Gardevoir ex Leads 2025 Pokemon Championship Rankings

Experts weigh the decks set to define the race for the title at Anaheim.

Gardevoir ex Leads 2025 Pokemon Championship Rankings

The 2025 Pokemon World Championships take place in Anaheim, California, August 15 to 17. A panel of analysts notes the decks to watch, led by Gardevoir ex and Dragapult ex, with Gholdengo ex and Marnie’s Grimmsnarl ex following close behind. New tools like Black Bolt and White Flare will debut for Worlds, while Air Balloon, Genesect ex and other additions reshape how the top decks operate. Frillish and Jellicent ex also enter the metagame as items and tools denial options that slow down key setups.

Experts explain that Dragapult ex decks aim to create comeback opportunities through Recon Directive and Phantom Dive, while Gardevoir ex uses retreat tricks to add damage with Munkidori. Gholdengo ex gains from Air Balloon and Genesect ex, yet keeps a weakness in its need to discard energy. Charizard ex appears as a wildcard thanks to Chi Yu and favorable matchups against certain meta enablers. The field expects a range of viable builds, with Swiss rounds tightening the path to Top Cut and keeping pressure on players to adapt on the fly.

Two Swiss rounds more than in past Worlds makes every pick feel more important. Players must balance power with safety, choosing lists that can survive a long grind. The new tools shift edges, but no deck is truly safe from a prepared counter. The metagame will test both skill and preparation as players tune for specific matchups rather than a single best build.

Beyond the top five, regional stories matter. The event can still surprise, but the invitation rules mean a smaller field of outsiders can crash the final rounds. In short, Anaheim will reward both careful deck design and sharp on-table play, with a few dark horses left to prove they belong.

Highlights

Anaheim will reveal how much the meta has shifted under new tools and fresh ideas.