Joltik

What Joltik looks like when you open the box

Across the 41 lists we counted, this deck runs 13 to 20 Pokémon, 25 to 33 Trainers and 12 to 16 Energy. Its attacks are paid for in Grass, Lightning and Metal.

On results pages and on stream you will see it written « joltik-box ». The cards we can recognise in that label are Joltik. The bit « box » does not point at any one card in the list, so we leave it out of the name rather than make up a meaning.

Look at the Energy: 12 to 16 out of 60, when half the 126 decks we track run 11 or fewer. This one carries more than most, and you feel it at the table — it wants to load up a big Pokémon and swing hard, even if that means drawing a spare Energy now and then.

Nothing here needs evolving — everything that attacks is a Basic Pokémon. Put it down, charge it, swing. That is as fast as the game gets, and it makes those turns where you draw nothing far less painful.

Look at the Trainers: 25 to 33 cards out of 60, against a median of 31 across the 126 decks we track. Inside that, 10 to 18 Supporters, and the rule there is strict — one a turn, even if you are holding three. The 2 to 16 Items you can play all of in the same turn. It also brings up to 5 Stadiums, and 23 of the 126 decks we track bring that many or more. Only one Stadium sits on the table at a time: the one you play sends the one already there to the discard pile.

What Tools and Stadiums do — the two Trainer families we skipped here — and why the Energy count says so much: how to read a deck list.

What the card in this deck's name actually does

Joltik gives this deck its name. Here is what is written on it.

Joltik is in all 41 lists, 2 copies of it. Its attack Jolting Charge costs 1 Energy (Colorless) and has no damage number printed next to it. That is why you will not find it in the attacker table lower down, which sorts by printed damage. Everything it does lives in its text: « Search your deck for up to 2 Basic {G} Energy cards and up to 2 Basic {L} Energy cards and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like. Then, shuffle your deck. »

How Joltik actually wins

Joltik attacks with Jolting Charge, and it needs 1 Colorless Energy attached. It has 30 HP. Its damage box is empty, so the table below, which sorts by printed damage, cannot rank it: its printed text above is where the counting happens.

One Energy to attack is enormous. You can swing the turn after you set up, and you can do it again straight away when your attacker falls. Decks like that forgive a lot of bad draws.

There is another trick in this list, and the whole of it happens in one turn. Team Rocket's Petrel goes into your deck for a Trainer card and puts it in your hand. Precious Trolley is one, and it puts as many Basic Pokémon as you like onto your Bench in one go. A full Bench on turn one is what decides the game: every Pokémon you put down is one more attacker, ready to take over when the one in front goes down. One rule to know: Precious Trolley is an ACE SPEC card. You are allowed just ONE ACE SPEC in your whole deck, so a second copy is never coming, and taking this one means giving up every other. One detail that matters: Team Rocket's Petrel is a Supporter, so that turn you play no other Supporter. Items all still go through.

Good news on mobility: pulling Joltik back to the Bench costs you 1 Energy attached to it, and that is all. Retreating does not cost you your turn, so you step back and swing anyway. That matters enormously the day your opponent lands something nasty on it.

Pikachu ex carries the "ex" suffix, and your opponent takes 2 Prize cards instead of one when Pikachu ex falls. They need 6 to win: 3 well-placed knockouts on that card beat you, where it would take 6 anywhere else on your Bench.

The attackers in the deck's core, with their best attack, its cost and their Weakness

Pokémon	HP	Attack	Damage	Cost	Weakness	Retreat
Close JoltikBasic	30	Jolting ChargeSearch your deck for up to 2 Basic {G} Energy cards and up to 2 Basic {L} Energy cards and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like. Then, shuffle your deck.	—		Fighting ×2	1
Close Pikachu exBasic	200	Topaz Bolt	300		Fighting ×2	1

The core: the 6 cards every list runs

These 6 cards appear in all 41 lists, without a single exception. That is 16 of the 60 slots. The other 44 are decided player by player.

Look at how those 16 slots break down: 4 Trainers, 4 Pokémon, 8 Energy. Nothing stands out in that split. What sets this deck apart is how thick its core is: 16 of the 60 slots are the same for everybody, when half the 126 decks we track fix 25 or more. This one leaves more room than most, and two players can build it very differently.

6 of those 6 cards do not sit at the same count from list to list: Joltik (2 to 4), Pikachu ex (1 to 3) and Boss's Orders (2 to 4), plus 3 more. Add those spreads up and you get 16 copies the 41 lists do not agree on, inside the core itself.

What "3 to 4" means in the copies column, what the "TWM 130" code under each name is for, and why we count dozens of lists instead of one: how to read a deck list.

The cards present in every list counted, with the number of copies

Copies	Card	Printing	Kind	Rotation
2–4	Close Joltik	SCR 50	Pokémon	leaves
1–3	Close Pikachu ex	SSP 57	Pokémon	leaves
2–4	Close Boss's Orders	MEG 114	Trainer	stays
1–3	Close Light Ball	ASC 191	Trainer	stays
2–7	Grass Energy	MEE 1	Energy	stays
4–7	Lightning Energy	MEE 4	Energy	stays

The 110 cards that change from list to list

110 cards fight over the 44 slots that are left: 13 above three lists in four, 79 below one in four, and the percentage on each row says how many players took it.

The most agreed on first: Ultra Ball at 98 %, Metal Energy at 98 % and Latias ex at 95 %, plus 10 more above 75 %. Add those to the core and you have the common build.

The dividing line runs through Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex, at 49 %: 20 of 41 players took it, 21 put something else there. The ones who run it bring 1 copy. Right at the bottom of the table, Team Rocket's Articuno (10 lists out of 41) and Team Rocket's Kangaskhan ex (9 lists out of 41).

Why a card at 45 % is not a bad card, and what order to buy all this in: how to read a deck list.

The cards some lists run and others don't, most common first

Lists running it	Card	Copies	Printing	Kind
98 %40/41	Close Ultra Ball	1–4	MEG 131	Trainer
98 %40/41	Metal Energy	1–5	MEE 8	Energy
95 %39/41	Close Latias ex	1–2	SSP 76	Pokémon
93 %38/41	Close Crispin	2–4	SCR 133	Trainer
93 %38/41	Close Night Stretcher	1–3	ASC 196	Trainer
90 %37/41	Close Fezandipiti ex	1	ASC 142	Pokémon
90 %37/41	Close Special Red Card	1–2	CRI 82	Trainer
83 %34/41	Close Meowth ex	1–3	POR 62	Pokémon
80 %33/41	Close Team Rocket's Petrel	2–4	DRI 176	Trainer
80 %33/41	Close Area Zero Underdepths	1–3	SCR 131	Trainer
80 %33/41	Close Precious Trolley	1	SSP 185	Trainer
78 %32/41	Close Galvantula	1–2	SFA 2	Pokémon
76 %31/41	Close Mega Kangaskhan ex	1–3	MEG 104	Pokémon
71 %29/41	Close Lillie's Determination	1–4	MEG 119	Trainer
63 %26/41	Close Lillie's Clefairy ex	1–2	JTG 56	Pokémon
59 %24/41	Water Energy	1–2	MEE 3	Energy
56 %23/41	Close Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex	1–2	TWM 64	Pokémon
56 %23/41	Psychic Energy	1–3	MEE 5	Energy
54 %22/41	Close Iron Leaves ex	1	TEF 25	Pokémon
49 %20/41	Close Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex	1	TWM 141	Pokémon
49 %20/41	Close Energy Search	1–2	POR 72	Trainer
46 %19/41	Close Brock's Scouting	1–2	JTG 146	Trainer
41 %17/41	Close Team Rocket's Transceiver	1–4	DRI 178	Trainer
39 %16/41	Close Energy Recycler	1	DRI 164	Trainer
37 %15/41	Close Switch	1–3	MEG 130	Trainer
34 %14/41	Close Chien-Pao	1	SSP 56	Pokémon
32 %13/41	Close Battle Cage	1–2	PFL 85	Trainer
32 %13/41	Close Gravity Mountain	1–2	SSP 177	Trainer
29 %12/41	Close Galvantula ex	1	SCR 51	Pokémon
27 %11/41	Close Pokégear 3.0	1–4	SVI 186	Trainer
27 %11/41	Close Energy Switch	1–2	MEG 115	Trainer
24 %10/41	Close Team Rocket's Articuno	1	DRI 51	Pokémon
22 %9/41	Close Team Rocket's Kangaskhan ex	1	ASC 162	Pokémon
22 %9/41	Close Tool Scrapper	1	ASC 212	Trainer
22 %9/41	Close Voltaic Lightning Energy	1–4	PBL 84	Energy
20 %8/41	Close Terapagos ex	1	SCR 128	Pokémon
17 %7/41	Close Magnemite	1–2	MEG 45	Pokémon
17 %7/41	Close Iron Crown ex	1	TEF 81	Pokémon
17 %7/41	Close Magneton	1–2	SSP 59	Pokémon
17 %7/41	Close Bianca's Devotion	1–2	TEF 142	Trainer
15 %6/41	Close Glass Trumpet	1–2	SCR 135	Trainer
15 %6/41	Close Judge	1–2	POR 76	Trainer
15 %6/41	Close Team Rocket's Factory	1–3	DRI 173	Trainer
15 %6/41	Close Cyrano	1–3	SSP 170	Trainer
15 %6/41	Close Poké Pad	1–4	POR 81	Trainer
15 %6/41	Close Prime Catcher	1	TEF 157	Trainer
12 %5/41	Close Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex	1	TWM 112	Pokémon
12 %5/41	Close Psyduck	1	ASC 39	Pokémon
12 %5/41	Close Jumbo Ice Cream	1–3	PFL 91	Trainer
12 %5/41	Fighting Energy	1	MEE 6	Energy
10 %4/41	Close Eelektrik	2	ASC 60	Pokémon
10 %4/41	Close Mega Zeraora ex	2	PBL 27	Pokémon
10 %4/41	Close Tynamo	2	ASC 59	Pokémon
10 %4/41	Close Electrike	1	MEG 49	Pokémon
10 %4/41	Close Manectric	1	PBL 24	Pokémon
10 %4/41	Close Canari	3	ASC 185	Trainer
10 %4/41	Close Black Belt's Training	1	JTG 143	Trainer
10 %4/41	Close Hilda	1	WHT 84	Trainer
7 %3/41	Close Blissey ex	2	TWM 134	Pokémon
7 %3/41	Close Chansey	2	TWM 133	Pokémon
7 %3/41	Close Munkidori	1–2	TWM 95	Pokémon
7 %3/41	Close Ciphermaniac's Codebreaking	1–2	TEF 145	Trainer
7 %3/41	Close Colress's Tenacity	1–3	SFA 57	Trainer
7 %3/41	Close Lillie's Pearl	1	JTG 151	Trainer
7 %3/41	Darkness Energy	1–2	MEE 15	Energy
5 %2/41	Close Lumiose City	4	POR 77	Trainer
5 %2/41	Close Buddy-Buddy Poffin	1–2	TEF 144	Trainer
5 %2/41	Close Backtrack Badge	1	PBL 74	Trainer
5 %2/41	Close N's Plan	1	BLK 83	Trainer
5 %2/41	Close Xerosic's Machinations	1	SFA 64	Trainer
5 %2/41	Close Prism Energy	3–4	ASC 216	Energy
2 %1/41	Close Dudunsparce	3	TEF 129	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Dunsparce	3	TEF 128	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Lapras	3	30C 17	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Pikachu	3	30C 34	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Bouffalant	2	SCR 119	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Feebas	2	SSP 41	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Lugia	2	30C 121	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Mewtwo	2	30C 63	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Pikachu ex	2	30C 53	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Rabsca	2	TEF 24	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Rellor	2	DRI 24	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Drakloak	1	TWM 129	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Dreepy	1	TWM 128	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Mega Manectric ex	1	MEG 50	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Milotic ex	1	SSP 42	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Patrat	1	CRI 70	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Pecharunt	1	SVP 149	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Shaymin	1	DRI 10	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Team Rocket's Mimikyu	1	DRI 87	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Yveltal	1	30C 100	Pokémon
2 %1/41	Close Hassel	3	TWM 151	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Acerola's Mischief	2	MEG 113	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Crushing Hammer	2	POR 71	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Lana's Aid	2	TWM 155	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Lively Stadium	2	SSP 180	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Air Balloon	1	ASC 181	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Brave Bangle	1	WHT 80	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Briar	1	SCR 132	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Clemont's Quick Wit	1	SSP 167	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Handheld Fan	1	TWM 150	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Neutralization Zone	1	SFA 60	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Pokémon Catcher	1	POR 82	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Pokémon Center Lady	1	MEG 123	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Surfer	1	SSP 187	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Team Rocket's Proton	1	DRI 177	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Unfair Stamp	1	TWM 165	Trainer
2 %1/41	Close Wondrous Patch	1	PFL 94	Trainer
2 %1/41	Fire Energy	2	MEE 10	Energy
2 %1/41	Close Mist Energy	1	TEF 161	Energy

The most common Joltik list, all 60 cards

Here they are in full, ready to build. 16 slots come from the core, the cards all 41 lists run. The remaining 44 come from the table just above, working down it: the cards the most players chose, each at its most common copy count, until the total lands on 60.

This list is nobody's list in particular. It takes, slot by slot, what the most people played, under the guardrails a judge would hold you to: never more than four copies of a card, and one ACE SPEC. Behind the core it took 26 more cards to reach 60. The whole thing comes to 18 Pokémon, 28 Trainers and 14 Energy.

One thing to know before you build it: the 41 lists we counted are all from players who came in the top twenty of their tournament. Nobody publishes the lists of the players who lost. So what you have in front of you is what the players finishing near the top bring most often.

The text under the table is the one the game expects: copy it, paste it into the deck manager, and the list builds itself.

Why we only read lists from players who came in the top twenty of their tournament, and what that changes about every percentage on this page: how to read a deck list.

Pokémon: 18
2 Joltik SCR 50
2 Pikachu ex SSP 57
2 Latias ex SSP 76
1 Fezandipiti ex ASC 142
2 Meowth ex POR 62
1 Galvantula SFA 2
2 Mega Kangaskhan ex MEG 104
1 Lillie's Clefairy ex JTG 56
2 Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 64
1 Iron Leaves ex TEF 25
1 Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex TWM 141
1 Chien-Pao SSP 56

Trainer: 28
3 Boss's Orders MEG 114
1 Light Ball ASC 191
4 Ultra Ball MEG 131
3 Crispin SCR 133
2 Night Stretcher ASC 196
1 Special Red Card CRI 82
4 Team Rocket's Petrel DRI 176
2 Area Zero Underdepths SCR 131
1 Precious Trolley SSP 185
2 Lillie's Determination MEG 119
1 Energy Search POR 72
1 Brock's Scouting JTG 146
1 Team Rocket's Transceiver DRI 178
1 Energy Recycler DRI 164
1 Switch MEG 130

Energy: 14
4 Grass Energy MEE 1
4 Lightning Energy MEE 4
2 Metal Energy MEE 8
2 Water Energy MEE 3
2 Psychic Energy MEE 5

Total Cards: 60

How many different cards Joltik needs, and how long it will last

You need 116 different cards to cover every version of this deck, 6 of which nobody argues about. The rest is where lists differ from one another, and that is where you have room to choose.

All 41 lists bring an ACE SPEC, and that is where they part ways: 33 took Precious Trolley, 6 took Prime Catcher and 1 took Neutralization Zone. The flex table shows you all 4. You are allowed ONE ACE SPEC card in your whole deck, so a single copy covers it whatever it costs. New to this deck? Take Precious Trolley and watch what the others do with theirs before you switch.

Then there is time. 2 of the 6 core cards carry the letter H, the one that goes at the next rotation: Joltik and Pikachu ex. The core table marks every one of them. In copies, that is 4 of the 16 slots the core fills. Which day it lands, we do not know yet.

What Joltik struggles against

The attackers in this deck are Weak to Fighting, so they take DOUBLE damage from that type. 14 of the 126 decks we track attack in exactly that type.

Concretely, here is what is waiting for you: Mega Lucario ex / Hariyama, Cynthia's Garchomp ex and Mega Lucario ex, plus 11 more decks. The table below takes them one at a time, and those are the lists you practise against first before an event.

This table counts one thing, Weakness, and that comes to 14 decks out of the 126 we track. The other 112 do not attack into yours, and this table says nothing about them. You will still run into them.

Going the other way, your attackers are Grass, Lightning and Metal, and 21 of the decks we track have an attacker Weak to one of those: Latias ex / Mega Kangaskhan ex, Mega Greninja ex and Team Rocket's Honchkrow, among others. That is you doubling, for once. Second half of the table.