In preparation for the release of Obsidian Flames, I’ll be sharing the card list in sections by type. Today’s focus will be the Psychic types. Make sure you check out the rest of the previews as well. Obsidian Flames comes out August 11th, make sure you go put in your pre-order at your LGS or TGC Player if you don’t have one. And if you’ve been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends.
Cleffa
[.] Grasping Draw: Draw cards until you have 7 cards in your hand.
Clefairy
[P][P] Slap Slap: 30x damage. Flip 2 coins. This attack does 30 damage for each heads.
Clefable ex
Ability: Lunar Zone Each of your Pokémon that has any [P] Energy attached has no Retreat Cost.
[P][P][P] Wondrous Moon: 170 damage: 170 damage. Move any number of [P] Energy from your Pokémon to your other Pokémon in any way you like.
Snubbull
[P] Gnaw: 10 damage.
[P][C] Double-Edge: 30 damage. This Pokémon also does 10 damage to itself.
Granbull
[P][C] Confront: 50 damage.
[P][P][C] Wild Tackle: 160 damage. This Pokémon also does 30 damage to itself.
Mawile
[P] Mischievous Crunch: 30x damage. This attack does 30 damage for each [P] Energy attached to this Pokémon.
Spoink
[P] Splash: 10 damage.
[C][C] Ram: 20 damage.
Grumpig
[P] Power Step: Search your deck for up to 2 basic Energy cards and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like. Then, shuffle your deck.
[P][C][C] Zen Headbutt: 100 damage.
Sinistea
[P] Cold Tea: 10 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
Polteageist
[P] Antique Collecting: Put up to 2 in any combination of Item and Pokémon Tool cards from your discard pile into your hand.
[P] Pour Tea: Put 5 damage counters on your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
Houndstone ex
[P] Big Bite: 30 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, the Defending Pokémon can’t retreat.
[P][C][C] Last Respects: 160+ damage. This attack does 10 more damage for each [P] Pokémon in your discard pile.
In preparation for the release of Obsidian Flames, I’ll be sharing the card list in sections by type. Today’s focus will be the Dark types. Make sure you check out the rest of the previews as well. Obsidian Flames comes out August 11th, make sure you go put in your pre-order at your LGS or TGC Player if you don’t have one. And if you’ve been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends.
Charizard ex
Ability: Infernal Reign When you play this Pokémon from your hand to evolve 1 of your Pokémon during your turn, you may search your deck for up to 3 Basic [R] Energy cards and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like. Then, shuffle your deck.
[R][R] Burning Darkness: 180+ damage. This attack does 30 more damage for each Prize card your opponent has taken.
Paldean Wooper
[D] Spit Poison: Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Poisoned.
Paldean Clodsire
[D] Poison Ring: 20 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Poisoned. During your opponent’s next turn, the Defending Pokémon can’t retreat.
[D][C][C] Mud Hammer: 100 damage. Discard the top card of your opponent’s deck.
Houndour
[D] Bite: 10 damage.
[D][D][D] Darkness fang: 70 damage.
Houndoom ex
[D][D] Evil Claw: 90 damage. If the Defending Pokémon is a Basic Pokémon, it can’t attack during your opponent’s next turn.
[D][D][D] Hound Fangs: 220 damage. This Pokémon also does 30 damage to itself.
Salandit
[D] Suffocating Gas: 10 damage.
[D][C] Scratch: 30 damage.
Salazzle
[D] Suffocating Gas: 40 damage.
[D][C] Gentle Slap: 70 damage.
Mabosstiff ex
[C][C] Daunt: 30 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, the Defending Pokémon’s attacks do 50 less damage (before applying Weakness and Resistance).
[D][C][C] Pride Fang: 100+ damage. If your Benched Pokémon have any damage counters on them, this attack does 120 more damage.
In preparation for the release of Obsidian Flames, I’ll be sharing the card list in sections by type. Today’s focus will be the electric types. Make sure you check out the rest of the previews as well. Obsidian Flames comes out August 11th, make sure you go put in your pre-order at your LGS or TGC Player if you don’t have one. And if you’ve been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends.
Magnemite
[L] Ram: 10 damage.
[C][C] Speed Ball: 20 damage.
Magneton
[L] Tackle: 30 damage.
[L][C][C] Electro Ball: 60 damage.
Magnezone
[L] Magnereject: 50 damage. You may have your opponent switch their Active Pokémon with 1 of their Benched Pokémon.
[L][C][C] Thunder: 180 damage. This Pokémon also does 30 damage to itself.
Tyranitar ex
[F] Mountain Bash: 120 damage. Discard the top 2 cards of your deck.
[F][F] Thor’s Rampage: 150+ damage. If any of your Benched Pokémon have any damage counters on them, this attack does 100 more damage.
Tadbulb
[L][C] Thunder Jolt: 40 damage. This Pokémon also does 10 damage to itself.
Bellibolt
[L][C] Electrobullet: 70 damage. This attack also does 30 damage to 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
Pawmot ex
[L] Zap Kick: 60 damage.
[L][L] Lightning Strike: Discard 2 [L] Energy from this Pokémon. If you do, this attack does 220 damage to 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
Miraidon ex
[L] Quick Draw: 20 damage. Draw a card.
[L][L][L] Techno Turbo: 150 damage. Attach a Basic Lightning Energy from your discard pile to 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
In preparation for the release of Obsidian Flames, I’ll be sharing the card list in sections by type. Today’s focus will be the water types. Make sure you check out the rest of the previews as well. Obsidian Flames comes out August 11th, make sure you go put in your pre-order at your LGS or TGC Player if you don’t have one. And if you’ve been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends.
Lapras
[C][C] Hail: This attack does 10 damage to each of your opponent’s Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
[W][W][C] Freezing Wind: 100 damage.
Buizel
[C] Quick Attack: 10+ damage. Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 more damage.
Floatzel
[W] Whirlpool Tail: Flip a coin. If heads, put your opponent’s Active Pokémon and all cards attached to it into your opponent’s hand.
[W][C] Waterfall: 60 damage.
Froakie
[W] Try Bouncing: 30 damage. Flip a coin. If tails, this attack does nothing.
Frogadier
[W][W] Strafe: 40 damage. You may switch this Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
Greninja ex
[C] Ninja Shuriken: This attack does 40 damage to 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
[W][W] Raging Rapids Strike: 120+ damage. If your opponent’s Active Pokémon already has any damage counters on it, this attack does 120 more damage.
Wiglet
[W] Rain Splash: 10 damage.
Wugtrio
[W] Tangle and Squeeze: 50 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, the Defending Pokémon can’t retreat.
Finizen
[W] Courageous Evolution: Switch this Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon. Then, search your deck for a Pokémon that evolves from this Pokémon and put it onto this Pokémon to evolve it and shuffle your deck.
[W] Razor Fin: 10 damage.
Finizen
[W][W] Tail Smack: 30 damage.
Palafin
[W] Jet Punch: 30 damage. This attack also does 30 damage to 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
[W][W] Justice Kick: 210 damage. If this Pokémon didn’t move from the Bench to the Active Spot this turn, this attack does nothing.
I am loving the theme for this set, all the cards are so pretty. I’ll be back with the electric types as soon as I can. Don’t forget to subscribe!
The more I look at the card list for the upcoming Pokemon set, Obsidian Flames, the more excited I get. The cards look so good! The set releases on August 11, so make sure you put in your pre-order at your LGS or TCG Player if you don’t have one. Until then, I’ll be posting the card list and the translations by type. This post I’ll be focusing on all the new fire types. If you enjoy the updates, don’t forget to subscribe and share this with your friends!
Charmander
[R] Heat Tackle: 30 damage. This Pokémon also does 10 damage to itself.
Charmeleon
[R][R] Heat Tackle: 70 damage. This Pokémon also does 20 damage to itself.
Charmeleon
[R][C] Hot Magma: 20 damage. Your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Burned.
Charmeleon
[R][C] Eruption: 50+ damage. Each player discards the top card of their deck. This attack does 100 more damage for each Energy card discarded in this way.
[R][R][C] Steaming Stomp: 120 damage.
Victini ex
[R] Strafe: 30 damage. You may switch this Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
[R][R][C] Victory Flame: 220 damage. During your next turn, this Pokémon can’t attack.
Litwick
[R] Firebreathing: 10+ damage. Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 more damage.
Lampent
[R] Flare: 30 damage.
[R][C] Alluring Fireball: Switch in 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon to the Active Spot. This attack does 30 damage to the new Active Pokémon.
Chandelure
[R] Burning Chain: 10+ damage. This attack does 50 more damage for each Energy attached to your opponent’s Active Pokémon.
[R][C][C] Heat Blast: 150 damage.
Larvesta
[R] Flare: 10 damage.
[R][C] Take Down: 40 damage. This Pokémon also does 10 damage to itself.
Volcarona
[R] Flame Cloak: 30 damage. Attach a [R] Energy card from your discard pile to this Pokémon.
[R][R][C] Heat Blast: 130 damage.
Eiscue ex
[W][W][W] Piping Hot Block: 160 damage. Discard an Energy from this Pokémon. During your opponent’s next turn, the Defending Pokémon can’t attack.
Charcadet
[C] Light Punch: 10 damage.
[R][C] Combustion: 20 damage.
Armarouge
Ability: Scorching Armor If this Pokémon is in the Active Spot and is damaged by an attack from your opponent’s Pokémon (even if this Pokémon is Knocked Out), the Attacking Pokémon is now Burned.
[R][C] Steam Artillery: 70 damage.
That’s it for the fire cards, I will be back with the water types as soon as I can. See you next time!
Paldea Evolved was an amazing set with beautiful and powerful cards. If you are a collector or trying to start your collection, Paldea Evolved is a great place to start. I can’t speak on the monetary value of the set, but the cards are so pretty. Paldea also brought a lot of fun decks to the standard worth trying out. I’m working towards a Noivern Deck because I pulled the Ultra Rare.
Look at how pretty it is!
But since it is the beginning of July, it is a good time to get ready for the upcoming set, Obsidian Flames. Obsidian Flames releases on August 11, so make sure you put in your preorders at your LGS or TGC Player if you don’t have one.
To prepare, I thought it is a cool idea to go through the set list, starting with the green cards and their translations. If this is something you’d like to continue seeing, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends.
Scyther
[C] Agility: 10 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, during your opponent’s next turn, prevent all damage from and effects of attacks done to this Pokémon.
[C][C] Cut: 20 damage.
Surskit
[C] Lunge: 20 damage. Flip a coin. If tails, this attack does nothing.
Masquerain
[C] Frightful Look: Flip a coin until you get tails. For each heads, discard a random card from your opponent’s hand.
[G][C] Bug Buzz: 70 damage.
Foongus
[G] Vine Design: Search your deck for a Basic [G] Pokémon and put it onto your Bench. Then, shuffle your deck.
[G][C] Beat: 20 damage.
Amoonguss
[G][C] Dangerous Spore: 60 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
Bounsweet
[G] Stampede: 10 damage.
[G][G] Reckless Charge: 30 damage. This Pokémon also does 10 damage to itself.
Steenee
[G] Aromatherapy: Heal 30 damage from each of your Pokémon.
[G][G] Razor Leaf: 60 damage.
Tsareena
[G] Queen’s Heel: 60 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, the Defending Pokémon can’t be evolved by playing a card from your opponent’s hand.
[G][G] Spinning Kick: 160 damage. This Pokémon also does 20 damage to itself.
Smoliv
[G] Absorb: 10 damage. Heal 10 damage from this Pokémon.
Dolliv
[G] Sunny Wind: 30 damage. Heal 30 damage from this Pokémon.
Arboliva
[G] Healing Fruit: Heal all damage from 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
[G] Oil Shot: 90 damage.
Toedscruel ex
Ability: Protective Filament Prevent all effects of attacks from your opponent’s Pokémon done to all of your Pokémon that have Energy attached. (Existing effects are not removed. Damage is not an effect.)
[G][G] Colony Rush: 80+ damage. This attack does 40 more damage for each of your Benched Pokémon with [G] Energy attached.
Man this set is so cute! There are some cool looking cards, and some cards I will probably end up playing with. Let me know what you think about the set so far. I’ll be back with the red cards as soon as I can. Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this with all your friends.
If you have been enjoying my content and want to support what I do make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends. You can also buy me a coffee
Pokémon Ultimate Journeys marks the end of Ash and Pikachu’s long journey running journey toward being a Pokemon Master. This ending has left me with an overwhelming mix of emotions. While I am happy with how the series ended, it is sad to say goodbye to a pair that has been in most of my life. I know it is silly to care this much about cartoon characters, but I’ve been there since the beginning. I remember rushing home from school every day to see Ash and Pikachu make their way through Kato. Over the years, I’ve consistently binged Pokemon as comforting background noise but have remained invested in their narrative.
The Pokémon anime has always been good enough. I’ve seen people dismiss the Pokemon anime because it is for kids, but it consistently provides comforting entertainment. While there is a bit of filler and general cheesiness carried throughout, the story isn’t bad. Pokemon usually has fun and memorable characters, solid clean humor, solid adventure, and some fun battles. At the very least, Pokemon makes for solid background noise.
I avoided watching Pokemon Journeys for as long as I could because I wasn’t ready for the journey to be over. I also didn’t want to risk a disappointing ending. Pokemon Journeys is the perfect conclusion to this long-running adventure, full of suspense, action, and closure. It does feel a bit rushed as it scrambles across the different regions revisiting old friends, but it takes its time when it counts.
What Journeys does well is showing how much Ash and Pikachu have grown over the years by shifting the focus to all the people they have inspired. It was nice to see characters from older shows return not only for nostalgia but to see how much they’ve grown since they parted with Ash. Seeing old characters still working hard towards their own goals and cheering on Ash was a touching way to conclude such a big adventure.
Journeys ends with the Master’s Eight Tournament where trainers from across the regions come together to prove themselves. It is a tournament full of fun and exciting battles that build up to one of the most epic battles in Pokemon. Even though I knew how the series would end, I still found myself at the edge of my seat as I waited for a winner. What this tournament does well is that it shifts between the contestants. The Master’s Eight Tournament isn’t something for Ash to win, it is something he has to earn because everyone in it wants to be the bests. Some general hijinks are always present in Pokemon battles, but they are a lot of fun to watch regardless.
If you don’t watch this series, at least watch the final battle. It is unmistakably one of the best battles in Pokemon. The art is unique, the music is epic, and it perfectly illustrates how much stronger Ash has become as a trainer. The stakes are high as two trainers who have mutual respect and admiration go all out against each other. You will need to watch it for yourself to appreciate its scale and what it means to the anime.
But beyond the battles, the final goodbye is what hit me the hardest. Ash’s traveling companion, Goh, decides he needs to set off on his own to reach his potential. Goh feels he relies too much on Ash but is afraid to leave on his own. He doesn’t know how to tell Ash, and it creates great turmoil for the character. Ash breaks the news first, leaving Goh heartbroken. Goh is anxious to be alone because he doesn’t know if he can make it on his own. In a very touching moment, Ash assures Goh that he is good enough, and always has been. The two split after a final goodbye, but Goh finds himself unable to move. He is saddened by the goodbye and anxious to go forward on his own. Ash shouts to him from across the way, encouraging go to achieve his goals and to keep in touch. It was a very touching end to the series as both characters set off and continue their adventures.
This was such a powerful moment in the series because it was also Ash’s goodbye to the audience. Goh is meant to echo the emotions of the audience as they say goodbye to a longtime friend, and Ash is there to reassure them the story isn’t over. Ash and Pikachu may not be the focus of the series, but the adventure hasn’t ended.
It’s sad to see something that has been around with me for so long end, but it was time, and it got a proper conclusion. If you haven’t seen it and have been a long time fine, it’s a fun series you can throw in the background. There are episodes you can probably gloss over unless you’ve been watching since the beginning, but it is a solid anime regardless. And with that, I give my teary-eyed goodbye to a long-time friend. Thank you for reading.
Best Buy and Target has put up their Pokemon 151 bundles up for pre-order. The set has already sold out on the Pokemon Center site, so now might be a good time to pick up a few of the bundles before the release on November. This set is beautiful and the bundles have enough incentive to get collectors excited. I know it is going to be very hard for me to buy into this set, but I am trying. Give me a follow if you’ve been enjoying my updates, and don’t forget to share this with your friends!
151 Elite Trainer Box ($49.99)
11 Pokémon TCG:Scarlet & Violet—151 booster packs
Each booster pack contains 10 cards and 1 Basic Energy.
1 full-art foil promo card featuring Snorlax with a Pokémon Center logo
1 full-art foil promo card featuring Snorlax
65 card sleeves
45 Pokémon TCG Energy cards
A player’s guide to the Scarlet & Violet—151 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
Pokemon has officially announced the complete card list for their upcoming Pokemon 151 set releasing in Japan on June 16th. The Western release is scheduled for September 22nd, so make sure you start saving up now! This set is simply beautiful. The regular set is nice, but the alt arts are amazing! The set will feature the original 151 Pokemon, including Kadabra which hasn’t been available in a card for 20 years. There are 165 cards in this set with a few alt arts to pad it out. I will have to try my hardest not to collect them all. I don’t normally buy Pokemon cards, but I might have to snag a couple of packs on my trip to Japan for the nostalgia.
If you have been enjoying my content and want to support what I do make sure you like, comment, subscribe, and share this with your friends. You can also buy me a coffee
Pokemon TCG Online has officially shut down and been replaced by Pokemon TCG Live. You can download Pokemon TCG Live on IOS, Android, PC and Mac. While I am saddened by the end of an era, I am hopeful for the game’s future. While I have a decent win rate on both clients, keep in mind that I am speaking from an entirely casual perspective. If you are looking to me for competitive advice, I am afraid I won’t be very helpful.
Pokemon TCG Live is the best place to go if you want to learn how to play the Pokemon TCG. It’s free, it’s convenient, and the tutorial is fantastic. Players get access to decent starter decks, and they can earn more through gameplay. I wish they had trainer challenges where players could face off against AI for rewards as they had in PTCGO, but playing against real people has been great. There will be an awkward adjustment phase as the game tries to find your skill level, but this process felt quick compared to other card games I’ve tried. I only play ranked, so I can’t speak on matchmaking for casual.
I’ve been playing on the IOS app since the start of the beta, and it was rough. The game was so unplayable in the beginning that I almost gave up. Matches took too long, animations would lose frames, and there were a few noticeable bugs that made the experience terrible. There has been a bit of polish since, and I’ve been enjoying myself a lot more. There is still room for improvement, but at least on IOS, the experience is solid. I can’t speak on the experience for Android or PC.
While I am content with the state of Live, some changes will take some getting used to. I don’t like that they flipped the orientation of the gameboard. I believe this was done to accommodate for mobile devices, but it is awkward on the iPad. I’ve gotten used to it, but I have to lock the iPad so it doesn’t randomly rotate and force me into a smaller aspect ratio. I also miss tournaments and access to the theme deck format. I only played the theme decked format in PTCGO because it was the easiest way to get into the game, and I always liked trying the different starter decks. The grind for Live also seems a bit steeper than it was in PTCGO. While the grind is not as bad as in MTGA, it is noticeable. Finally, there is no more trading. I didn’t do any trading in PTCGO because I enjoyed opening my packs, but it is something to be aware of. Instead of trading packs for singles, you buy them through a dust system that works like any other CCG. I don’t buy enough cards to know how well the dust system works compared to the old way, I just know that it will be a while for me to get a meta deck.
As a casual in the space, I love Pokemon TCG Live. I love that I can play standard right at the start, I love that I can play on my phone, and love that I can play people that are around my skill level. I get stomped by people who spend money on this game on occasion, but I’ve also had some of the most intense and fun games in between. I will eventually build a meta deck, but I have been enjoying the game without one.
The best part about collecting Pokemon are the redeemable code cards you get from buying physical packs. I always feel weird throwing money into a game for digital assets that might not exist in a few years. I love that I can go to my LGS, buy a few packs, enjoy them in my collection, and then redeem them online. More card games should do this to incentivize players to spend money in the space. It bothers me that if I buy a booster box of MTG, I also have to buy it in MTGA just to play standard. Unfortunately, all my money is going into Digimon, but I like having the option.
What I love most about Pokemon TCG Live is how free-to-play-friendly compared to the other online TCGs. I know I’ve mentioned a grind, but it isn’t bad. I am speaking as a casual player who enjoys the game, but the grind doesn’t feel like work. I am sure if you do buy cards and spend money, the grind will be a lot easier, but as a free-to-play player, I have no complaints. You can unlock the battle pass for 600 gems, which you can easily earn in a few days. Unlocking the battle pass gives you access to cosmetics, packs, and more gems. I play casually and complete a reward track every single day. I’ve already decent collection without spending any money, and I’ve only been playing the starter deck. Any excess gems can be spent on decent bundles or themed decks to further expand your collection. It’s a great system.
If you are looking to get into the hobby, now is a great time to join. Pokemon TCG Live is officially out of Beta, so you won’t have to experience the rough stages I had to go through. The client runs well enough (at least on IOS), there is a healthy population of players, and Paldea Evolved is going to be a lot of fun to collect. I can’t speak about the set’s power level, but I am loving the art. The game is free. You can play on PC and Mac, and on Android and IOS devices. And if you have any of codes you aren’t using, shoot some my way!
