To celebrate the 25-year anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, new Pokémon Trading Card Game expansions and decks have been released. The monster collection franchise began all the way back in 1996, and since then it has expanded to consist of video games, trading cards, films, television series and other mediums. Back in June the Pokémon Company announced remakes of classic Pokémon cards like Charizard, which will be included in the upcoming Celebrations expansion pack.
The Pokémon franchise began with two video games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, which were released as Pokémon Red and Blue outside of Japan. The iconic trading card game quickly followed, with the series originally consisting of only 151 monsters. Since then new generations of the franchise have arrived, bringing with them generations of new Pokémon for players to collect both through video games and new sets of trading cards. New sets also introduce brand-new mechanics, such as Pokémon variants and Battle Styles. A new Pokémon card game V Battle Deck, which contains more powerful variants of the Legendary Pokémon Rayquaza and dragon Pokémon Noivern, has also been announced to release in October.
An announcement from The Pokémon Company details the newly-released Celebrations expansion pack and V Battle Decks. The trading card game’s Celebrations expansion will feature fan-favorite Pokémon and card artworks, along with cards from a 25-card Classic Collection. These remakes of classic cards include iconic creatures such as the original Blastoise, Umbreon Star and Tapu Lele-GX. Meanwhile, the V Battle Decks will contain Rayquaza V or Noivern V along with a 60-card deck, making it a perfect way for new players to get started.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is ever-expanding, with new cards and new Pokémon constantly changing the balance of the worldwide phenomenon. Players and collectors are always on the lookout for new releases, which could complete a collection or give an edge against rivals. A Pokémon TCG expansion featuring Dialga and Palkia was potentially leaked in August, with a trademark hinting at the involvement of the two Legendary Pokémon. The typical timeline of trademark filing means that the Dialga and Palkia expansion will not be released until 2022.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game has been running strong for 25 years, successfully expanding and innovating in order to remain relevant. The anniversary of the monster-collection franchise is a big occasion for fans, and The Pokémon Company is celebrating within every aspect of the franchise. The Celebrations expansion pack will allow collectors to get their hands on classic cards, while the new V Battle Deck gives new players a perfect way to enter the world of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
