Pokémon TCG Pocket Dual Fusion Guide: New Features and Priorities

Quick answer: Dual Fusion adds dual-type Pokémon, the First Partners Special Pack, Rental Decks, Elite Decks, and the new Other Players' Decks feature. The best opening route is to claim the free deck, check Special Pack Power, test the Rental Decks, and only then decide which cards are worth spending Pack Stamina or Pack Hourglasses on.

Dual Fusion changes more than the card list. It also gives players new ways to test decks before committing resources. Start with the free tools and rewards, identify the deck you actually enjoy playing, and use that information to set a collection target. That order makes the expansion easier to explore without opening packs blindly.

Six English Rental Deck displays for Pokémon TCG Pocket Dual Fusion

Rental Decks let you test several Dual Fusion strategies before building with your own cards.

What Dual Fusion changes

The headline feature is the arrival of dual-type Pokémon. Cards such as Mega Mewtwo X ex and Mega Greninja ex can create new links between type-based effects, Energy requirements, and existing support cards. A dual-type label is not an automatic upgrade, though. The deck still needs to draw and attach the right Energy at the right time.

Dual Fusion also expands the collection and battle loop. Special Packs use their own power, Rental Decks provide immediate testing, Elite Decks offer a ready-made starting point, and Other Players' Decks makes it easier to examine popular lists without leaving the game.

Five things to do first

Priority	Action	Why it comes first
1	Claim the Elite Deck	It gives you a complete deck base without requiring an immediate pack opening.
2	Check Special Pack Power	Special Packs use a separate resource, so leaving it capped slows future openings.
3	Test the Rental Decks	You can learn the new cards and play patterns before collecting every component.
4	Browse Other Players' Decks	Popular and friend decks show which cards are central and which slots are flexible.
5	Review event missions	Free cards and collection rewards can change what you still need to pull.

Do not spend Pack Hourglasses just because a new expansion is available. Test the free decks first, then choose a target based on the strategy you want to build.

How to evaluate dual-type Pokémon

Dual-type cards can benefit from a wider range of interactions, but the deck-building cost matters. Check the attack requirements, evolution line, retreat cost, and Trainer support before replacing an established card. If a deck needs too many Energy types, a powerful attacker can still become unreliable.

Read the printed Weakness instead of assuming a dual-type card has two Weaknesses.
Count every required evolution card, not only the final Pokémon ex.
Check whether existing search and recovery cards support the full line.
Keep enough draw cards to avoid hands filled with mismatched pieces.
Test the retreat plan when the main attacker cannot be powered immediately.

Rental Decks vs. Elite Decks

Rental Decks are practice tools. Use them to learn the opening hand, Energy curve, evolution timing, and backup attackers of a strategy. The result of one match is less important than whether the deck produces playable turns consistently.

Elite Decks are built from cards added to your collection. After claiming the gift, open My Decks and use the Theme Deck List to create it. If the deck does not appear automatically, completing that recipe step is the part most likely to be missed.

English First Partners cards featuring Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Piplup, and Fuecoco

The First Partners collection focuses on Pokémon chosen at the beginning of adventures across multiple regions.

How to use Other Players' Decks

Other Players' Decks lets you view popular decks and lists used by friends, then copy a composition with cards from your own collection. Treat the copied list as a reference rather than a finished answer. A missing card, a different matchup pool, or a preferred play style can all justify changes.

Keep the main attacker and essential evolution line.
Confirm that the copied Energy setup matches the attacks you want to use.
Replace missing cards with alternatives that perform the same job.
Adjust draw, search, recovery, and switching cards after several matches.

How the First Partners Special Pack works

The First Partners Special Pack is separate from a standard expansion pack. It uses Special Pack Power, which recovers on its own schedule. Standard Pack Stamina and Pack Hourglasses should therefore be managed separately rather than treated as one pool.

The set highlights first-partner Pokémon from the regions featured throughout the Pokémon series. Open the pack when its dedicated power is available, then check the in-game rarity and trading rules before planning exchanges.

English First Partners Special Pack and Bulbasaur card in Pokémon TCG Pocket

First Partners uses its own Special Pack Power instead of the resource used for standard expansion packs.

Collection and battle features worth checking

Theme Collections can award an immersive card, while Step-Up Battles receive updated content. Private Matches also gain more rule options, and changes to deck capacity and player progression create room for more saved builds.

Before deleting older decks, decide which lists you want to keep for comparison or sharing. Then review the Gift Box, Missions, Collections, Rental Decks, and battle menus in that order. Free rewards can reduce the number of cards you still need from packs.

Checklist before spending pack resources

Claim the Elite Deck and any available gifts.
Try the Rental Decks that match your preferred play style.
Separate Special Pack Power from standard pack resources.
Compare the core card counts in Other Players' Decks.
Set separate targets for collection art and competitive decks.
Review the in-game mission and reward conditions before opening more packs.

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Frequently asked questions

Do dual-type Pokémon have two Weaknesses?

Not automatically. Use the Weakness printed on the individual card. Having two types and having two Weaknesses are different rules.

Can Special Pack Power open normal expansion packs?

No. Special Pack Power is reserved for Special Packs and is managed separately from standard pack resources.

Do I keep the cards from a Rental Deck?

No. Rental Decks let you use a prepared list under the available battle conditions. The cards are not added to your collection.

Can every popular deck be copied immediately?

You can copy the composition with cards you own. Missing cards still need replacements, and the Energy and evolution lines should be checked before playing.

Should I spend Pack Hourglasses as soon as Dual Fusion appears?

Try the Rental and Elite Decks first. Once you know which strategy and cards you want, Pack Hourglasses have a clearer purpose.

Final priorities

Dual Fusion is easiest to approach as a sequence: claim the free deck, use Special Pack Power, test Rental Decks, compare Other Players' Decks, and then choose a pack target. The dual-type cards may be the headline, but the free testing tools are what help you decide which cards are actually useful for your collection. Check the official Pokémon Dual Fusion announcement and the in-game notices for the final rules and reward conditions.