costs one energy and allows you to attach a psychic energy from your discard to your Pokemon for each of your opponent’s Pokemon in play. This can be a powerful energy acceleration attack if your opponent has a full bench.
• For four energy, the Psystorm attack deals 20 damage for each energy attached to all of your Pokemon in play. This can be an incredibly powerful move that doesn’t require you to devote too many resources to Lunala itself. 
• Lunala is a Prism Star Pokemon. This means that it is considered incredibly powerful and you are only allowed to play one Lunala per deck. Make sure you use it well. 

6. Mega Mewtwo EX

Mega Mewtwo EX from Breakthrough.

• This Mega Pokemon has 210 HP.
• For two energy, the Psychic Infinity attack deals 10 damage plus 30 more for each energy on both active Pokemon. This attack can quickly become very powerful and punishes your opponent for attaching energy. 

5. Tapu Lele GX

Tapu Lele GX from Guardians Rising.

• This Basic GX Pokemon has 170 HP.
• Tapu Lele’s ability is the main thing that makes this card good. Wonder Tag searches your deck for a supporter card when you play Tapu Lele onto your bench.
• The Energy Drive attack is very similar to Mega Mewtwo’s attack. It costs two energy and deals 20 damage for each energy attached to both active Pokemon. 
• Tapu Cure GX only costs one energy and heals all damage from two of your benched Pokemon. 

4. Trevenant & Dusknoir GX

Trevenant & Dusknoir GX is a Promo.

• This Basic Tag Team Pokemon has 270 HP.
• The Night Watch attack costs three energy and deals 150 damage. It also shuffles two random cards from your opponent’s hand back into their deck. This can be a powerful disruptor of your opponent’s plan.
• Pale Moon GX knocks out the defending Pokemon at the end of your opponent’s next turn. This costs two energy and if you have an extra energy you can also discard all energy from your opponent’s active Pokemon. 

3. Alcremie VMAX

Alcremie VMAX from Champions Path.

• This VMAX Pokemon has 310 HP.
• The Adornment attack searches your deck for energy and attaches one to each of your benched Pokemon. It only costs one energy to do this. 
• Once you have plenty of energy on the board from your first attack, you can use G-Max Whisk to discard some of them and deal 60 damage for each one discarded. This can do nearly infinite damage and only costs two energy.

2. Mewtwo & Mew GX

Mewtwo & Mew GX from Unified Minds.

• This Basic Tag Team Pokemon has 270 HP.
• Miraculous Duo GX deals 200 damage for three energy. In addition, if you have an extra energy this attack heals all damage from all of your Pokemon. That is incredibly powerful.
• The Perfection ability allows Mewtwo & Mew to use the attacks of any GX or EX Pokemon in your discard pile or on your bench. As long as you have the right energy, Mewtwo and Mew has access to many of the most powerful attacks in the game all at the same time. 

1. Dragapult VMAX

Dragapult VMAX from Rebel Clash.

• This VMAX Pokemon has 320 HP.
• For one energy, the Shred attack deals 60 damage and hits through all effects on your opponent’s Pokemon. 
• Dragapult VMAX is at the top of this list because of its versatility, high HP and low energy cost attacks. The Max Phantom attack costs two energy and deals 130 damage to your opponent’s active Pokemon while spreading 50 damage around their bench. When used properly, you can set up multiple knockouts at the same time and frustrate almost any deck.

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