Volkner (Space-Time Smackdown)
Date Reviewed: March 18, 2025
Ratings Summary:
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is horrible. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Otaku
Volkner (A2 153, 193) is a Trainer-Supporter. To use Volkner, you must select a card named “Electivire” or a card named “Luxray” you have in play. You then attach two (L) Energy from your discard pile to the selected Pokémon. Volkner is available at the ♦♦ and ★★ rarities.
We do not (yet?)1 have any card effects specific to Trainer cards. We do have three specific to Supporters. Psyduck (A1 057) and Gengar (A1 122) have single Energy attacks that prevent the opposing player from using a Supporter during the next turn. Gengar ex (A1 123, 261, 277) has an Ability that, while it is Active, prevents your opponent from using Supporters.
Otherwise, just remember that you may only use one Supporter during each of your turns.2 This means Supporters arguably compete with each other more than any other card, both for deck space and actual usage. Still, while your other Supporters will become unselectable3 for the rest of that turn, during your next turn you’ll be able to again use one. Unlike when you run out of room for more Basic Pokémon or Tools in play, where something has to leave the field to allow the use of more.4
Let’s clarify Volkner’s effect. If you don’t have a Pokémon named “Electivire” or “Luxray” in play, you can’t even select a Volkner in your hand. The names must also match exactly. We don’t have an “Electivire ex” or “Luxray ex”, but should they release in the future, or anything else that is a variation on either name, Volkner cannot work with them. Nor can Volkner select something that evolves into or from the named Pokémon.
You also need to have (L) Energy in your discard pile. You cannot select less than two (L) Energy to attach, unless you only have one (L) in your discard pile. You can use use Volkner under such circumstances, so long as it’s other requirements are met. I didn’t even realize that Pocket was keeping track of Energy in the discard pile until I learned of this card, because it isn’t as easy to get Energy into your discard in Pocket.
In the full PTCG, there are many attacks, Abilities, and Trainers with discard cards from your hand and Energy cards are one of the kinds of cards in your deck.5 In Pocket, Energy is never in hand, and only hits the discard pile when the Pokémon to which it is attached leaving play, or is discarding Energy to to retreat, or uses/is hit by an attack or Ability that discards Energy.
That does not mean Volkner is bad. Attaching two Energy from the discard pile for just a Supporter is would be a staple if it was that generic. If it was only compatible with (L) Energy, even only with (L) Energy and any (L) Pokémon, it’d be a staple in a powerful Archetype. Our options are Electivire (A2 057; P-A 036) and Luxray (A2 060). They’re both Evolved (L) Pokémon with (F) Weakness and a single attack.
Electivire is a Stage 1 that evolves from Electabuzz. It has 120 HP, Retreat Cost (C)(C)(C), and the attack “Exciting Voltage”. For (L)(L), this does 40 damage, but if you have at least an extra (L)(L) attached, it does 120. Luxray is a Stage 2 that evolves from Luxio, and has 130 HP, Retreat Cost (C)(C), and the attack “Volt Bolt”. For (L)(L)(L), select an opposing Pokémon (Active or Benched) and do 120 damage to it, but also discard all Energy attached to Luxray.
You need them, so we’ll run through Shinx, Luxio, and Electabuzz quickly. All are (L) Pokémon with (F) Weakness, and one attack. Shinx (058, 163) is a Basic Pokémon with 60 HP, (C) Retreat Cost, and “Hide”; for (L) you flip a coin. “Tails” does nothing, but “heads” prevents damage and effects of attacks from applying to itself until the next turn. Luxio is a Stage 1 that evolves from Shinx. It has 90 HP, Retreat Cost (C), and for (L)(C) can use “Electric Claws” to do 40 damage.
There are three options for Electabuzz. All are Basic Pokémon with at least 70 HP and (C) Retreat Cost. Electabuzz (A1 101) needs (L)(L) to use “Thunder Punch”. The attack does 40 damage and requires you flip a coin; “heads” means another 40 is done (80 total), while “tails” means it does 40 to the opposing Active and 20 to itself. Electabuzz (A1a 027) needs (L)(L) for “Thunder Spear”, which lets you do 40 damage to one opposing Pokémon of your choice.
Electabuzz (A2 056) is the oddball with 80 HP and a Retreat Cost of (C)(C). For (L), it can attack with “Charge” to attach an (L) Energy from your Energy Zone to itself. As per usual, this doesn’t affect normal Energy Zone Energy generation or attachments. As for what to use, you’ve got no choice if you want to use Luxray; you’ll need Shinx and Luxio. They’re mostly filler, but at least Shinx can desperately stall and Luxio can attack on curve5 (when going second).
Electivire has options. You’re not likely to be attacking with Electabuzz outside of Turn 2, or when you’re at least a little desperate. I don’t want to risk the self-damage, but you might. The sniping of Electabuzz (A1a 027) seems more useful than weak Energy acceleration that leaves you exposed but Electabuzz (A2 056) has slightly better HP, even with a worse Retreat Cost, and only needs one (L) to start charging itself. Plus, if it does get KO’d after, you have enough (L) Energy for Volkner.
So far, there aren’t any proven decks built around Electivire and/or Luxray… but once again, players are trying to make them work. Electabuzz has a fallback option if you don’t have four (L) attached to it, but when you do, you have solid damage and a solid HP score on a single point Stage 1. Luxray can run out of Energy quickly but it can wreck the backfield, often OHKOing supporting Benched Pokémon.
You can see what’s been tried in the last few weeks here, at LimitlessTCG. As they aren’t heavily played, nor are they doing well, you’ll need to click “Show all decks” near the bottom of the screen for Electivire and/or Luxray decks to be included in the results. You can also click here to see what Pokémon Zone has been trying/seeing. They list Volkner decks as an Honorable Mention. For them, that’s better than a Low Tier, but not as good as a Middle Tier.6
Rating: 3/5
Yes, that’s a bit high. There is a lot of potential here. I don’t know how card legality will be handled long term for Pocket; in the full TCG, the default Format is Standard, and the last one to three years worth of releases are legal. Give or take a Banned List. If Pocket is evergreen (nothing ever goes away), sooner or later we’ll get an Electivire and/or Luxray that will prove worthwhile.
Addendum: This review is already going up late and is overly long, so I was unable to detail the strategies already attempted with Electivire and Luxray. Please make use of the link to see them addressed by Pokémon Zone.
1The full Pokémon Trading Card Game has many effects that reference Supporters, some like the above, and some helpful.
2You cannot play any cards during your opponent’s turn in Pocket, and quite rarely have you been able to in the full PTCG.
3Except for things like the discard cost of the “Reckless Shearing” Ability found on Garchomp (A2a 047, 084, 093).
4There is no Energy Zone mechanic in the full PTCG. Your 60 card deck must contain Energy cards to fuel your Energy needs, and you’re normally only allowed to attach one Energy card from your hand, to one of your Pokémon, during each of your turns.
5More common in other TCGs, for Pokémon it is usually talking about being able to do something assuming all manual Energy attachments went to the Pokémon in question and/or the earliest the Pokémon can hit the field.
6This is the opposite of how I use them; Low Tier decks come naturally after Middle Tier, but at least get acknowledged as Honorable Mentions.
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