It’s not easy to follow up on an act that can cause emotional fervor in its audience. Last week’s Pokémon Day showcased a lot for the franchise. For the Trading Card Game (TCG) in particular, we were given a glimpse of the returning Mega Evolution Pokémon.
Now, the Pokémon Company International (TPCi) intends to keep its momentum going by announcing new Illustration Rare (ARs) cards in Hot Wind Arena.
It Was Inevitable.
A lot of excitement was drummed up once Hot Wind Arena revealed that Cynthia and her Garchomp line were being introduced in this set. There was so much excitement, in fact, that many enthusiasts were pretty confident that TPCi would be releasing some form of AR for the card. To their credit, they were right. Even better, the card is a Special Illustration Rare (SAR).
It's hard to tell at the moment how much this card will shake up the second-hand market once it hits the western shores in the Destined Rivals set. Some fans are already making predictions that the SAR of Cynthia’s Garchomp is the chase card of the expansion.
If that ends up being the case, there exists the possibility of seeing another scalper-based situation where a card dramatically skyrockets in value. Currently, what comes to mind is the most recent state of affairs with Prismatic Evolutions and the Umbreon ex SAR found therein.
That said, Cynthia and Garchomp enthusiasts are quite happy with the SAR’s design while others are not quite as enthused.
Just last week, TPCi also announced several TCG accessories in the form of card sleeves, playmats, deck boxes etc. Part of the lineup featured stellar alternative artwork of some of the featured trainers (Ethan, Cynthia, etc.) from Destined Rivals alongside their Pokémon.
Ethan’s sleeves in particular were met with a lot of approval due to its more distinct style. While going over multiple discussion forums from across the internet, there is the sentiment that players would’ve liked to see Cynthia’s Garchomp given the same treatment for the depicted illustration on the SAR.
Hydrapple’s Potential
Alongside Cynthia’s Garchomp, Hydrapple (and its line) was given some spotlight as an AR version of the Pokémon card was also announced.
Originally making its debut in the Stellar Crown expansion set last year (September 2024), Hydrapple ex isn’t what most would consider particularly riveting.
With the announcement featuring the return of Mega Evolutions into the TCG, however, the newest iteration of Hydrapple featured in Hot Wind Arena may be an interesting tech choice for any grass-focused deck.
With the ability to just knock out the opposing Pokémon full-stop, this unassuming Pokémon can counter the robust bodies mega evolution Pokémon may end up having; as hinted at by the announcement trailer in last month’s Pokémon Presents video.
Of course, it’s not exactly an easy ability to use. The upfront activation cost of a single basic grass energy is followed up by its monstrous discard cost of 6 basic grass energy from the hand. For a total of 7 grass energy, this attack all but screams “jank” to anybody with a hint of a competitive spirit in their body.
But given the new risk of 3 prize cards attached to a mega evolution should they be knocked out, an entrepreneurial player may be able to make use of Hydrapple. At the very least, it can make for some entertaining plays between friends.