LEGO Pokémon SMART Play: Every set explained, and which one to buy first

Pokémon and LEGO took a long time to find each other, and when they finally did, LEGO did not stop at display models. On August 1, 2026 it launched twelve LEGO Pokémon SMART Play sets: Pikachu, Charizard, Squirtle, Eevee and friends as small brick-built figures that react with lights and sounds while a child plays with them. For a Pokémon kid that is close to the dream of the trainer in the anime. For a parent it raises one practical question before any other: which box do I actually need?

That question matters more than it sounds, because only two of the twelve sets include the SMART Brick that makes anything light up. The other ten are Compatible sets, and on their own they are ordinary LEGO sets with a few special tiles. We know the trap from our own shelf. Our six-year-old built the LEGO Star Wars SMART Play AT-ST Attack on Endor (75424) almost entirely on his own, and loves it, but there was no SMART Brick in the box, so the sounds and lights are still untested in our house.

So this guide is honest about its basis. We do not own a LEGO Pokémon SMART Play set yet, and every fact here comes from LEGO’s own announcement and the official product listings. What we can add is the view of a dad whose son is the target group: we think the idea is genuinely cool, and Pokémon is the theme where SMART Play makes the most sense, because a Pokémon that reacts when you train it is the whole point of Pokémon.

How LEGO SMART Play works, in one minute

The system has three parts, and once you know them the shelf in the toy aisle makes sense.

The SMART Brick is the electronics. It looks like a larger LEGO brick, it gets built into a Pokémon figure, and it produces the lights and sounds. LEGO’s listings give about 45 minutes of play per charge, and it charges on a SMART Charger. LEGO does not sell the brick on its own: you get it only inside an All-in-One set.

The SMART Tags are brick-built tiles in the sets, for example a sandwich you can feed to Pikachu. When the brick comes close to a tag, it knows what is happening and reacts. The brick also responds to how a child moves the figure, so a Pokémon swooped through the air behaves differently from one sitting on the table.

And it all works without a screen. According to LEGO, SMART Bricks in new Pokémon All-in-One sets work straight out of the box. The LEGO SMART Assist app is only needed to update a brick from an earlier All-in-One set, such as one from the Star Wars SMART Play wave. For a parent who is tired of every toy wanting an app and a login, that is a strong point.

1. Training House with Pikachu (72164): Where every trainer should start

If you buy one LEGO Pokémon SMART Play set, make it the Training House with Pikachu (72164). It is the only All-in-One set rated 6+, it has the most famous Pokémon of all, and its SMART Brick is the key that unlocks every Compatible set you add later.

What it does well

The box has 400 pieces: a brick-built Pikachu, a treehouse playset, one SMART Brick, a SMART Charger and four SMART Tags. Built into Pikachu, the brick reacts with lights and sounds when it comes close to a tag, for example while training for a battle, and to the way a child moves the figure. It is a complete set on day one, and it is the cheaper of the two ways to get a SMART Brick into the house.

Where it falls short

One brick means one reactive Pokémon. Two siblings who both want their Pokémon to respond at the same time will want the battle set instead, or a second All-in-One set. And 45 minutes per charge is a play session, not an afternoon, so the charger needs a fixed spot in the kids’ room.

Who should buy it

Every family starting with SMART Play, and especially six- and seven-year-olds. For our son, who is six and already knows how much more fun a set is when he builds it himself, this is the set we would put under the tree first.

2. Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle (72167): The set for two trainers

The Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle (72167) is the other All-in-One set, and the reason to choose it is in the box: two SMART Bricks.

What it does well

With 751 pieces it is the biggest All-in-One set: Charizard and Jolteon as brick-built figures, two SMART Bricks, one SMART Charger, four SMART Tags, a Poké Ball, a healing spray and a training station. With a brick in each Pokémon, both react to how the kids move them, which turns the set into what LEGO calls pretend-play battles full of fiery blasts and bursts of electricity. For two children, that is the difference between taking turns and actually playing together.

Where it falls short

It is rated 8+, so for a six-year-old it is a stretch, at least to build alone. It is also the most expensive way into SMART Play. If you have one child and want the cheapest start, Training House is the better buy.

Who should buy it

Siblings, or a Pokémon fan of eight and up who has friends over to battle. The second brick also means two Compatible sets can be played with at the same time later.

3. Charmander and Geodude’s Cavern Clash (72157): The cheapest add-on for six-year-olds

Among the ten Compatible sets, only one is rated 6+, and it is also one of the cheapest: Charmander and Geodude’s Cavern Clash (72157).

What it does well

There are 198 pieces, two Pokémon figures and two SMART Tags. The story is a trainer’s first mission: break rocks to find a hidden crystal while Geodude attacks, swiveling, sending rocks flying and firing a disc shooter. Add the SMART Brick from an All-in-One set and Charmander and Geodude react with their own sounds and lights. That mix of a simple action feature and the SMART reaction is exactly what a six-year-old plays with for weeks.

Where it falls short

Without a SMART Brick it is a small play set with a disc shooter. LEGO says so on the box, but a grandparent who picks it alone as a gift may not read the small print.

Who should buy it

The obvious second set after Training House, and the right stocking stuffer for a younger trainer who already has a brick.

4. Eevee and Lapras’s Treasure Hunt (72162): The bigger adventure

For a Pokémon fan of eight and up, the Eevee and Lapras’s Treasure Hunt (72162) is the larger adventure among the Compatible sets.

With 623 pieces, two Pokémon and three SMART Tags, it gives a SMART Brick more to react to than the small sets. Eevee also matters in our house for another reason: the LEGO Pokémon Eevee (72151) display model is one of the few sets we have given a 5/5, and a kid who loves that Eevee will want the playable one too. As with every Compatible set, it needs a brick from an All-in-One set.

5. Cubone and Gengar’s Spooky Showdown (72166): The most tags

The Cubone and Gengar’s Spooky Showdown (72166) is the biggest Compatible set at 782 pieces, and with four SMART Tags it has more of them than any other Compatible set. Rated 8+, it suits the child who already owns a brick and wants the most SMART interactions from one more box. The ghost theme makes it a good fit for kids who like a little spookiness with their Pokémon.

6. Mewtwo’s Lab Break (72163) and the other 10+ sets

Two sets are rated 10+: Mewtwo’s Lab Break (72163, 605 pieces, one SMART Tag) and Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle (72165, 831 pieces, two SMART Tags). They are meant for older kids, and Mewtwo in particular is the favorite of many Pokémon fans who grew up with the first games and films. For a teenager or a parent who loves the originals, Mewtwo is the one to look at; for a six-year-old, both are too much.

7. Jigglypuff Concert (72159): The small one

At 88 pieces and one SMART Tag, Jigglypuff Concert (72159) is the smallest set in the wave and the cheapest. It is not a reason to start with SMART Play, but for a child who already has a brick it is the classic small gift: a Pokémon most kids know and a quick build.

All twelve sets at a glance

Ages, piece counts and SMART contents are LEGO’s own figures from the June 2026 announcement. LEGO also had a gift with purchase at launch, Ditto as Squirtle: Movie Night (40887), with a SMART Tag and space for a SMART Brick.

How to choose: The order to buy them in

If you are starting from zero, buy Training House with Pikachu (72164). It is the only All-in-One set for six-year-olds, and its brick works with everything else.

If two children will play together, buy Charizard vs. Jolteon (72167). Two bricks, two reactive Pokémon, no arguing over whose turn it is.

If the house already has a brick and the child is six or seven, add Charmander and Geodude (72157). It is the only Compatible set rated 6+.

If the child is eight or older and has a brick, add Eevee and Lapras (72162) or Cubone and Gengar (72166). More tags, bigger builds.

If you already own a Star Wars SMART Play set without a brick, the Pokémon All-in-One sets solve that too. LEGO’s listings call the SMART Brick compatible with other SMART Play sets. In our house that means a Pikachu set would finally make the AT-ST walk with sound. We will test that and update this guide.

Three traps on the shelf

On the shelf the boxes look alike, and the SMART Play logo is on all of them. That is the trap most parents will walk into: a Compatible set bought as a single gift. If nobody in the house has a SMART Brick, it will not light up, and a child who has seen the commercial will notice immediately. Look for the words “All-in-One” before you buy.

Ages are the next thing to check. Most Compatible sets are 7+ or 8+, and two are 10+. A six-year-old can build a lot with help, as our son showed with the AT-ST, but for a gift he is meant to build himself, 72164 and 72157 are the honest choices.

Then there is the charger. The SMART Brick runs about 45 minutes per charge, and a flat brick on Christmas morning is a sad Pikachu, so charge it the evening before.

For Pokémon fans who prefer to display rather than play, the sculptures are a different line altogether: our reviews of the LEGO Pikachu and Poké Ball (72152) and the Eevee cover those. And if you are planning the whole Christmas list, our LEGO advent calendar guide covers the countdown to the big day.

What is LEGO Pokémon SMART Play?

A line of twelve LEGO Pokémon sets that launched on August 1, 2026. With a LEGO SMART Brick built into a Pokémon figure, the figure reacts with lights and sounds when it comes close to a SMART Tag or when your child moves it. It works without a screen.

Which LEGO Pokémon sets include a SMART Brick?

Only the two All-in-One sets: Training House with Pikachu (72164) with one SMART Brick, and Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle (72167) with two. The other ten sets are Compatible sets with SMART Tags but no brick. LEGO does not sell the SMART Brick on its own.

Do LEGO Pokémon SMART Play sets need an app?

No. According to LEGO, SMART Bricks in new LEGO Pokémon All-in-One sets work out of the box. The LEGO SMART Assist app is only needed to update a SMART Brick from an earlier All-in-One set, for example a Star Wars one.

What is the best LEGO Pokémon SMART Play set for a 6-year-old?

Training House with Pikachu (72164). It is the only All-in-One set rated 6+, so it brings the SMART Brick a younger child needs. The only Compatible set rated 6+ is Charmander and Geodude’s Cavern Clash (72157), which makes a good second set.

How long does a SMART Brick battery last?

LEGO’s product listing says about 45 minutes of play per charge. Every All-in-One set includes a SMART Charger.

Can I use a SMART Brick from a LEGO Star Wars set with Pokémon?

LEGO describes the SMART Brick as compatible with other LEGO SMART Play sets, and says a brick from an earlier All-in-One set needs an update through the LEGO SMART Assist app first. We have not tested the cross-over ourselves yet.