Quick Links
The monthly Drop Event inPokemon TCG Pocketis back, and this time the focus is on Pokemon of the Alola region. Alola is a region of tropical islands and warm, sandy beaches, so the highlight of the event is the Ice-type Alolan Ninetales.
Ninetales was a popular Pokemon in the original Kanto games, and the gorgeous white-furred Alolan version may be even more popular. And while the Pokemon TCG Pocket card isn’t great, the art certainly belongs in any fan’s collection. Here’s how to add a full-art Alolan Ninetales to your collection!
What Is The Alolan Ninetales Drop Event?
Each Drop event features four AI-controlled decks with a shared theme and new promo cards that you’re able to earn for beating those decks. As a rule, those promos includethree reprints of existing cards with new art, and two mechanically new cards.
The Alolan Ninetales Drop Event runs fromMay 16, 2025, until Jun 26, 2025, which gives you time to get about 24 packs before the end of the event.
Alolan Ninetales Drop Event New Cards
Each Drop Event introduces five new promo cards, two of which are mechanically unique and usually not available anywhere else. Since cards can sometimes become viable only months after release,it’s important to pick up those unique cards, while new art on reprints gives you more customization options.
The namesake of the event is Alolan Ninetales, which is reprinted from Celestial Guardians as a gorgeous full-art promo with Ninetales standing on a mountain in a blizzard. While not competitively viable (Articuno ex does the same thing betterand more consistently), it’s a great piece for your collection.
The new cards are Alolan Grimer and Toucannon, which are both arguably better than the Celestial Guardians version. Alolan Grimer’s Poison Gas Poisons your opponent’s Active Pokemon for one Darkness Energy, which can deal more damage than the non-promo version’s Sludge Toss in the early game.
Toucannon’sBeak Blast deals 80 damage for two Colorless Energy, which is a minor upgrade to the Celestial Guardians version’s 70-damage Drill Peck. But two Energy for a Stage Two Pokemon isn’t much,and it can also Burn your opponent’s Pokemonfor even more damage.
The last two cards are reprints from Celestial Guardians. Alolan Exeggutor is a Stage One Pokemon that can do a whopping 150 damage for three Energy, but only if you win a coin flip. That makes it an unreliable card that will occasionally run wild, but also often cause frustration.
Crabrawler is a Basic Fighting-type Pokemonthat deals 20 damage for one Energy,but it can evolve into the Water-type Crabominable ex,which can deal 40 or 80 damage for the same one Energy. It’s a serious threat to decks that need some time to set up!
Crabominable ex is not available through this event, but you may find it in Celestial Guardians packs.
Alolan Ninetales Drop Event Battles
Each time you beat one of the event decks, you’ll unlock the next one, which is a higher difficulty and which gives better rewards. The higher the difficulty, the more likely you are to get a Promo Pack, andExpert matches always give a Promo Pack.
In order to challenge a deck, you need Event Stamina.You’ll get one Event Stamina every 12 hours, and can use Event Hourglasses that you earn from Battle Tasks to restore one full Event Stamina per Event Hourglass.
Event Stamina is only spent when you win a battle, and some Battle Tasks don’t require you to win to complete them. If you need to complete a Battle Task that does not require you to win, you canchallenge the deck, complete the task, and concedeto save Event Stamina.
Shellder x2
Popplio x2
Brionne x1
Dewpider x2
Pyukumuku x1
Bruxish x1
Tauros x1
Yungoos x2
Poke Ball x2
The beginner deck is pretty basic, containing 18 Pokemon, 15 of which are Basic, and two Poke Balls.Alolan Sandshrew, Alolan Vulpix, and Alolan Ninetales are all weak to Metal attacks, while the rest are weak to Lightning.
While a Lightning-type deck burns through this deck easily,you need some solid Metal attacks to complete one of the Battle Tasks. Since this is a recurring theme in these decks, we recommend a modifiedMagnezone / Skarmory deck.
The deck we recommend to easily complete all the Battle Tasks for all four event decksswaps out the Mythical Island Magnemite and Magnezone for the Metal Triumphant Light versionsin order to have access to strong Lightning and Metal attacks. It also drops Heatran for Giovanni.
Remember to turn off Lightning Energy, andmake sure you aren’t using the full-art Magnemite or promo Skarmory. Both of these cards will prevent you from completing the rarity-based Battle Tasks in the more advanced decks.
Magnemite (A2a) x2
Magneton (A1) x2
Magnezone (A2a) x2
Skarmory (A2) x2
Sabrina x2
Giovannni x1
Cyrus x1
Rewards
First-Time Rewards
Shop Ticket, Pack Hourglass x2, Promo Pack A Series Vol. 8
Knock out your opponent’s Active Pokemon one time with an attack from a Metal-type Pokemon.
Lapras x1
Araquanid x1
Pyukumuku x2
Professor’s Research x2
The intermediate deck isan upgrade to the beginner deck: It drops a few extraneous Pokemon and picks up Lapras and Stage One evolutions for a few, plus it adds consistency with Professor’s Research.
The Magnezone / Skarmory deck works beautifully here, but you may need an extra attempt to get a second KO with a Metal-type Pokemon. We found thatthe AI on this deck is happy to attack into Rocky Helmet when it means that the attacking Pokemon will be KOed, even when it causes the AI to lose.
Shop Ticket, Pack Hourglass x4, Promo Pack A Series Vol. 8
Knock out your opponent’s Active Pokemon two times with an attack from a Metal-type Pokemon.
Brionne x2
Primarina x1
Dewpider x1
Crabominable ex x1
Crabrawler x2
Sabrina x1
Misty x1
The Advanced deck starts to present a challenge, sinceCrabominable ex boasts 160 HP and can deal 80 damage on one Water Energyonce it gets warmed up. Misty also allows Alolan Ninetales to set up almost instantly, while Primarina can heal all of your opponent’s Pokemon.
The bonus damage from Crabominable ex’s Insatiable Striking resets if it retreats so you canuse Sabrina or Cyrus to give yourself some breathing room. It’s also a good idea to prioritize Rocky Helmet over Giant Cape to get some chip damage on Crabominable ex.
Shop Ticket, Pack Hourglass x6, Promo Pack A Series Vol. 8
Wonder Hourglass x4
Win this battle using a deck where all the Pokemon cards are of one, two, or three-diamond rarity.
Crabominable ex x2
Irida x1
Mars x1
Leaf x1
Pokemon Communication x1
Giant Cape x2
The Expert deck can present a legitimate challenge, consideringhow quickly and consistently it can set up Crabominable ex. If you may deal with that threat reliably, the backup Pokemon, Alolan Ninetales, hardly threatens your deck.
Once again,prioritize Rocky Helmet, which can chip away Crabrawler’s HP enough to get a KO on your next turn, or deal enough damage to Crabrawler ex over two turns to put it in KO range.
Shop Ticket, Pack Hourglass x8, Promo Pack A Series Vol. 8
Win 10 or more battles.
Win 20 or more battles.
