The other big card in this set that immediately synergizes with Giovanni's Exile is, to the surprise of few, Persian GX. I purrsonally would prefer to have a Terrakion GX, but I guess that's just me. Anyway, here's a list.
Pokemon (16):
The big Quirk of this deck is probably the Fire Energy, but I'll come back to it. The main goal of this deck to get Persian GX online as fast as possible.
In terms of damage, this is done through Diglett and Spiritomb. See, Diglett is obvious discard bait for Giovanni's Exile (GE), and Spiritomb has an attack that acts like Battle Compressor, puttin gpokemon in the discard for colorless energy. Ideally, you start with a Spiritomb, use the attack to discard the other three and a Giratina, which can be used to throw a little extra damage on the board, and Use GE to throw some Diglett in there too. Then, on T2, you get a Persian active and able to swing, get the remaining Diglett in with another GE, and swing for big damage.
The fire energy, in addition to triple boost, is what will allow me to do this, and constantly refresh Persians as well. See, in Unbroken Bonds, Fire types got a bunch of energy acceleration. Fire Crystal lets them pull stuff out of the discard (after their there from Heat Factory discarding), and Welder acts as draw support in addition to extra attachments. This means that on any one turn, I can crystal into Welder, attach from hand, and have a fully Charged Persian GX. On turns in the early game, when I can't get that yet, I also have Triple Boost energy, which fully charges a Persian for a single turn. I can use as many of these on the first one just so long as I get three fires in the discard, because then I can use Catwalk on the next one to get myself a Welder and fire Crystal, to make it act like a Wishful Baton without having to attach a Wishful Baton, in addition to drawing two cards.
The reason I don't use any other energy, like Psychic or Fighting, is because I frankly don't need to. If I were to use fighting, I would probably be too slow in manually attaching to be reliable, and if I had psychic i would need to run Malamar, which I frankly don't think is effective enough to get the max potential out of Persian.
Pokemon (16):
- Spiritomb TEU (4)
- Meowth (3)
Meowth – Colorless – HP60
Basic Pokemon
[C] Cat Day: Draw 2 cards. This Pokemon is now Asleep.
[C][C] Tail Whap: 30 damage.
Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
Basic Pokemon
[C] Cat Day: Draw 2 cards. This Pokemon is now Asleep.
[C][C] Tail Whap: 30 damage.
Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
- Persian GX (3)
Persian-GX – Colorless – HP200
Stage 1 – Evolves from Meowth
Ability: Catwalk
Once during your turn (before your attack), if your Pokemon-GX or Pokemon-EX was Knocked Out by damage from an opponent’s attack during their last turn, you may search your deck for up to 2 cards and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck. You can only use 1 Catwalk Ability during your turn.
[C][C][C] Revenge: 10+ damage. This attack does 20 more damage for each Pokemon in your discard pile (up to a maximum of 9 Pokemon).
[C][C][C] Slashback GX: 150 damage. Switch this Pokemon with 1 of your Benched Pokemon. (You can’t use more than 1 GX attack in a game.)
When your Pokemon-GX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
Stage 1 – Evolves from Meowth
Ability: Catwalk
Once during your turn (before your attack), if your Pokemon-GX or Pokemon-EX was Knocked Out by damage from an opponent’s attack during their last turn, you may search your deck for up to 2 cards and put them into your hand. Then, shuffle your deck. You can only use 1 Catwalk Ability during your turn.
[C][C][C] Revenge: 10+ damage. This attack does 20 more damage for each Pokemon in your discard pile (up to a maximum of 9 Pokemon).
[C][C][C] Slashback GX: 150 damage. Switch this Pokemon with 1 of your Benched Pokemon. (You can’t use more than 1 GX attack in a game.)
When your Pokemon-GX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Fighting (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2
- Diglett (4)
Diglett – Fighting – HP50
Basic Pokemon
Ability: Underground Work
If this Pokemon is discarded by the effect of Giovanni’s Exile, discard the top card of your opponent’s deck.
[F] Hook: 10 damage.
Weakness: Grass (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
Basic Pokemon
Ability: Underground Work
If this Pokemon is discarded by the effect of Giovanni’s Exile, discard the top card of your opponent’s deck.
[F] Hook: 10 damage.
Weakness: Grass (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
- Giratina (2)
- Giovanni’s Exile (3)
Gionvanni’s Exile – Trainer
Supporter
Choose up to 2 of your Benched Pokemon with no damage counters on them. Discard those Pokemon and all cards attached to them.
You can play only 1 Supporter during your turn (before your attack).
Supporter
Choose up to 2 of your Benched Pokemon with no damage counters on them. Discard those Pokemon and all cards attached to them.
You can play only 1 Supporter during your turn (before your attack).
- Guzma (3)
- Choice Band (3)
- Escape Board (2)
- Welder (3)
Welder – Trainer
Supporter
Attach up to 2 Fire Energy cards from your hand to 1 of your Pokemon. If you do, draw 3 cards.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
Supporter
Attach up to 2 Fire Energy cards from your hand to 1 of your Pokemon. If you do, draw 3 cards.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
- Fire Crystal (2)
Fire Crystal – Trainer
Item
Put 3 Fire Energy cards from your discard pile into your hand.
You may play as many Item cards as you like during your turn (before your attack).
Item
Put 3 Fire Energy cards from your discard pile into your hand.
You may play as many Item cards as you like during your turn (before your attack).
- Heat Factory Prism Star (1)
- Cynthia (4)
- Surge’s Battle (2)
Lt. Surge’s Battle – Trainer
Supporter
You can only play this card if you have more Prize cards remaining than your opponent.
You may play up to 3 Supporter cards this turn (including this one).
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
Supporter
You can only play this card if you have more Prize cards remaining than your opponent.
You may play up to 3 Supporter cards this turn (including this one).
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
- Elm’s Lecture (2)
- Ultra Ball (4)
- Viridian Forest (2)
- Triple Boost Energy (4)
Triple Boost Energy – Special Energy
Triple Boost Energy can only be attached to an Evolved Pokemon. Discard Triple Boost Energy at the end of the turn it was attached.
Triple Boost Energy provides [C][C][C] Energy as long as it’s attached to a Pokemon.
(When the Pokemon Triple Boost Energy is attached to is no longer an Evolved Pokemon, discard Triple Boost Energy.)
Triple Boost Energy can only be attached to an Evolved Pokemon. Discard Triple Boost Energy at the end of the turn it was attached.
Triple Boost Energy provides [C][C][C] Energy as long as it’s attached to a Pokemon.
(When the Pokemon Triple Boost Energy is attached to is no longer an Evolved Pokemon, discard Triple Boost Energy.)
- Fire (9)
The big Quirk of this deck is probably the Fire Energy, but I'll come back to it. The main goal of this deck to get Persian GX online as fast as possible.
In terms of damage, this is done through Diglett and Spiritomb. See, Diglett is obvious discard bait for Giovanni's Exile (GE), and Spiritomb has an attack that acts like Battle Compressor, puttin gpokemon in the discard for colorless energy. Ideally, you start with a Spiritomb, use the attack to discard the other three and a Giratina, which can be used to throw a little extra damage on the board, and Use GE to throw some Diglett in there too. Then, on T2, you get a Persian active and able to swing, get the remaining Diglett in with another GE, and swing for big damage.
The fire energy, in addition to triple boost, is what will allow me to do this, and constantly refresh Persians as well. See, in Unbroken Bonds, Fire types got a bunch of energy acceleration. Fire Crystal lets them pull stuff out of the discard (after their there from Heat Factory discarding), and Welder acts as draw support in addition to extra attachments. This means that on any one turn, I can crystal into Welder, attach from hand, and have a fully Charged Persian GX. On turns in the early game, when I can't get that yet, I also have Triple Boost energy, which fully charges a Persian for a single turn. I can use as many of these on the first one just so long as I get three fires in the discard, because then I can use Catwalk on the next one to get myself a Welder and fire Crystal, to make it act like a Wishful Baton without having to attach a Wishful Baton, in addition to drawing two cards.
The reason I don't use any other energy, like Psychic or Fighting, is because I frankly don't need to. If I were to use fighting, I would probably be too slow in manually attaching to be reliable, and if I had psychic i would need to run Malamar, which I frankly don't think is effective enough to get the max potential out of Persian.