Pikachu ex from Surging Sparks is a 200 HP Basic with an Ability that refuses to die the first time: Resolute Heart leaves it with 10 HP the...
Pikachu ex from Surging Sparks is a 200 HP Basic with an Ability that refuses to die the first time: Resolute Heart leaves it with 10 HP the first time it would be Knocked Out from full health. Then Topaz Bolt does something absurd for a Basic — 300 damage.
What Pikachu ex Does
Pikachu ex — Basic Lightning Pokémon from Surging Sparks (card #57 of 191), 200 HP, Double Rare.
Resolute Heart (Ability): If this Pokémon has full HP and would be Knocked Out by damage from an attack, it is not Knocked Out, and its remaining HP becomes 10.
Topaz Bolt — Cost: Grass + Lightning + Metal. Damage: 300. Discard 3 Energy from this Pokémon.
Weakness: Fighting ×2. Resistance: none. Retreat Cost: 1.
Which Decks Want It
Fast Lightning decks run it as a headline attacker because it needs no evolution and immediately threatens any Pokémon in the game. It fits beside other Lightning attackers as the big closer, or as the centerpiece of a deck built purely around speed.
Related reading: Pikachu ex Deck Guide: A Fast Lightning Lineup from Surging Sparks — keep it open for when you finish this one.
Playing With (and Against) It
Topaz Bolt forces you to discard all Energy from Pikachu ex, so the swing is a commitment, not a habit. Use Resolute Heart to survive one hit, retreat or reload, and save the 300 for the Knock Out that decides the prize race. Keep its Weakness (Fighting ×2) in mind when you choose your matchups.
By the Numbers
Pikachu ex is one of 18 Pokémon ex printed at Double Rare in Surging Sparks. Its 200 HP ranks #10 among those 18 ex on raw bulk. The Pokémon also appears in Paldea Evolved, Prismatic Evolutions in the card data we track, so compare printings before you settle on a favorite — our comparison series does exactly that for the era's repeat stars. Its hardest printed hit is Topaz Bolt at 300 damage — the number every Weakness and Resistance calculation in its matchups starts from.
Verdict: Pikachu ex earns its spotlight in Surging Sparks — a card with a clear job, a clear home, and a clear plan for the turns it is on the table. That is more than most cards in any set can say.
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