This month, Pokémon TCG Pocket is continuing its push back into Mega Pokémon after last month’s Crimson Blaze and a short return of the Deluxe Pack ex set with Fantastical Parade. In addition, the game has entirely changed what rewards can be earned in your Step-Up Solo Battles, starting with this set, as well as giving new ways to earn rewards with Random Battles.
As with every new set, you have to earn your freebies. Each month, alongside the new release, Pokémon TCG Pocket offers new solo battles that come with some great rewards if you put in the work. As mentioned, the game is giving less than in some other sets for pack hourglasses in the past, such as Shining Revelry, but many of the still-available Solo Battles have a little more focus for newcomers to the game to make getting their footing easier. Plus, this set brings a whopping 474 shop tickets as potential earnings. Honestly, if you haven’t yet, you can check out our Secluded Springs battle guide to earn a ton more hourglasses, tickets, and EXP, if you missed any from that month.
Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Beginner)
First-time wins on the Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Beginner) will earn you various rewards, starting with set B2. Previously, rewards were the same across the board, but now they change, depending on which battle you are facing. I will include the rewards below.
Each step has specific “Battle Tasks” as well, which can earn you up to 6 more shop tickets for each battle. All of the Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Beginner) Battle Tasks are the same for each step and earn 3 tickets apiece.
- Knock out your opponent’s Active Pokémon 1 time with an attack from a Specific-Type Pokémon (Explained below)
- Put 3 Basic Pokémon into play
The step-up battle list includes the decks below. I’m also including the recommended energy-type deck to take it on in the list, which is how you earn the Specific-type Battle Task, as well, that I mentioned above. I’ll also put each First Time Reward alongside it.
- Quilladin deck – Recommended: Fire (Fire needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 12 Pack Hourglasses and 25 EXP
- Boldore deck – Recommended: Grass (Grass needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 500 Shinedust and 25 EXP
- Galarian Linoone deck – Recommended: Grass (Grass needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 6 Wonder Hourglasses and 25 EXP
If you were to complete all Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Beginner) battles, you would earn 12 pack hourglasses, 500 shinedust, 75 EXP, and 18 shop tickets.
Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Intermediate)
First-time wins on the Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Intermediate) will earn you various rewards, starting with set B2. Previously, rewards were the same across the board, but now they change, depending on which battle you are facing. I will include the rewards below.
But, each step has specific “Battle Tasks”, as well, that can earn you up to 12 more shop tickets each, totaling 96. All of the Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Intermediate) Battle Tasks are the same for each step and earn 4 tickets apiece.
- Knock out your opponent’s Active Pokémon 1 time with an attack from a Specific-Type Pokémon (Explained below)
- Put a Stage 1 Pokémon into play
- Win this battle with 2 or more Fantastical Parade cards included in your deck
The step-up battle list includes the decks below. I’m also including the recommended energy-type deck to take it on in the list, which is how you earn the Specific-type Battle Task as well, that I mentioned above.
- Roserade deck – Recommended: Fire (Fire needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 12 Pack Hourglasses and 50 EXP
- Cinderace deck – Recommended: Water (Water needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 500 Shinedust and 50 EXP
- Swampert deck – Recommended: Lightning (Lightning needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 6 Wonder Hourglasses and 50 EXP
- Alolan Raichu deck – Recommended: Fighting (Fighting needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 12 Trade Hourglasses and 50 EXP
- Gardevoir deck – Recommended: Darkness (Darkness needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 500 Shinedust Hourglasses and 50 EXP
- Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon deck – Recommended: Grass (Grass needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 6 Wonder Hourglasses and 50 EXP
- Aegislash deck – Recommended: Fire (Fire needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 12 Trade Hourglasses and 50 EXP
- Kangaskhan deck – Recommended: Fighting (Fighting needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 500 Shinedust and 50 EXP
If you were to complete all Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Intermediate) battles, you would earn 12 pack hourglasses, 1500 shinedust, 400 EXP, and 96 shop tickets.
Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Advanced)
First-time wins on the Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Advanced) will earn you various rewards, starting with set B2. Previously, rewards were the same across the board, but now they change, depending on which battle you are facing. I will include the rewards below.
But, each step has specific “Battle Tasks” as well that can earn you up to 20 more shop tickets each. All of the Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Advanced) Battle Tasks are the same for each step and earn 5 tickets apiece.
- Knock out your opponent’s Active Pokémon 1 time with an attack from a Specific-Type Pokémon (Explained below)
- Win this battle with 1 or more Mega Evolution Pokémon ex included in your deck
- Win this battle with 6 or more Fantastical Parade cards included in your deck
- Win this battle without your opponent getting any points
The step-up battle list includes the decks below. I’m also including the recommended energy-type deck to take it on in the list, which is how you earn the Specific-type Battle Task, as well as what I mentioned above.
- Teal Mask Ogerpon ex deck – Recommended: Fire (Fire needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 12 Pack Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Blacephalon ex deck – Recommended: Water (Water needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 500 Shinedust and 75 EXP
- Mega Swampert ex deck – Recommended: Lightning (Lightning needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 6 Wonder Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Toxtricity ex deck – Recommended: Fighting (Fighting needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 12 Trade Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Mega Gardevoir ex deck – Recommended: Darkness (Darkness needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 500 Shinedust Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Gigalith ex deck – Recommended: Grass (Grass needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 6 Wonder Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Mega Mawile ex deck – Recommended: Fire (Fire needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 12 Trade Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Mega Kangaskhan ex deck – Recommended: Fighting (Fighting needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 500 Shinedust and 75 EXP
If you were to complete all Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Advanced) battles, you would earn 25 pack hourglasses, 750 shinedust, 600 EXP, and 160 shop tickets.
Fantastical Parade Expert Solo Battle
First-time wins on the Fantastical Parade Step-Up Battle (Expert) will earn you various rewards, starting with set B2. Previously, rewards were the same across the board, but now they change, depending on which battle you are facing. I will include the rewards below.
But, like the Step-Up Battles, each step has specific “Battle Tasks” as well that can earn you up to 25 more shop tickets each. Similarly, all of the Fantastical Parade Expert Solo Battle Tasks are the same for each step and earn 5 tickets apiece.
- Win this battle with a deck whose Pokémon are only a specific type (Explained below)
- Win this battle without any Pokémon ex included in your deck
- Win this battle with 1 or more Fantastical Parade cards included in your deck
- Win this battle without your opponent getting any points
- Win this battle by turn 12
The difference with the Specific-type Pokémon Battle Task is that it’s meant to be harder. While there will be a more recommended deck type, the Battle Task wants to pit you against the grain and make it harder.
The step-up battle list includes these decks. I’m also including the recommended energy-type deck to take it on properly below, as well as the Battle Task-specific type.
- Teal Mask Ogerpon ex deck – Recommended: Fire (Darkness needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 12 Pack Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Blacephalon ex deck – Recommended: Water (Metal needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 500 Shinedust and 75 EXP
- Mega Swampert ex deck – Recommended: Lightning (Fire needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 6 Wonder Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Toxtricity ex deck – Recommended: Fighting (Water needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 12 Trade Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Mega Gardevoir ex deck – Recommended: Darkness (Fighting needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 500 Shinedust Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Gigalith ex deck – Recommended: Grass (Lightning needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 6 Wonder Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Mega Mawile ex deck – Recommended: Fire (Psychic needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 12 Trade Hourglasses and 75 EXP
- Mega Kangaskhan ex deck – Recommended: Fighting (Grass needed for the battle task) – First Time Rewards: 500 Shinedust and 75 EXP
If you were to complete all Fantastical Parade Expert Solo Battle battles, you would earn 12 pack hourglasses, 1500 shinedust, 800 EXP, and 200 shop tickets.
Shop Tickets and Hourglasses for Fantastical Parade
With that said, you just earned a ton of those pink and blue Shop Tickets that can be used in the aptly named Shop, under the also aptly named Tickets tab. If you completed all of the battles and Battle Tasks above, you should have at least 474 Shop Tickets to use.
If you’re familiar with the Shop already, this isn’t going to tell you anything new. But, for those who are new to Pokémon TCG Pocket, this is a great place to grab new stuff, such as the new Fantastical Parade: Mega Gardevoir (cover) for only 15 shop tickets and the Rainbow (backdrop) for 50 shop tickets. In addition, the new year and Series B also brought a new Special Set 02, which uses the Special shop tickets to get an exclusive red-and-gold-colored coin, playmat, card sleeve, cover, and backdrop, if you have any of those.
However, you’re here for Hourglasses. Each month, you can pick up 10 individual Pack Hourglasses at 3 Shop Tickets apiece, with another 10 of the x6 Pack Hourglasses for 18 Shop Tickets each. This will grant you a total of 70 more hourglasses using only 210 of your freshly obtained Shop Tickets. You can also do the same (for the same price) with Wonder Hourglasses if you’d like. Also worth noting is that this part refreshes at the top of each month.
If you have not taken advantage of it yet, along with the previous set and update, there are still an extra couple of ways to earn pack hourglasses for basically free. A special mission will have its own section that will grant 36 free pack hourglasses just for linking your Nintendo Account or app store account to your Pokémon TCG Pocket game. If you’re playing on Android, just linking your Google Play account should unlock it immediately. The same goes for the iOS version. If you choose to do neither, just linking your Nintendo account will suffice as well.
In addition, the trading feature revamp from July has its own shop section for trading in your old, defunct Trade Tokens. You can earn 60 pack hourglasses for a measly 60 Trade Tokens using this method. If you’ve been playing a long time, this is a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands you may have.
While you can only earn 48 total Hourglasses this time around through the usual Step-Up Battles, as of the release of B2, Pokémon TCG Pocket has also added a new Random Battles section to give you the ability to face off against random decks and earn first-time rewards, such as Hourglasses. You’ll be able to earn another 48 pack hourglasses that way, just by beating t\he four steps. But, by earning enough points in each of the Advanced and Expert Battles, you can earn an additional 24 over time.
You can also earn some rewards from completing Fantastical Parade Missions. You can earn an additional 48 pack hourglasses by completing all three Fantastical Parade Museum missions and the Fantastical Parade: Immersive Experience mission.
With that said, this means you will have access to possibly earn at least 168 total pack hourglasses for free on day one of Fantastical Parade, on top of your two free daily packs and your daily missions. This doesn’t even include the Ranked Match Missions that will earn you a ton more Pack Hourglasses.
As always, thanks to Pokémon Zone for additional information for this guide. Don’t forget to take advantage of older solo battles that you may not have completed yet to earn their rewards as well. If you haven’t checked out Pokémon TCG Pocket yet, it’s available on Android and iOS for free.
If you’re new to Pokémon TCG Pocket, check out our guides on how to obtain flair and what the real differences are between the mobile apps, Pokémon TCG Pocket and Pokémon TCG Live.
