Sabrina and Pidgeot were two cards revealed during the TCG Pocket demo at the World Championships, and they have already gained a fanbase thanks to their stunning artwork. Interestingly, Pidgeot’s ability is identical to Sabrina’s, introducing gusting effects in TCG Pocket from the very first set on two different types of cards. We'll explain what these are.
Switching, Gusting and Repelling in the TCG
As a reminder: a field in Pokémon TCG has an Active Spot dedicated to a single Pokémon that attacks and defend, while there is a Bench from which you can prepare other Pokémon to promote them to the Active spot when the Active Pokémon is either Knocked Out, retreating or switched thanks to a card effect.
Switching between the Active Pokémon and a Benched Pokémon
Forcing your opponent’s Active Pokémon to switch with one of their Benched Pokémon is a recurring mechanic known as “gusting”. It is named after the Gust of Wind card from the Base Set, the first card to feature an effect that forces your opponent to switch their Pokémon.
There are two kinds of gusting effects:
- one where you choose which Pokémon becomes your opponent’s Active Pokémon: gusting
- one where they choose which Benched Pokémon to promote, also known as repelling.
In the case of Pidgeot and Sabrina, the proper term would be repelling, as unlike the aforementioned effects, you don’t get to choose which Pokémon your opponent promotes. This effect is actually based on the Item Repel, which was first (and only) printed in the Sun & Moon set.
An history of gusting Trainers
Initially, this effect was printed on Items (Gust of Wind, Pokémon Circulator, Pokémon Catcher), but it eventually became a Supporter effect (only one Supporter card can be used per turn). It first appeared as Lysandre in Flashfire and then becoming evergreen with Boss’s Orders. Each version of Boss’s Orders represents a leader of the “evil team” in the Pokémon games (e.g., Giovanni for Team Rocket, Cyrus for Team Galactic, etc.).
Sabrina is a Supporter card that shares the exact same effect as Repel. This exact effect has never been printed on a Supporter card before, but was deemed too powerful for an Item; for reference, in the TCG, Repel never got a reprint.
Pidgeot’s repelling ability is an old one. The first instance of this kind of ability even shares the same name: Drive Off, found on Light Arcanine in Neo Destiny. Unlike Pidgeot, Light Arcanine had to be in the Active spot to use this ability. Over the years, this ability has appeared on various Pokémon, primarily Stage 1 Pokémon, with the latest example being Mabosstiff’s Intimidating Howl in Paldean Fates (2024).
Why Is Gusting Powerful?
- The Defending Pokémon can be too strong for your current Active Pokémon to take down.
If your opponent relies heavily on a single strong Pokémon but lacks that kind of strength on their Bench, you can force them to promote a weaker or unprepared Pokémon, allowing you to take an easy KO and move closer to victory. This is especially critical when you need just 1 Point to win and your opponent placed a beefy Stage 2 Pokémon or Pokémon ex in the Active spot, which are tougher to KO and threatens to take out enough of your Pokémon to win them the game.
- Your opponent might have retreated or switched a damaged Pokémon to deny the KO.
By using a gusting effect, you can force your opponent to bring that Pokémon back, allowing you to secure the KO and edge closer to victory. Achieving this with repelling effects is more challenging.
In the case of Pidgeot, which remains on the field, your opponent has no ideal scenario to defend themselves since you can override their choice of Active Pokémon if you’re not satisfied with it. This is why such effects, when recurring, are typically printed on evolved Pokémon (with the exception of Flygon Ex from XY, but unlike Pidgeot, it must be in the Active spot).
Gusting is obviously more powerful than repelling because it’s harder to play around, whereas Sabrina’s or Drive Off’s power level can be mitigated by your opponent benching stronger Pokémon or preparing their Benched Pokémon by attaching energies in advance or healing them with Supporters like Erika, or even not benching any Pokémon. However, in a game with a more contained power level than the TCG, that kind of downside is less pronounced. The significant impact of these cards on the game makes them a must-play, and Sabrina will likely be a chase card included as at least a one-of in most decks. It’s no surprise that cards with this effect are available at ☆ rarity.
It’s reassuring that Pokémon TCG Pocket isn’t immediately going for the most powerful kind of gusting effects. Drive Off being printed on a Stage 2 Pokémon rather than a Stage 1, and the standard for the gusting Supporter being weaker than Boss’s Orders, indicates that the game will start at a reasonable pace... but for how long?