A YouTube streamer managed to pull an incredibly rare Charizard card while opening Pokémon Trading Card Game packs live, breaking down in excitement after finding the card. The TCG has grown in popularity over the last year or so and saw a new expansion in the form of Pokémon Celebration release in October alongside a new V Battle Deck. This was intended to celebrate Pokémon's 25th anniversary at a time when auctions of rare Pokémon cards have exploded in popularity as demand increased.
In other recent Pokémon Trading Card Game news, a Georgia man has admitted to lying after spending more than $50,000 of a government-backed Covid-19 loan on a rare Pokémom card. Vinath Oudomsine was arrested and pled guilty after investigators alleged that he spent $57,789 on a rare Pokémon card, although it was unclear exactly what card was purchased. The money was intended to be used to allow Oudomsine to help run a business that had supposedly been affected by the pandemic.
YouTube star Leonhart, who has become well known for opening Pokémon card packs during livestreams, was almost in tears after pulling an ultra-rare Charizard. In the video from October 30, which was first reported by Dexerto, Lee Steinfeld is near the end of the unopened 1999 booster pack when he finds a Shadowless Charizard Pokémon card that is worth up to $75,000. The card is from the Base Set of the Pokémon Trading Card Game and is particularly sought after because of the fact it is part of a short run of the item that contains no shadow on the holographic border. Leonhart was visibly shaking after pulling the card, although was able to regain his composure enough to put it in a protective sleeve.
Earlier this year, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company announced that a new game based on the TCG was set to launch in the near future. Pokémon Trading Card Game Live is a one-to-one video game adaptation featuring all of the original rules and cards. The title will be free-to-play and be available for a variety of platforms, including Android, iOS, and PC, although there is no panned version for the Nintendo Switch.
There are just a handful of Shadowless Charizard Pokémon cards in existence, so pulling one in a livestream is a seemingly once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. So it is little wonder that so Leonhart was so excited when he discovered the card. It will be interesting to see if he keeps or sells the card and how he plans to top this super exciting stream for his fans.
Source: Leonhart/YouTube (via Dexerto)