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Updated June 9, 2026Magnezone ex and Pom-Pom Oricorio Deck Guide in Pokémon TCG Pocket
Wall with Safeguard while Rare Candy turns a lone Magnemite into a 130 damage Stage 2 threat
Magnezone ex and Pom-Pom Oricorio pairs one of the cleanest Lightning Lightning finishers in Pokémon TCG Pocket with a Basic that simply refuses to take damage from Pokémon ex. Oricorio's Safeguard stalls the most popular attackers in the format while Rare Candy turns a single Magnemite directly into a 180 HP Stage 2 that swings for 130. Electric Generator keeps the Energy flowing so the power turn arrives ahead of schedule.
The decklist
How it works
Magnezone ex is the deck's win condition. Storm Blade costs three
Lightning Energy, deals 130 damage, and discards one
Lightning Energy from Magnezone ex after each use, so it
keeps firing as long as you replace that Energy every turn. Magneton is not in
this list at all: the only evolution path is Rare Candy on a Magnemite that
has been in play since a previous turn. With 180 HP it survives most single
attacks, though its 
Fighting weakness means
Fighting attackers hit it for an extra 20 damage.
Pom-Pom Oricorio is the wall that buys you setup time. Its Safeguard ability
prevents all damage done to it by attacks from your opponent's Pokémon ex,
which leaves entire archetypes unable to touch your Active Pokémon. It is no
slouch on offense either: Zzzap costs Lightning
Colorless and deals a tidy 50 damage while you charge the
back line. At 70 HP it is fragile against non-ex attackers, but it only gives
up 1 point when it finally goes down, while Magnezone ex would give up 2.
Electric Generator is the engine that keeps the back line charged. You flip 2
coins, and for each heads you attach a Lightning Energy
from the Energy Zone to 1 of your Benched Lightning
Pokémon. It cannot refuel the Active Magnezone ex, so use it to pre-charge a
Benched Magnemite line or a backup attacker that steps in already loaded. As
an Item it does not compete with your Supporter for the turn, so you can fire
both copies alongside Professor's Research.
Cyrus turns Storm Blade's raw numbers into closed games. It switches in one of your opponent's Benched Pokémon that already has damage on it, letting Magnezone ex finish something that retreated to safety. Combined with Sabrina, which pushes the opposing Active Pokémon to the Bench, you control what sits across from you. The classic line is to chip something with Zzzap or Rocky Helmet, let it hide, then drag it back out for the knockout that reaches 3 points.
Matchups
| Matchup | Favorability | How to play it |
|---|---|---|
| Chien-Pao ex and Baxcalibur | Favored | Storm Blade's 130 knocks out Chien-Pao ex exactly, while 140 HP Baxcalibur survives with 10 HP and needs a follow-up hit. Safeguard Oricorio blanks Chien-Pao ex entirely, so wall with it until Magnezone ex is fully charged. |
| Mega Charizard X ex and Entei ex | Favored | Both of their main attackers are Pokémon ex, so an Active Oricorio takes no damage from their attacks while you set up. Save Sabrina for the turn their big attacker is finally loaded, then punish whatever weaker Pokémon they are forced to promote. |
| Giratina ex and Darkrai ex | Even | Safeguard stops their attacks cold, but spread damage from outside of attacks still wears Oricorio down over time. Attach Giant Cape to Oricorio to stretch it to 90 HP and race them with an early Rare Candy into Storm Blade. |
| Gourgeist and Houndstone | Unfavored | Their attackers are not Pokémon ex, so Safeguard does nothing and Oricorio is just a 70 HP Basic. Lean on Magnezone ex's 180 HP instead, use Professor's Research aggressively to find Rare Candy fast, and pick off damaged threats with Cyrus. |
| Mega Lucario ex and Hitmontop | Heavily unfavored | Every Pokémon you play is weak to Fighting, so their attacks all hit for 20 extra. Oricorio blanks Mega Lucario ex itself, but Hitmontop goes through Safeguard, so attach Rocky Helmet to your wall and hope to trade down on points. |
Tech options and swaps
The four single copies are the flexible slots. Sabrina is the most universally strong of the group, so a second copy is the first upgrade to consider if charged attackers keep beating you, and X Speed is the natural cut since the deck rarely retreats once Oricorio is planted. Giant Cape can become a second Rocky Helmet in metas full of non-ex aggression, where punishing every hit on Oricorio matters more than the extra 20 HP.
How to pilot it
- The only opening card you truly need is Magnemite, with Oricorio close behind. Use Poké Ball immediately to pull a random Basic from your deck, and remember that going first means no Energy from the Energy Zone on turn 1, so that turn is purely about placing Pokémon.
- Lead with Oricorio in the Active Spot whenever the opponent looks like a Pokémon ex deck, and keep Magnemite safely on the Bench. Attach your first Lightning Energy to Oricorio so Zzzap can start chipping for 50 while you develop.
- Rare Candy cannot be used on your first turn or on a Magnemite that entered play this turn, so the ideal sequence is Magnemite down on turn 1 and Rare Candy into Magnezone ex on turn 2, before anyone can snipe the 60 HP Magnemite.
- From there, every manual attachment goes to Magnezone ex, while Electric Generator can only hit Benched Lightning Pokémon on coin flips, so use it to pre-charge the Magnemite line before promoting. You need three Lightning Energy to fire Storm Blade and one fresh Energy every turn after that to replace the discard, so count your Energy two turns ahead before committing.
- Finish with the Supporter pincer: Sabrina shoves a charged attacker away, then Cyrus drags a damaged Pokémon back into the Active Spot for the final knockout. Magnemite's Thunder Shock, two Lightning for 20 with a coin flip for Paralysis, can steal a turn in a pinch.
- The most common misplays are using Rare Candy a turn too early when it is not yet legal, benching a second Magnemite you cannot protect, and promoting Magnezone ex into a Fighting attacker when Oricorio could have absorbed the turn for free.
Deck strengths
- Safeguard Oricorio takes zero damage from attacks by Pokémon ex, which stonewalls many top decks
- Rare Candy skips the Stage 1 entirely, putting a 180 HP attacker in play as early as turn 2
- Storm Blade's 130 damage knocks out most non-ex attackers in one hit and pairs with Cyrus for surgical finishes
- Electric Generator pre-charges Benched attackers so a fresh Magnezone ex can step in already loaded
- A thin Pokémon line leaves plenty of room for draw, switching, and Tools
Deck weaknesses
- Every Pokémon in the deck shares a Fighting weakness, so one bad matchup attacks for 20 extra across the board
- Magnemite has only 60 HP, and losing both copies before Rare Candy resolves leaves Oricorio as the entire game plan
- Safeguard is blank against non-ex attackers, turning the deck's best card into a liability in those games
- Magnezone ex gives up 2 points when knocked out, so one lost exchange swings the race hard
- With only Professor's Research for raw draw, clunky hands sometimes never find the Rare Candy
Is it worth building?
Yes, with conviction. The only rare cards that matter are the Magnezone ex copies, and everything else is staple material you will reuse in other Lightning builds. The deck rewards patient players who enjoy denying damage and counting Energy, and Safeguard alone wins games against ladders full of Pokémon ex. Just accept that Fighting decks and non-ex attackers will be uphill fights, and bring it when the field is heavy on big ex attackers that Oricorio can wall all afternoon.
