Tag Archives: pokemon
Pokémon Trick or Trade Booster Bundle and Halloween Advent Calendar now available!
Since we are a few days into September, it is the perfect time to start preparing for Halloween season. Pokémon has released a couple of products that you are going to look at. If you’ve been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends!
Pokémon Trick or Trade Booster Bundle
This booster bundle is the perfect alternative to candy. Bundles include 50 3-card packs for you to pass out. There isn’t going to be much value in this product, so only purchase it if you are going to give it away. It could also serve as a cheap and inexpensive way to open packs with a younger kid. The BOOster bundles retail at $19.99.
Halloween Advent Calendar
The advent calendar makes the perfect holiday gift for the little trainer in your life. It includes a cute cast of collectable figures, and advent calendars always make for a fun time. The cheapest I found was Amazon for $39.99, but you can also try Walmart for a few bucks more.
Mimikyu at Build-a-Bear
This news is a little old, but I thought I would share it anyways. Mimikyu is at Build-a-Bear and its super cute! If you are a fan of Mimikyu and are looking for a high quality plushy collectable, you might want to check it out. You can only buy the Mimikyu bundle online. The bundle includes the plushy, hat and bow tie set, and the voice box for $52.50. You can pick up Mimikyu in-store for $34.
Mimikyu at Gamestop
In other Mimikyu related news, get your Electric-Tera Mimikyu from participating Gamestops this October. Trainers in the US and Canada can pick up codes for Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet games. No date has been announced for the start date, but I’ll make sure to make an announcement as soon as its available.
New Pokémon Paradox Rift Spoilers are here!
We got a few more spoilers for the upcoming set, Paradox Rift, and it’s never too early to get excited about cardboard. The set will include:
- 13 Pokémon ex and seven Tera Pokémon ex
- 34 illustration rare Pokémon
- 15 special illustration rare Pokémon and Supporter cards
- 28 ultra rare full-art etched Pokémon ex and Supporter cards
- 7 hyper rare gold etched cards
Paradox Rift comes out November 3rd, 2023, and preorders are now up at the Pokemon Center:
Booster Box ($161.64)
6-Pack ($26.94)
Single Pack ($4.49 ea)
Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends if you’ve been enjoying these updates.
Fire
Heat Rotom
[R][R] Heat Tackle: 100 damage. This Pokémon also does 40 damage to itself.
Volcanion
[R] Dual Turbo: 20 damage. Choose up to 2 of your Benched Pokémon. For each of those Pokémon, attach a Basic [R] Energy card from your discard pile to that Pokémon.
[R][C][C][C] Heavy Impact: 120 damage.
Fuecoco
[R] Live Coal: 10 damage.
[R][R] Ram: 30 damage.
Crocalor
[R][R] Fireball Roll: 90 damage. Put an Energy attached to this Pokémon into your hand.
Water
Lapras
[C] Into the Deep: Put up to 3 Basic Energy cards from your discard pile into your hand.
[W][C] Freeze-Dry: 50 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Paralyzed
Remoraid
[C] Sprinkle Water: 20 damage.
Octillery
Ability: Suction Draw
When you play this Pokémon from your hand to evolve 1 of your Pokémon during your turn, you may draw 3 cards.
[W][C] Smoke Bomb: 60 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, if the Defending Pokémon tries to attack, your opponent flips a coin. If tails, that attack doesn’t happen.
Mantyke
[.] Fluffy Healing: Heal 120 damage from 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
Mewtwo ex
[P] Trans Charge: Attach up to 2 Basic [P] Energy from your discard pile to your Pokémon in any way you like.
[P][P] Photon Kinesis: 10+ damage. This attack does 30 more damage for each [P] Energy attached to all of your Pokémon.
Plusle
[C][C] Damage Plus: 10+ damage. This attack does 10 more damage for each damage counter on your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
Minun
Ability: Buddy Pulse
If you have Plusle in play, whenever your opponent attaches an Energy card from their hand to 1 of their Pokémon, put 2 damage counters on that Pokémon. You can’t apply more than 1 Buddy Pulse Ability at a time.
[L] Speed Ball: 20 damage.
Psychic
Exeggcute
[P] Hypnosis: Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Asleep.
[P][C] Rolling Tackle: 30 damage.
Exeggcute
[P][C] Hypnoblast: 30 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Asleep.
[P][P][C] Psychic Loop: 160 damage. Put 2 Energy attached to this Pokémon into your hand.
Natu
[P] Triple Jab: 10x damage. Flip 3 coins. This attack does 10 damage for each heads.
Xatu
Ability: Akashic Sense
Once during your turn, you may attach a Basic [P] Energy card from your hand to 1 of your Benched Pokémon. If you attached Energy to a Pokémon in this way, draw 2 cards.
[P][C][C] Super Psy Bolt: 80 damage.
Deoxys
[P] Psypunch: 30 damage.
[P][P][P] Genome Spiral: 120 damage. Move all Energy attached to this Pokémon to your Benched Pokémon in any way you like.
Gimmighoul
[C] Call for Family: Search your deck for a Basic Pokémon and put it onto your Bench. Then, shuffle your deck.
[C][C] Corkscrew Punch: 20 damage.
Gimmighoul
[C] Continuous Coin Toss: 20x damage. Flip a coin until you get tails. This attack does 20 damage for each heads.
Fighting
Hoopa ex
[D][D] Energy Crush: 50x damage. This attack does 50 damage for each Energy attached to all of your opponent’s Pokémon.
[D][D][D] Scoundrel Fist: 200 damage. During your next turn, this Pokémon can’t use Scoundrel Fist.
Dark
Gastly
[C] Allure: Draw a card.
[D][C] Will-O-Wisp: 20 damage.
Haunter
[D][C] Dark Slumber: 40 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Asleep.
Gengar
Ability: Night Gate
Once during your turn, you may switch your Active Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
[D][C] Nightmare: 100 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Asleep.
Absol
[C] Draw Sense: You may discard any number of cards from your hand. Then, draw cards until you have 5 cards in your hand.
[C][C] Enhanced Slash: 20+ damage. If this Pokémon has a Pokémon Tool attached, this attack does 60 more damage.
Yveltal
[C][C] Cross-Cut: 30+ damage. If your opponent’s Active Pokémon is an Evolution Pokémon, this attack does 60 more damage.
[D][D][C] Dark Edge: 120 damage. Discard an Energy from this Pokémon.
Nickit
[C] Surprise Attack: 30 damage. Flip a coin. If tails, this attack does nothing.
Thievul
Ability: Bag Snatch
When you play this Pokémon from your hand to evolve 1 of your Pokémon during your turn, you may look at your opponent’s hand, choose 2 Energy cards you find there, and have your opponent shuffle them into their deck.
[C][C] Claw Slash: 60 damage.
Steel
Skeledirge ex
Ability: Explosive Song
Once during your turn, you may discard a [R] Energy card from your hand in order to use this Ability. During this turn, your Pokémon’s attacks do 60 more damage to your opponent’s Active Pokémon (before applying Weakness and Resistance).
[R][R] Raster Burn: 160 damage. This attack’s damage isn’t affected by any effects on your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
Gholdengo ex
Ability: Bonus Coin
Once during your turn, you may draw a card. If this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, you may draw 2 cards instead.
[C] Gold Rush: 50x damage. Discard any number of Basic Energy cards from your hand. This attack does 50 damage for each card you discarded in this way.
Normal
Bombirdier ex
[C] Fast Carry: If you go first, you can use this attack on your first turn. Search your deck for up to 3 Basic Pokémon and put them onto your Bench. Then, shuffle your deck.
[C][C][C] Shadow Wind: 130 damage. You may shuffle this Pokémon and all attached cards into your deck.
Trainer Cards
Ancient Booster Energy Capsule
The Ancient Pokémon this card is attached to gets +60 HP, recovers from all Special Conditions, and can’t be affected by any Special Conditions.
Gorgeous Mantle
If the Pokémon this card is attached to does not have a Rule Box, it gets +100 HP and when it is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 1 more Prize card for it. (Pokémon ex, Pokémon V have Rule Boxes.)
Parasol Lady
Shuffle your hand into your deck and draw 4 cards. If you go second and it’s your first turn, draw until you have 8 cards instead.
Shauntal
Flip a coin. If heads, switch in 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon to the Active Spot. If tails, switch your Active Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
More Paradox Rift Full Art Cards Revealed!
We got a few new spoilers for the upcoming Pardox Rift for the Pokémon TCG and I am hyped. There are some pretty cool cards, and I am excited to try out some new decks. The set releases on November 3rd, and on the 2nd for TCG Live. I know its a little soon since we just got Obsidian Flames, but it’s always nice to see what’s coming. I’ll be starting this round of spoilers with the full art cards. I am digging the unique style for this set, and it has the super cute Plusle and Minun that I need in my binder. If you enjoy these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, and share this with your friends.
Pokémon: Path to the Peak Episode 4 is out now!
If you haven’t been watching this mini-series, you need to. It is an adorable re-imagining of the Pokémon TCG competitive scene that doesn’t require any knowledge of Pokémon or the card game to enjoy. It has a great protagonist, a fun story, and a cute art style. If you weren’t playing the TCG before watching this, you’re going to want to after.
As I did with last weeks episode, I am going to over analyze what happened in Worlds. This will contain spoilers, so make sure you watch the episode before reading the rest. If you enjoy these posts, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends.
Last week, Ava experienced her first big loss. She became so consumed by her desire to win that she forgot to have fun. The loss devastates Ava because she feels like she let everyone down. This pressure breaks her, and Ava decides to quit the game. She stops going to the club or talking to her friends because of the shame she feels for losing internationals.
In previous episodes, we’ve seen her mother try to talk to Ava about the competitive scene. The cards that were the catalyst for Ava’s adventure once belonged to her mother. We got the sense that Ava’s mother was also a competitive player and that Ava’s natural talent might have also been passed down through her. In this episode, confirmation through some important back story. We get to see Ava’s mother comfort her from a place of empathy, and it is a very cute moment. Ava’s mother faced a similar loss and quit the hobby as a result. She advises Ava not to do the same and to remember why she started playing.
This is an important moment for Ava because not only does she learn how to deal with loss, she remembers why she started playing in the first place. When Ava played the game to win and be the champion she thought everyone wanted her to be, she lost the connection she had to the game. You see less of the Pokemon and more of the mounting stress that looms over Ava as she grinds through the scene. The Pokémon TCG is important to Ava because it is what helped her make important friends and find her place in society. Remembering why she played in the first place helps her deal with the stress, and she starts to have fun again. At this moment, the series shifts focus to the Pokémon, and the audience gets to see a cute and fun battle. Unfortunately, this marks the end of the series, but it was such a fun ride. I loved watching Ava grow as a character, and it even got me excited to play more Pokemon.
As someone who plays a lot of card games, this series is amazing. It had a fun story, cute art, and animation, and it was able to capture why card games are so fun. It is easy to lose sight of what’s important when you are climbing the ladder, and even easier to be stuck in a stressful grind. I’ve done my fair share of obsessing over rank, and remember the tilting frustration that came with the grind. Games and hobbies are supposed to be fun. When they start feeling like a job, it is okay to take a break. Don’t let the climb become more important than your love for the hobby.
Anyways, if you haven’t watched Path to the Peak, go check it out on the official Pokémon YouTube.
Pokémon just dropped a lore cinematic for Poltchageist, and it’s pretty impressive!
The new Pokémon Poltchageist was announced recently, and I didn’t feel too much excitement towards its design. I haven’t been the hugest fan of the recent designs, but playing the TCG has been slowly chipping away at my reservations. I am sure some of the nostalgia I hold dearly has been jading my opinions, so I’ve been trying to be a little more open. With The Teal Mask DLC coming out on September 13, I am giving Violet another try and have started a fresh play-through.
Pokémon has released a cinematic trailer for Poltchageist that has skewed my opinion to be a bit more favorable toward the haunted Tea Caddy. This short provides some chilling lore and fantastic flavor for a Pokémon I was ready to dismiss. Definitely check it out if you are planning to get the next expansion, or if you just want to see a cool Pokémon cinematic.
Poltchageist
Category: Matcha Pokémon
Type: Grass/Ghost
Height: 4″
Weight: 2.4 lbs.
Ability: Hospitality:
Hospitality allows Poltchageist to restore a small amount of its ally’s HP when it enters a battle
Path to the Peak Episode 3 is live!
The 3rd episode of the new Pokémon mini series, Path to the Peak, is up on the official Pokémon YouTube channel. If you haven’t started the series, you need to. Its super cute and short. The series is about the TCG competative scene, but you don’t have to know anything about Pokémon to enjoy the series. Go check it out because trust me, you need this series in your life!
**This is going to have spoilers, so make sure you watch the series before reading this**
This series has been great so far. Obviously, they’ve changed some rules around to make the series more dramatic, but it doesn’t matter because the show is so cute and so much fun to watch.
Ava goes to internationals, and at this point in the story, she is undefeated in her local scene. Ava feels the tension and pressure that comes with undisputed, and this pressure affects how she looks at the game. What started as something fun that she did to make friends is now almost a burden because she doesn’t want to let her friends down. This shift in character presents creates an important moment in Ava’s character where she struggles between having fun and being the people’s champion. This episode deals less with Ava having fun with Oddish and more about Ava dealing with the anxiety of competing on a larger stage. This is a very powerful and relevant human experience that has been illustrated perfectly in a cute ten-minute cartoon.
I like that Ava loses this important match because it paints her as an imperfect character. Although she might be the best in her scene, she still has a lot to learn about the game. The loss gives her an adversity she has to overcome, a goal she needs to work words, and room for improvement. Will this be enough to make her quit the game? Will she leave Oddish behind to play a meta deck? It’s frustrating that I have to wait a week to find out how she reacts, but the series has done such a good job of making me love Ava as a character, that I am willing to wait.
I understand that this might be a little too deep of an analysis for a cartoon, but I love it and want it to be successful. I’ll try to do one of these for all future episodes, so make sure you like comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends! See you next week.
Pokémon Paradox Rift is now available for Preorder at Pokemon Center!
The upcoming Pokémon set, Paradox Rift, is set to release on November 3rd, but it will be live on Pokemon TCG live on the 2nd. The set will include:
- 13 Pokémon ex and seven Tera Pokémon ex
- 34 illustration rare Pokémon
- 15 special illustration rare Pokémon and Supporter cards
- 28 ultra rare full-art etched Pokémon ex and Supporter cards
- 7 hyper rare gold etched cards
Paradox Rift will be introducing some new mechanics that are bound to shake up the meta. I know it is a little early to be thinking of the new set, but if you want to get an early jump on Holiday shopping, or just want to open a box on launch day, go put in your pre-order in before it sells out.
If you enjoy my content, or appreciate the updates, throw me a like, comment, or follow. Don’t forget to share this with your friends!
Iron Valient Elite Trainer Box ($59.99)
Paradox Rift Iron Valient Elite Trainer Box includes:
- 11 Pokémon TCG:Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift booster packs
- Each booster pack contains 10 cards and 1 Basic Energy. Cards vary by pack.
- 1 full-art foil promo card featuring a Future Pokémon
- 1 full-art foil promo card featuring a Future Pokémon with a Pokémon Center logo
- 65 card sleeves featuring Iron Valiant
- 45 Pokémon TCG Energy cards
- A player’s guide to the Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift expansion
- 6 damage-counter dice
- 1 competition-legal coin-flip die
- 2 plastic condition markers
- A box to hold everything, with 4 dividers to keep it organized
- A code card for Pokémon Trading Card Game Live
Roaring Moon Elite Trainer Box (59.99)
Roaring Moon Elite Trainer Box includes:
- 11 Pokémon TCG:Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift booster packs
- Each booster pack contains 10 cards and 1 Basic Energy. Cards vary by pack.
- 1 full-art foil promo card featuring an Ancient Pokémon
- 1 full-art foil promo card featuring an Ancient Pokémon with a Pokémon Center logo
- 65 card sleeves featuring Roaring Moon
- 45 Pokémon TCG Energy cards
- A player’s guide to the Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift expansion
- 6 damage-counter dice
- 1 competition-legal coin-flip die
- 2 plastic condition markers
- A box to hold everything, with 4 dividers to keep it organized
- A code card for Pokémon Trading Card Game Live
Paradox Rift 6 Pack Booster Bundle ($26.94)
Includes 6 Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift booster packs
Single Booster Pack ($4.49 ea)
This is just for a single pack if you need it, or if they run out of boxes.
Paradox Rift Booster Box ($161.64)
The booster box comes with 36 packs and it is a fantastic product if you love cracking packs.
That’s all that’s out so far, I am sure we’ll get different bundles and starter decks the closer we get to launch. Until then, make sure you grab your copies before the scalpers do. Till next time, thanks!
Pokémon Paradox Rift set releases November 3, 2023
Pokémon just announced the release date for their newest set, Paradox Rift, so it might be a good time to start clearing out some space on your shelves. The set will introduce Ancient and Future Pokémon and Trainer cards, as well as Ace spec cards. Ancient Pokémon will be bulky and hit hard, while Future Pokémon will hit with special abilities for a more control deck vibe. The expansion will also include:
- 13 Pokémon ex and seven Tera Pokémon ex
- 34 illustration rare Pokémon
- 15 special illustration rare Pokémon and Supporter cards
- 28 ultra rare full-art etched Pokémon ex and Supporter cards
- 7 hyper rare gold etched cards
We did get some cards spoiled at worlds, and I will keep an eye out for anything new.
We did get artwork for the two Elite Trainer Boxes the set will release with, Iron Valiant and Roaring Moon.
Iron Valiant
Roaring Moon
And the Booster Pack Art
Paradox Rift comes out November 3rd, but it will be live on TCG Live November 2nd. If you’ve been enjoying my content, don’t forget to follow, like, comment, and share this with your friends!
Pokemon Worlds Results and announcements: New Mechanics and the location for next year!
The Pokémon World Championship has ended, and it was an exciting time in competitive Pokémon. Those fortunate enough to attend the event in Japan got a unique Pokémon experience, and those who got to watch got the excitement of watching pros play the games we love. I mostly watched the TCG coverage, but you can find the complete coverage of important matches of every event on the official Pokémon YouTube channel.
I did not intend to watch as much as I did. I was just going to earn my packs and move on but was quickly sucked in by the fanfare. It made for terrific background noise, and it was cool to see how people played the different decks in the meta. I learned a few tricks that have made me a better player.
Congratulations to this year’s champion, Vance Kelley! As someone who plays a lot of Mew, I was very excited to see the deck perform so well at worlds. I picked up a few new tricks that I am sure will elevate my game, but it was such an exciting match. I recommend you check it out if you have some time.
And the deck that won it all:
- Pokemon – 13
- 4 Mew V FST 113
- 3 Mew VMAX FST 114
- 1 Meloetta FST 124
- 4 Genesect V FST 185
- 1 Oricorio FST 42
- Trainer – 40
- 1 Judge SVI 176
- 2 Nest Ball SVI 181
- 1 Pal Pad SVI 182
- 4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
- 2 Boss’s Orders (Ghetsis) PAL 172
- 2 Choice Belt PAL 176
- 1 Iono PAL 185
- 2 Switch Cart ASR 154
- 1 Box of Disaster LOR 154
- 2 Lost City LOR 161
- 2 Lost Vacuum LOR 162
- 3 Forest Seal Stone SIT 156
- 1 Escape Rope BST 125
- 1 Path to the Peak CRE 148
- 1 Crystal Cave EVS 144
- 4 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
- 4 Cram-o-matic FST 229
- 2 Elesa’s Sparkle FST 233
- 4 Power Tablet FST 236
- Energy – 7
- 4 Fusion Strike Energy FST 244
- 3 Double Turbo Energy BRS 151
Worlds 2024
The location for next year’s Worlds was also announced. Next year, the event will be held in beautiful Honolulu, HI.
But as exiting as this news may be, it is such a tragedy what is going on right now with the wild fires. In an efforts to help the families devastated by the fires, The Pokémon Company International has donated $200,000 to the Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund. If you have the means, please consider making a donation.
New Cards and Mechanics
They also announced that ancient and future Pokémon, and ACE spec cards will be coming to the TCG in the set we are getting in November. We got teased some very cool cards that I are sure to shake up standard.
Pokémon UNITE
It looks like Blaziken, Mimikyu, and Meowscarada are joining the roster in Pokémon
Blaziken is expected to release on September 19th, the rest are yet to be announced.
Path to the Peak
And if you haven’t done so, make sure you watch Pokémon: Path to the Peak. It is a cute miniseries you can watch free on YouTube!
If you enjoy these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends.