Mobility

Some cards allow you to get a Pokémon out of the Active Spot without spending Energy to retreat. This could be useful in a variety of scenarios:

Getting vulnerable Pokémon out of the Active Spot after your opponent Boss's Orders/Counter Catchers them, or if you were forced to start with them.
Curing Special Conditions and other effects of attacks. Notably, several Pokémon inflict a "can't attack" effect on themselves (e.g. Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex's Blood Moon, Iron Leaves ex's Prism Edge, Flareon ex's Carnelian, Miraidon ex's Photon Blaster). If you attack, then switch them out and back in, the effect is removed and they can attack again.
Denying KOs when your Active Pokémon is low on HP (if you can fade the Boss's Orders).

Switches

Switch

Switch is, well, Switch. It does exactly what it says. You won't see it all the time, and you won't see it in large quantities, but when you do see it, you tip your hat out of respect for this venerable card which has remained unchanged since Base Set.

Prime Catcher

The forced switch-in is the more important effect, but this card does also switch your Active out, so it's included here for completeness.

Iron Leaves ex

Switches itself in when played from hand. You can then either move {G}{G}{C} onto it to attack, or just 1 Energy to retreat. (Or even retreat for free, if you have Latias ex.)

Kieran

A modal switch/damage buff card. It pays for its versatility by being a Supporter.

Jet Energy

Similar to Warp Energy, but you attach this to the Benched Pokémon instead of the Active for its effect.

Combos well with TM: Turbo Energize and attacks which cost 3 Energy. Turbo Energize gets 2 Energy onto the Benched attacker, then next turn Jet Energy provides the 3rd and simultaneously switches it in.

Can act as a switch + retreat in one card if you have a Pokémon with 1 Retreat Cost.

Pecharunt ex

Subjugating Chains switches in a Darkness-type Pokémon, other than Pecharunt ex itself.

The Poison can be used to your advantage if you play Binding Mochi.

Minior

An option for Ethan's Ho-Oh ex as a reusable, searchable Jet Energy. First you attach Energy to a Benched Minior to switch it in, then retreat for free with Latias ex, and move the Energy onto the new Active with Armarouge if necessary.

Surfer

Played with Iron Valiant ex as a switch card with incidental draw.

Team Rocket's Giovanni

Part of the Team Rocket's engine.

Team Rocket's Mimikyu acts as a pivot to retreat back to Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex for free.

Scramble Switch

Only mentioned here for historical reasons. In older formats, if your attacker was low on HP, Scramble Switch let you bring in a fresh one and power it up right away.

Do not play this in SV Block. Damage numbers are high and 1HKOs are common, so you're more likely to end up with a KOed attacker than a low HP one. Attacks are also cheaper, and acceleration is more plentiful, so it's not that hard to power up a new attacker.

Retreat Reducers

These are reusable, but do not help against "can't retreat" effects like Maractus's Corner. Also, you can only retreat once per turn, so you need to combine them with switches if you want to get the Pokémon that started the turn Active back in.

If you have a Pokémon with 0 Retreat Cost, you should almost always bring it in after a KO to leave your options open. This way, you do not need to commit to one attacker, and can retreat to your preferred attacker after drawing/searching for the turn and gaining enough information to make a better decision.

Latias ex

Reduces the Retreat Cost for your Basic Pokémon to 0.

Note that it nonbos with Heavy Baton.

Air Balloon

Reduces Retreat Cost by 2. Outside of a few exceptionally heavy Pokémon (e.g. Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex, Raging Bolt [ex], Iron Hands ex — all of which can use Latias ex to retreat for free instead), most Pokémon hit 0 Retreat Cost when holding Air Balloon.

N's Castle

Archetype-specific retreat reducer. Both N's Darumaka and N's Reshiram have 2 Retreat, so N's Castle can get them out quickly if you're forced to start with them.

Future Booster Energy Capsule

Reduces equipped Future Pokémon's Retreat Costs to 0 (and some of them are VERY heavy, like Iron Hands ex or Iron Thorns ex).

Also has a damage buffing effect.

Rescue Board

Only mentioned here for historical reasons. Air Balloon obsoleted it.

Anti-Retreat Cards

The cards below prevent retreats, or increase Retreat Costs. They are used to trap passive opposing Pokémon while you set up. When playing against them, remember to save your switch/Scoop Up cards. Pecharunt ex is the best counter to these cards, as it's reusable.

Hitting the opposing Pokémon for Resistance is beneficial, ironically, as the trapping attack will do 0 damage, and you can keep that Pokémon trapped indefinitely instead of eventually KOing it with chip damage, or getting the damage bounced back to you by Munkidori.

Evolving will remove "can't retreat" effects from attacks.

Scoop Ups

These can deny KOs on low HP Pokémon (very useful against Boss's Orders!), reuse when-played Abilities (e.g. Noctowl's Jewel Seeker, Hawlucha's Flying Entry), and free up Bench space.

Other than Scoop Up Cyclone, these cards are Supporters.

Professor Turo's Scenario

The default Scoop Up card. Functionally identical to AZ (plus trinket Future typing).

Penny

Limited to Basics, but is better than Turo when used on those Pokémon. It scoops up Energy and Tools attached to those Pokémon too.

Scoop Up Cyclone

Historically, this was played in Archaludon ex, since its Ability triggers when played from hand. You shouldn't play it now.

Milotic: The Anti-Scoop Up Card

Mentally Calm blocks Scoop Up effects. Only stall decks play it.

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