Secluded Springs Expansion: The Ultimate Guide to Legendary Beasts, Legend Heartbeat & Secluded Springs Meta Strategies

The release of the Secluded Springs expansion in Pokémon TCG Pocket is a pivotal moment for collectors and competitors alike. The Secluded Springs expansion, launched on August 27-28, 2025, is a mini-expansion (designated A4a) that transports players to the tranquil and tradition-rich Johto region.1 More than just a collection of new cards, this Secluded Springs expansion represents a masterclass in thematic design, weaving the deep lore of its featured Pokémon into the very fabric of its mechanics and art. This guide offers an exhaustive analysis of the Secluded Springs expansion, from its narrative roots in Johto's history to a strategic breakdown of its most powerful cards, emerging deck archetypes, and the full schedule of in-game events.

Part I: The Legends of Johto - A Thematic Deep Dive

To fully appreciate the strategic depth of the Secluded Springs expansion, one must first understand the world it represents. The Secluded Springs expansion is a love letter to the Johto region, a setting defined by its deep spirituality, reverence for history, and a close connection to the natural world—a stark contrast to the bustling, industrialized Kanto region that preceded it.2

Welcome to the Secluded Springs

The aesthetic of the Secluded Springs expansion is immediately striking, presenting a "hot springs paradise" brought to life through beautiful, watercolor-style artwork.2 Many cards depict "lackadaisical slice-of-life scenes" that capture the serene essence of Johto.2 A Phanpy playfully spouts water in a spring, a contemplative Slugma gazes into steaming water, and a majestic Slowking kicks its feet by a trickling stream.2 This art direction is not merely decorative; it is a direct reflection of the region's cultural identity, grounding the Secluded Springs expansion in a tangible and immersive atmosphere that appeals to collectors and lore enthusiasts.

This thematic cohesion extends beyond the art and into the core mechanics of the Secluded Springs expansion's headline cards. The central narrative of Johto, a legend over a century old, finds new life in the abilities and gameplay patterns of its most powerful Pokémon. The slow, methodical advantage offered by the Secluded Springs expansion's new "Legend Heartbeat" ability, for instance, mechanically mirrors the themes of patience and enduring tradition that define Johto's culture. This creates a holistic experience where the way a card plays feels intrinsically connected to the story it tells, a sophisticated design choice that elevates the entire Secluded Springs expansion.

The Myth of the Burned Tower

At the heart of the Secluded Springs expansion lies the foundational myth of the Johto region: the legend of the Burned Tower.1 In Ecruteak City, two great towers were built to foster hope and friendship between people and Pokémon: the Brass Tower, where the Legendary Pokémon Lugia was said to rest, and the Bell Tower (or Tin Tower), the roost of the rainbow-colored Ho-Oh.5 Approximately 150 years before the events of the games, a bolt of lightning struck the Brass Tower, engulfing it in a fire that raged for three days until it was extinguished by a sudden downpour.9

Tragically, three unnamed Pokémon perished in the blaze. Witnessing this, Ho-Oh descended from the sky and used its mystical power to resurrect them.9 From the ashes, these three were reborn as the Legendary Beasts: Raikou, Entei, and Suicune.10 This powerful origin story is the narrative core of the Secluded Springs expansion, explaining precisely why these three Pokémon are the featured stars of the Secluded Springs expansion.

Embodying the Legend

The three Legendary Beasts are not just powerful creatures; they are living symbols of the Burned Tower tragedy. Each embodies one of the three events that defined the disaster:

Raikou, the Electric-type, represents the lightning that struck the tower.5
Entei, the Fire-type, embodies the flames that consumed the tower.5
Suicune, the Water-type, symbolizes the rain and wind that finally extinguished the fire.5

This deep thematic link enriches the player's connection to the new Secluded Springs expansion Pokémon ex cards. While fan communities have long debated whether to classify the trio as "Beasts," "Dogs," or "Cats," and recent lore from other games has introduced complicating factors like the Paradox Pokémon Walking Wake, the Secluded Springs expansion firmly grounds them in their classic, beloved origin story.13

Part II: Secluded Springs - Understanding New Mechanics

Transitioning from lore to gameplay, the Secluded Springs expansion introduces powerful mechanics that fundamentally alter the strategic landscape of Pokémon TCG Pocket. Mastering these new rules is essential for any player aiming for competitive success.

The "ex" Factor: High Risk, High Reward

The Pokémon ex mechanic is a cornerstone of modern Pokémon TCG play, defined by a simple but game-altering rule: when a Pokémon ex is Knocked Out, the opponent takes two points instead of the usual one.16 In the fast-paced format of

TCG Pocket, where a player only needs three points to win, this is a monumental risk.18 Knocking out a single Pokémon ex brings an opponent two-thirds of the way to victory.

This high risk is balanced by the immense power these cards wield. Pokémon ex typically feature significantly higher HP and more potent attacks or abilities than their non-ex counterparts, and they can appear as Basic, Stage 1, or Stage 2 Pokémon.17 This dynamic creates a central point of conflict in every match. A player using Pokémon ex must protect their powerful assets at all costs, while their opponent will aggressively target them to secure a swift victory.

"Legend Heartbeat": The Engine of the New Meta

The most significant new mechanic in the Secluded Springs expansion is the "Legend Heartbeat" ability, a brand-new skill shared by Raikou ex, Entei ex, and Suicune ex.21 The ability's text is simple yet profound: "If this Pokémon is in the Active Spot at the end of your turn, you may draw one card".21

In any trading card game, the ability to draw extra cards is one of the most powerful effects available. It increases the consistency of a deck, making it more likely that a player will find the key cards needed to execute their strategy.20 "Legend Heartbeat" provides a free, repeatable source of this crucial card advantage, a fact that has generated both excitement and concern within the player community.21

The ability's power is carefully balanced by its activation condition: the Pokémon must be in the Active Spot, exposing it to enemy attacks. This forces the player into a difficult strategic decision each turn. Do they risk their valuable two-point Pokémon to gain card advantage, or do they keep it safe on the bench and forgo the extra draw? This tension between risk and reward is at the heart of the new mechanic. The introduction of this ability signals a deliberate design shift toward a metagame that rewards resource management and long-term planning. It encourages the creation of "engine" decks, which focus on establishing and protecting a key Pokémon that generates value over time, offering a new strategic path to victory beyond pure aggression or combo-based wins.

Part III: Secluded Springs - The Set's Most Wanted

Understanding the new mechanics is only the first step. To build winning decks, players must be able to evaluate the individual cards that will define the Secluded Springs expansion meta.

The Legendary Beasts: A Comparative Breakdown

While all three headline Pokémon share the "Legend Heartbeat" ability, their unique stats and attacks give them distinct strategic roles.

Raikou ex (Electric): This Pokémon is designed as an early-game aggressor. Its relatively low HP of 130 is a notable vulnerability, but its attack is highly efficient, dealing 60 damage to the active Pokémon and sniping 10 damage to a benched Pokémon for only two energy.20 This makes it perfect for applying immediate pressure, knocking out low-HP Basic Pokémon like Eevee before they can evolve, and setting up future KOs with chip damage.20 Its greatest strength lies in its synergy with the Electric type's powerful energy acceleration options, such as Zeraora and Pichu, which can enable it to attack as early as the first attacking turn of the game.20
Entei ex (Fire): Entei ex serves as the powerhouse of the trio. It boasts higher HP than Raikou ex and features a more powerful attack designed to be a mid-to-late game threat capable of closing out matches.20 Its strategy revolves around surviving the early game and then dominating the board with overwhelming force.
Suicune ex (Water): Widely considered the strongest and most strategic of the three, Suicune ex is a versatile centerpiece. It has a robust HP stat and a flexible attack that can deal up to 120 damage, making it a threat at any stage of the game.20 Its Water typing is a significant advantage, granting it access to powerful supporter cards like Irida that can search it out directly from the deck, ensuring unparalleled consistency. Its combination of durability, damage potential, and type-based support makes it a top-tier contender.20

The Supporting Cast of ex Pokémon

Beyond the Legendary Beasts, other powerful ex Pokémon add depth to the Secluded Springs expansion.

Jumpluff EX (Grass): As is typical for the Jumpluff line, this card likely focuses on speed and board control. Its strategy may involve spreading damage across multiple targets or using disruptive abilities to control the pace of the game.23
Poliwrath EX (Water/Fighting): A bulky and flexible attacker, Poliwrath EX can leverage its dual-type heritage to hit for different weaknesses. Its value will be determined by the efficiency of its attacks relative to their energy cost and its matchups against other top-tier decks.23

Pokémon Name	Type	HP	Key Attack/Ability Summary	Strategic Role
Raikou ex	Lightning	130	Ability: Legend Heartbeat. Attack: Deals 60 damage and 10 to a benched Pokémon.	Early-game aggressor and bench sniper.
Entei ex	Fire	140+	Ability: Legend Heartbeat. Attack: High-damage finisher.	Mid-to-late game powerhouse.
Suicune ex	Water	140	Ability: Legend Heartbeat. Attack: Versatile attack dealing up to 120 damage.	Consistent and durable centerpiece.
Jumpluff EX	Grass	Varies	Likely focuses on speed, multi-target damage, or disruption.	Fast-paced board control.
Poliwrath EX	Water	Varies	Bulky attacker with potentially high damage output.	Flexible and durable threat.

Secluded Springs: Meta-Defining Tech and Utility Pokémon

Some of the most impactful cards in the Secluded Springs expansion are not the main attackers, but the utility Pokémon that enable or counter specific strategies.

Celebi (Grass): This card is arguably the most important "tech" card in the Secluded Springs expansion. Its "Temporal Leaves" attack is a direct and devastating counter to one of the game's most powerful strategies.24 The attack targets an opponent's evolved Pokémon and devolves it by removing the highest-stage evolution card. This completely neutralizes decks that rely on the "Rare Candy" trainer item to skip their Stage 1 evolution and jump directly to a powerful Stage 2 Pokémon. Celebi's existence single-handedly forces a dominant archetype to fundamentally change its strategy or risk being rendered useless.23
Baby Pokémon (Mantyke, Igglybuff, Azurill): This class of Pokémon often comes with powerful abilities that can be used without attacking, providing unique utility from the bench. Mantyke, for example, is expected to play a role in energy acceleration, potentially enabling powerful new combos.23
Other Key Pokémon: The Secluded Springs expansion is filled with other strategically valuable Pokémon, including Slowking (potential disruption), Milotic (support and healing), the duo of Latios & Latias (flexible attackers), Mismagius (disruption through special conditions), and Zoroark (a promo card likely featuring unique illusion-based mechanics).2

Secluded Springs: Essential Trainers and Tools

Supporters (Whitney, Morty): New Supporter cards are always impactful. Whitney will likely provide consistency through card draw, while Morty, true to his Ghost-type specialty, will probably focus on disruption or interacting with the discard pile.23
Tools (Inflatable Boat, Memory Light): New Tool cards open up new strategic possibilities. Inflatable Boat could reduce a Pokémon's retreat cost, which is crucial for safely pivoting a Secluded Springs expansion "Legend Heartbeat" Pokémon out of the active spot after drawing a card. Memory Light might allow a Pokémon to use an attack from one of its previous evolutions, creating complex and unexpected lines of play.23

Part IV: Secluded Springs - Mastering the Meta

With a full understanding of the key cards, players can begin to construct the new decks that will shape the competitive metagame.

Secluded Springs: The Rise of "Legend Heartbeat" Archetypes

The Secluded Springs expansion's "Legend Heartbeat" ability is powerful enough to spawn its own family of archetypes, each built around one of the Legendary Beasts.

Suicune EX Control: This deck aims to establish Suicune ex in the active spot early and use its high HP and consistent card draw from the Secluded Springs expansion's "Legend Heartbeat" to out-value the opponent. The deck will control the board with Suicune's powerful attack while using Water-type support cards to maintain consistency and find key resources.20
Raikou EX Early Aggression: This is a fast, aggressive deck that uses Electric-type energy acceleration to power up Raikou ex on the very first attacking turn.20 The goal is to overwhelm the opponent with early pressure, knock out their basic Pokémon before they can evolve, and use Raikou's bench damage to set up multi-KO turns later in the game.20
Entei EX Midrange: This archetype plays a more balanced game. It will use other Pokémon to control the board in the early turns while setting up the powerful Entei ex as a late-game finisher to overwhelm the opponent once their resources have been depleted.22

Secluded Springs: The Celebi Effect

The introduction of Celebi in the Secluded Springs expansion has sent shockwaves through the meta, specifically targeting decks built around the Rare Candy item.24 Players who previously relied on this strategy must now adapt. Potential adaptations include adding the Stage 1 evolution back into their decks, including their own tech cards to counter an opposing Celebi, or shifting away from Stage 2 attackers entirely. The printing of Celebi is a clear example of a "silver bullet"—a card designed specifically to counter a dominant strategy. This design philosophy suggests that the developers are actively monitoring the metagame and are willing to introduce powerful, specific counters to prevent any single deck from becoming too powerful. This encourages strategic diversity and rewards players who can anticipate and adapt to meta shifts, rather than simply investing in a single "best deck."

Secluded Springs: Enhancing Existing Archetypes

The new Secluded Springs expansion cards will also find homes in existing top-tier decks. A disruptive Pokémon like Mismagius could be a powerful addition to a control or mill deck, while a consistency-boosting Supporter like Whitney could improve a wide variety of strategies.23 Players should experiment with slotting these new Secluded Springs expansion tools into their favorite established archetypes.

Secluded Springs: Sample Decklists

While optimized lists will emerge over time, players can use the following concepts as a starting point for building with the powerful Secluded Springs expansion cards:

Suicune EX Control:
- Pokémon: 3-4 Suicune ex, support Pokémon like Milotic, and consistency engines.
- Trainers: Heavy focus on search cards (like Irida), card draw, and defensive tools to keep Suicune ex alive.
Raikou EX Aggro:
- Pokémon: 3-4 Raikou ex, 2-3 Zeraora for energy acceleration, 1-2 Pichu.
- Trainers: Tools that boost damage or survivability, and supporters that disrupt the opponent's setup.

Part V: Secluded Springs Events

To celebrate the release of the Secluded Springs expansion, Pokémon TCG Pocket is hosting a month-long series of in-game events throughout September 2025. Participating in these events is crucial for maximizing rewards and acquiring exclusive content in the game's free-to-play model.1

Event Name	Start Date (PDT)	End Date (PDT)	Key Rewards
Suicune Cosmetics	Aug 31, 2025	Ongoing	Suicune-themed binder cover and display board.
Zoroark Drop Event	Sep 2, 2025 (11 p.m.)	Sep 12, 2025 (10:59 p.m.)	Zoroark promo card (from Promo Pack A Series Vol. 12).
Bonus Week	Sep 6, 2025 (11 p.m.)	Sep 13, 2025 (10:59 p.m.)	Pack hourglasses and other resources.
Miltank & Phanpy Wonder Pick	Sep 13, 2025 (11 p.m.)	Sep 23, 2025 (10:59 p.m.)	Miltank and Phanpy promo cards, event shop tickets.
Water-type Mass Outbreak	Sep 24, 2025 (11 p.m.)	Sep 30, 2025 (10:59 p.m.)	Increased appearance of Water-type cards in picks.

Chronological Event Walkthrough

Suicune Cosmetics (Starts Aug 31): Players can acquire a new binder cover and display board backdrop featuring the majestic Suicune to showcase their collection in style.1
Zoroark Drop Event (Early Sept): This event challenges players with special solo battles against AI opponents. Success in these battles will reward players with items from Promo Pack A Series Vol. 12, including an exclusive Zoroark promo card.1
Bonus Week (Early-to-Mid Sept): During this week, players can complete special missions to earn valuable in-game resources, most notably pack hourglasses. These items allow players to open additional Secluded Springs expansion booster packs for free, accelerating their collection.1
Miltank & Phanpy Wonder Pick Event (Mid-Sept): This event focuses on the Wonder Pick system. By completing missions, players can earn exclusive promo cards featuring Miltank and Phanpy, as well as event shop tickets to exchange for other rewards.1
Water-type Pokémon Mass Outbreak (Late Sept): This is a critical event for any player hoping to collect the powerful Water-type cards from the Secluded Springs expansion. During this period, Water-type Pokémon will have a significantly increased chance of appearing in rare and bonus picks, making it the ideal time to hunt for cards like Suicune ex and Poliwrath EX.1

Secluded Springs: The Lasting Legacy

The Secluded Springs expansion is far more than a simple content drop; it is a landmark expansion for Pokémon TCG Pocket. Its success lies in its deep thematic integration, where the rich lore of the Johto region is masterfully woven into the art and mechanics of the Secluded Springs expansion cards themselves. The introduction of the Secluded Springs expansion's "Legend Heartbeat" ability signals a sophisticated evolution in the game's design, creating a new "engine-building" archetype that rewards patience and resource management. Furthermore, the printing of a direct counter-play card like Celebi demonstrates a commitment to maintaining a healthy and dynamic metagame where no single strategy can reign uncontested. The principles established in the Secluded Springs expansion—holistic thematic design, value-generating engine abilities, and strategic "silver bullet" counters—are likely to become cornerstones of TCG Pocket's design philosophy, shaping the competitive landscape for many expansions to come.