Arcanine ex

Overview

This is a fast, aggressive deck that goes in with Arcanine ex as soon as possible. Arcanine ex is a 120 HP Stage 1, with Fire Remedy to supplement its bulk. Overrun does a total of 50 damage for 2 Energy, a fairly solid rate, and Flame Swirl does 100 damage for 3 Energy with discard(s). Backing up Arcanine ex are a slew of disruptive cards, from Houndoom blocking opposing Trainers, to Scott and a Stadium toolbox, to Energy Removal 2.

Ideal Gameplan

Lead with Growlithe and Body Slam on turn 1. Evolve to Arcanine ex on turn 2, attach the second Energy, and Overrun. 40 HP Benched Basics like Pidgey δ are juicy targets for Overrun to 2HKO, and other Benched Basics that evolve into 110-120 HP Pokémon can be put into Flame Swirl 1HKO range if they've taken 20 damage from an earlier Overrun.

As you're attacking with Arcanine ex, play out any disruptive pieces you draw into. Use Great Ball to Bench Houndour, and evolve it to Houndoom so your opponent can't play non-Supporter Trainer cards. Play Stadiums if they affect your opponent negatively. Having Houndoom out means they can't play counter Stadiums or Windstorm, and Copycat will also draw you a lot of cards with all the dead Trainers they have stuck in their hand.

Try not to Bench too many Pokémon, as Houndoom's Lonesome only works if you have fewer Pokémon in play than your opponent. Also note that if you use Overrun to KO two weakened Pokémon, you may end up with more Pokémon in play and lose Lonesome's effect (though sometimes this if fine; your opponent may be so far behind that they can't catch up even if they have access to their Trainers again).

Unique Points

This deck has React Energy to pay for Flame Swirl.

I play 3 Warp Point as answers to Cessation Crystal, or Houndour starts when I want Growlithe. In late-game scenarios it can drag out something with <= 100 HP for the final Prize. It has some synergy with Houndoom, since Houndoom makes them not want to Bench anything unnecessary, but if they do that, they have fewer options to sacrifice to Warp Point.

I also play 2 Windstorm, which is not a common choice in this deck. Stantler with a Cessation Crystal on it is very hard to beat otherwise, as it takes 3 Overruns to KO and can Confuse you while blocking Fire Remedy with Cess.

Holon's Electrode is a nonbo with Crystal Beach. (You play Holon's Electrode so you have something to grab with late Professor Elm's Training Methods.)

Tweaks

Cursed Stone: Another disruptive Stadium.

Aipom: This lets you turn late-game Great Balls into draw 1s. However, it comes at the cost of occasionally being forced to start with it and having to waste Energy or topdeck Warp Point to get it to the Bench. Adding Aipom as a 7th Basic raises the probability of starting with a non-Growlithe/Houndour Basic from 0% to 9.9%.

Strengths

This deck is pretty good at beating setup-heavy Stage 2 decks. If they need multiple Pokémon in play, they'll have no choice but to walk into Houndoom's Lonesome, which will cut them off Holon Transceiver, Rare Candy, and Windstorm. All your Pokémon hit Jirachi for Weakness, and Houndour can Poison it to stop it from using Wishing Star. If they use Holon's Castform to set up, Overrun 2HKOs it, sometimes also picking off a 40 HP Bench-sitter. Battle Frontier shuts off Pidgeot and is tough to remove with Houndoom in play.

This deck can apply a Trainer lock, but unlike Manectric ex or Dragonite ex δ, isn't attached to a 40 damage attack. Arcanine ex's attacks do more damage overall, and Fire Resistance is a lot rarer (it's only on Salamence and a few Pokémon with the Thick Fat Poké-Body, all of which see little to no competitive play) than Lightning (resisted by Flygon) or Grass (resisted by Dark Dragonite and a number of Metal-type Pokémon).

Weaknesses

Anything with ex immunity will wall Arcanine ex. Latios ex δ is the worst of these, since it also hits all your Pokémon for Weakness, and Link Wing makes it attractive to tech since they can retreat it for free if they happen to start with it. Your outs against Latios ex δ are color screwing it with Energy Removal 2 or Crystal Beach, or fishing for Paralysis with Growlithe and finishing it off with Flame Swirl or Houndoom's Flamethrower (which is no mean feat, since those attacks cost 3 Energy, plus you need 1 more for Body Slam). If they play Latias δ it gets even worse, as Dual Aura will shut off Lonesome.