If your opponent opens the game with a high-damage blitz from a Pokémon like Pheromosa or Barraskewda, it’s important to have a default retaliation option. This often comes from either a strong wall like Armaldo or a dedicated revenge Pokémon like Bouffalant to halt the momentum of the opponent and gain traction for yourself.

Momentum is important to the degree that players will use Pokémon like Cradily, Seaking, and Klefki to give their opponents prize cards in exchange for an effect that will grant them immediate momentum. Even more so when paired with cards like Twins, N, or Black Belt to capitalize on the instant prize deficit they temporarily have. Sacrificing a prize or two is a perfectly effective strategy if you capitalize on what the sacrificed momentum grants you. This could even be from a Pokémon that will help you set up faster, like Phione or Dunsparce.

Disruption also plays a vital role in halting and gaining momentum to win the game. If your opponent has set up a Pokémon that will be taking prize cards every turn, like Regigigas or Grimmsnarl, you can still reverse the situation thanks to bench pullers like Victreebel or Heatmor that can force your opponent to scramble their resources to get their new Pokémon out of the active slot. Taking advantage of any and all turns that your opponent doesn’t KO like this is crucial, as you can set up your own revenge attacker or keep the disruption strong with cards like Crushing/Enhanced Hammer.