The Pokémon TCG has been around since the 90's and continues going strong even to this day. There are three formats in the TCG, with the most popular being "Standard." "Standard" format uses Set Rotation, meaning after a certain amount of time old sets become illegal for tournament play with newer sets remaining legal.
The current "Standard" format allows cards to be used from "Sun & Moon: Ultra Prism" up to the current "Sword & Shield" set and any sets released after. The "Standard" format cycles each year, so this list will be looking at the very best cards to use in the "2020 Standard Format."
10 Jirachi (Team Up)
In any Trading Card Game, consistency is the key to winning. No matter how well you build your deck, there is always going to be a layer of randomness as to what your opening hand will be. This is what makes Jirachi such a strong Pokémon. It isn't used for its move, rather its ability "Stellar Wish."
Even though it requires essentially sacrificing it to use, being able to get access to powerful "Trainer Cards" makes it all worth it. "Trainer Cards" are the Pokémon TCG's consistency cards to make the game less random, so getting access to them quickly is incredibly valuable.
9 Quick Ball (Sword & Shield)
While "Quick Ball" does come with the downside of having to discard a card to use it, the effect is more than worth it. The ability to search out any "Basic" Pokémon is an incredibly powerful one, since some of the best cards in the entire game happen to be that.
Many "GX" Pokémon are also "Basic," meaning that "Quick Ball" can search out many of your important playmaker Pokémon. Running the max copies you can run (4) means that you are essentially running 4 extra copies of any "Basic" Pokémon in your deck.
8 Aurora Energy (Sword & Shield)
"Aurora Energy" is a "Special Energy" card, meaning only 4 "Special Energy" cards total can be used. Its effect gives any color "energy" to whatever Pokémon it is attached to (only 1 at a time). This means that you are able to use more Pokémon that you wouldn't be able to otherwise since you wouldn't have to worry about drawing into the correct "energy" type.
It is a staple in any deck running more than one "energy" type, which almost all "Standard" format decks are. "Aurora Energy" is a card that is always useful, and can be utilized in just about any deck.
7 Malamar (Forbidden Light)
Another Pokémon on this list for its ability, "Malamar" is an incredibly powerful "Psychic" Pokémon with one of the best abilities in the game. "Malamar" has "Psychic Recharge," which can attach "Psychic" energy from the "Discard Pile" to any "Benched Pokémon."
This means you can recycle the energy of a Pokémon that had gotten knocked out or taken off of one of your Pokémon. It can also set-up powerful Pokémon on your "Bench" by being able to attach two energy cards on it per turn rather than the usual two.
6 Professor's Research (Sword & Shield)
Unlike other trading card games, Pokémon doesn't have any kind of optional mulligan system. As long as your hand has a "Basic" Pokémon in it, you have to play that hand. This means that even if you have a bad hand, you're forced to play it. That is unless your hand includes "Professor's Research."
While you do lose the cards in your hand, you get 7 whole new ones that can do more damage than your original hand ever could. It's essentially a mulligan, and the cards you discard can even be recycled by other cards, such as the aforementioned "Malamar."
5 Marnie (Sword & Shield)
"Marnie" shares some features with "Professor's Research," but comes into its own by affecting the opponent as well. Both players shuffle their hands and put it on the bottom of their deck. You draw 5 cards and your opponent draws 4. This means that not only your opponent loses a card, but it can also be used while you only have "Marnie" in your hand.
This means that your opponent loses a card, while you get 5 new cards essentially for free. "Marnie" builds card advantage incredibly fast, which is why it's run in most "Standard" format decks.
4 Cherish Ball (Unified Minds)
"Cherish Ball" is perhaps one of the best searchers in Pokémon's "Standard" format. With so many powerful "GX" Pokémon in the format, it only makes sense that the card that can search them out is so good. There is no downside to "Cherish Ball," it adds a "GX" Pokémon to your hand for free.
This means that you can easily access any of your "GX" Pokémon to replace ones that you lost or search for your first one to really do some damage. Only more powerful "GX" Pokémon will be added to the game, and as such "Cherish Ball" will only become better.
3 Mewtwo & Mew GX (Unified Minds)
"Mewtwo & Mew GX" is an incredibly powerful "Tag Team GX" Pokémon despite only having one move. This move would be its "GX" move (you can only use 1 GX move per game) which if equipped with 4 energy, will do 200 damage while healing all of your Pokémon of any damage.
Its real strength comes from its ability "Perfection." This allows "Mewtwo & Mew GX" to use the attacks of any of your "GX" or "EX" Pokémon in either your "Bench" or "Discard Pile." This makes "Mewtwo & Mew GX" a perfect fit for any deck that runs multiple of "GX" and "EX" cards.
2 Zacian V (Sword & Shield)
"Zacian V" has emerged as the face of one of, if not the best deck of the "Standard" format. This is thanks to its ability to hit the field and start threatening other Pokémon almost immediately. This is thanks to its ability "Intrepid Sword." This lets the user look at the top 3 cards of their deck, and attach any "Metal" energy to it.
While the turn ends after using this ability, it can potentially set up for its devastating 230 attack that only requires 3 "Metal" energies. It is very easy to turbo out a fully powered "Zacian V," which is why it's so good.
1 Lt. Surge's Strategy (Hidden Fates)
"Lt. Surge's Strategy" is one of the most broken "Supporter" cards ever printed, so much so that it's even banned in the "Expanded" format. When it comes to "Standard" however, "Lt. Surge's Strategy" is perfectly legal. "Supporter" cards are some of the best cards in the Pokémon TCG, and are balanced by the fact only 1 can be used per turn.
This turns the idea on its head and allows you to play 2 extra during your turn. All you need is to have less "Prize Cards" than your opponent to activate it. "Lt. Surge's Strategy" can make for an incredibly powerful comeback card when paired with other incredibly "Supporter" cards.