The first wave of Pokémon Trading Card Game cards based on the recent Pokémon Scarlet and Violet games have been revealed. With next year’s Crown Zenith wrapping up Generation Eight in a big way, the long-running Pokémon tabletop trading card game will soon shift its focus toward the new Paldea region and the many creatures and trainers that populate it.
Fans have been waiting for news of Pokémon TCG’s first Scarlet and Violet sets, which will reportedly reach Western stores in February 2023 under the title of Pokémon Scarlet ex and Violet ex. Pokémon TCG news site PokeBéach recently shared new information about this first Gen Nine expansion, which is set to launch in Japan on January 20. The set will see the return of the “Pokémon ex” mechanic, which grants certain cards higher HP and stronger attacks. The cards featured in the two new booster packs include older Pokémon like Arcanine ex and Lucario ex alongside the two Scarlet and Violet cover creatures Miraidon ex and Koraidon ex.
Pokémon TCG Enters Generation Nine Next Year
Pokémon TCG provided a special sneak peek at the first batch of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet cards during this year’s Pokémon World Championship event. There was also a special Scarlet and Violet promo card featuring Pikachu and the three Paldea starters sold in Japan ahead of Scarlet and Violet’s launch on the Nintendo Switch last month, though the word is still out on whether it will see a Western release alongside the cards shown off in the latest Pokémon TCG reveal.
While Pokémon Scarlet and Violet might have gotten a mixed reception at launch due to a variety of technical issues, the ninth generation of the popular monster-collecting franchise has introduced plenty of new creatures for fans to catch, such as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s already-banned Houndstone. The cards included in the newly revealed Pokémon TCG sets feature an interesting mix of these new Pokémon and fan favorites from past generations, as well as new support cards modeled after Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s professors Sada and Turo.
While Western Pokémon TCG players will have to wait until February to get their hands on the new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet-inspired expansion sets, the cards look to be all set for their Japan release in January. While TCG players across the world are waiting for the cards' release, they can get to know the new creatures first through Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, if they can get past the many bugs afflicting the titles.
Source: PokéBeach, The Official Pokemon YouTube Channel/YouTube