Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Which Decks Should Include Team Aqua's Poochyena?

Team Aqua’s Poochyena is a compact, budget-friendly pocket-size disruptor from the Double Crisis era. This Dark-type Basic Pokémon brings a pair of practical tools to your Expanded roster: a disruptive attack that can force your opponent to rearrange their board and a modest 60 hit points that makes it easy to slot into a tight deck. The card’s charm isn’t just nostalgia—its Roar attack can tilt the tempo of a match, especially when you’ve built a plan around forcing bad matchups or shuffling the opponent’s ideal setup onto the bench. And with Bite offering a reliable 20 damage for a minimal energy cost, Poochyena gives you a legible path to a quick early KO or a clean bench swap to set up a bigger play later in the game. ⚡🔥

Card snapshot

• Name: Team Aqua's Poochyena
• Set: Double Crisis (dc1) — Dark-type basic from the era where Team Aqua and Team Magma reappeared in the card table
• Rarity: Common
• HP: 60
• Stage: Basic
• Attacks:
  • Roar (Colorless): Your opponent switches his or her Active Pokémon with 1 of his or her Benched Pokémon.
  • Bite (Water, Colorless): 20 damage
• Weakness: Fighting ×2
• Resistance: Psychic −20
• Retreat: 1
• Illustrator: Kouki Saitou
• Legal in: Expanded (not Standard)

“Disruption is a stealthy form of pressure—the kind that asks for patience and a plan.”

The card art by Kouki Saitou captures Team Aqua’s characteristic mood—tense, strategic, and a little mischievous. In the Double Crisis set, this Poochyena carries the shadowy energy of a deck that leans into bench pressure and tempo-shifting plays. It’s not a brute-force powerhouse, but its utility in the right matchup makes it a delightful inclusion for players looking to craft a lean, control-leaning list in Expanded. 💎

Deck-building ideas: where Poochyena shines

• Budget Dark-Tempo Deck: Pair Poochyena with other low-cost Darkness basics to establish early board presence. Use Roar to shuffle the opponent’s active while you field a bigger Dark attacker from your bench. This approach thrives on consistency rather than raw power, turning small advantages into wins through attrition.
• Mightyena Upgrade Path: If your list includes a Mightyena that can evolve from Poochyena, you unlock a more menacing midgame threat. Evolving Poochyena on turn 2 or 3 creates a reliable tempo swing as your opponent reads a potential two-pronged attack lineup. Look for support Pokémon and Energy acceleration that keep your bench stable while you pressure the Active with controlled disruption.
• Disruption-First Rule for Expanded: In Expanded, the Roar effect can set up favorable knockouts against fragile basic attackers or rely on your next attacker to finish the job. Build a sequence where Roar disrupts, your next attacker hits, and your opponent is forced to react rather than execute their own plan smoothly.
• Team-Aqua Flavor, Thematic Stacks: While Team Aqua’s presence on a live, modern deck is mostly nostalgic in the current environment, a themed line-up that leans into “water- and night-dweller” vibes can be satisfying. Include supportive Water- or Dark-energy cards and trainer tools that help you search for Poochyena and protect the bench while you prepare the transition to a stronger late-game threat. ⚡

Collector insights: rarity, value, and accessibility

As a Common from a 34-card official print run, Team Aqua’s Poochyena is one of those cards that makes a strong first-step for new collectors. The card’s expanded-legal status keeps it relevant for a large swath of players who enjoy older formats. Market data shows a familiar split between non-holo and holo variants. On Cardmarket, non-holo copies often sit near the low-to-mid euro range, with holo copies typically fetching notably more on some listings (depending on condition and print run). For the United States market, TCGPlayer data suggests low-price thresholds around a few dollars for standard prints, while reverse-holofoil and holo variants trend higher as collectors seek shine and nostalgia alike. In practice, you’ll likely see non-holo copies hovering under $1 and holo variants ranging a few dollars or more, reflecting the card’s popularity among budget-friendly Dark-type decks and seasoned collectors who chase holo foils from the Double Crisis era. This makes Poochyena a smart target for both growing your Expanded collection and testing out tempo-based strategies without a heavy upfront investment. 🔎💼

Art, lore, and the collector’s vibe

The Double Crisis set double-dipts a corner of the Pokémon TCG universe that resonates with long-time fans: the rivalry between Team Aqua and the Team Magma factions, shrouded in intrigue and strategic play. Kouki Saitou’s rendition of Poochyena captures a hungry, alert look that suits the card’s Roar mechanic—an invitation to disrupt and redirect. For collectors, the card’s sequential context within dc1—paired with its first-draw, holo, and reverse-holo variants—adds a layer of charm to any Dark-type portfolio. The art, the rarity, and the set’s lore all contribute to a story you can hold in your binder as you navigate both nostalgia and modern strategy. 🎴🎨

Market trends and buying tips

When evaluating whether to plug Team Aqua’s Poochyena into a deck, consider the price delta between non-holo and holo in your local market. If you’re chasing a polished look for display or for casual play, holo variants can represent a nice value—often in the few-dollar range depending on condition and listing. For players focused on budget testing and learning the tempo- and disruption-heavy lines, the standard non-holo prints offer reliable performance without a steep financial commitment. Always check the latest pricing updates on Cardmarket and TCGPlayer to catch shifts in holo demand or shifts in Expanded legality. The flexibility of this card makes it a forgiving starter for new players and a nostalgic, cost-efficient pick for veterans revisiting the era of Team Aqua’s presence on the card table. 📈🃏

Considering a dedicated set—Double Crisis—this card is a small but meaningful brick in a larger puzzle. Whether you’re chasing a worthy starter for Expanded play or rebuilding a collection that nods to classic strategy, Team Aqua’s Poochyena offers a clear path to tempo and a touch of lore that resonates with fans old and new.

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