Pokemon TCG Pocket Reveals Stunning New Cards

Attendees at the Pokemon World Championships got a sneak peak of the brand new Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket app, with several new cards revealed at the show. This weekend marked the start of the Pokemon World Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii, the culmination of a year's worth of Pokemon competitions. The annual showcase of the Pokemon franchise also featured plenty of non-competitive events and surprises, including a brand new look at the Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket app, which is due out for release later this year.

A booth at the show allowed fans to open Genetic Apex card packs, which will assumably will help launch the brand new card app. While several of the cards used artwork from physical card sets, several new cards were also revealed, including a first look at an Articuno ex card, plus full art versions of Squirtle and Pidgeot. The Pokemon Company International provided official images of all three cards, which can be seen below.

Like other cards shown off for Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket, the cards appear to use similar card mechanics to the original Pokemon Trading Card Game app. For instance, Articuno ex gives two prizes when knocked out, just like Pokemon ex cards in the original game. However, the cards generally appear to have lower HP and cheaper energy costs for moves, which should help speed up gameplay considerably.

The new app appears to be looking in the same space as Marvel Snap and Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links, with quick-paced digital play and an emphasis on collecting new cards. Notably, players will be able to open up a number of free packs per day and at least some cards will have either variants or immersive digital artwork that players can "enter" through the app.

Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket will be released later this year.