The Legendary Beasts from the second generation of Pokemon games are roaring into the digital card game Pokemon TCG Pocket when its next mini-expansion, Secluded Springs, is released on Aug. 28.
The smaller subset of digital cards supplements the recent Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion, which focused on the rare Pokemon Ho-Oh and Lugia. (Older fans may remember them from the box art of Pokemon Gold and Silver, released all the way back in 1999.) While the official list of digital cards in the set isn’t yet available, it’s likely to be smaller than its gargantuan 241-card predecessor. Expect something more akin to earlier mini-sets like Extradimensional Crisis or Eevee Grove.
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The most valuable cards that fans can expect to chase include Pokemon Ex versions of the legendary dogs Entei, Suicune and Raikou, while third-generation legendaries Latios and Latias also make an appearance. Baby Pokemon like Mantyke also appear, which fit the mini-expansion’s theme, even though this Pokemon was introduced in later games than Pokemon Gold and Silver.
As always, Pokemon TCG Pocket developer DeNA has partnered with excellent artists to bring fun new monster art to the game. We’re getting treated to a hot springs paradise in this set — these might be the most beautiful pieces of card art since the Mythical Island set was released.
Can you truly look at Phanpy, playfully spouting water in the hot springs and tell me that isn’t the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen?
The quiet Johto way of life makes for excellent card art
Generation 2 Pokemon games (Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal) are placed on a pedestal by many veteran fans of the series, and for good reason. Though the games have a punishing and uneven leveling curve, they added a new region while retaining a post-game set in the region of Kanto, the original Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow’s setting. New features added to the second generation of games, like shiny Pokemon and egg hatching, added more depth and replayability.
But above all else, the quiet mystique of the Johto region introduced in Generation 2 separated Gold, Silver and Crystal from their predecessors. Whereas the hustle and bustle of Kanto was indicative of an increasingly industrialized Pokemon world, the nature-loving populace living throughout Johto were deeply spiritual — holding onto tradition and venerated cultural sites that were important to people and Pokemon alike.
Read more: Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Real-Time Battles Forced Me to Think Fast (and I Liked It)
The new Pokemon TCG Pocket expansion’s art looks like it captures a lot of the lackadaisical slice-of-life scenes that have become irreversibly linked with Generation 2 in my mind, and that’s really special.
A watercolor Slowking kicks its feet by the stream as the water trickles by. A lava-based Slugma gazes down into steaming hot water, contemplating whether it should take a dip. Folks gaze at the ancient mural of a Milotic, in awe of its beauty. These are the cards that make me feel a deeper connection to the Pokemon world — they’re as refreshing as booting up Pokemon Go on Day 1 and seeing the pocket monsters in real life.
Slice-of-life cards just make sense for Johto, and I hope we’ll see more of them (especially rendered in brilliant full art variants) in future sets as well.
Water-type Pokemon like Milotic will be featured in a handful of the Pokemon TCG Pocket events slated for September.
Drop events, wonder pick challenges and more free rewards slated for September
If you love your water-type Pokemon, you’re in luck: There are a whole lot of Secluded Springs post-launch events that will help you add these aquatic pocket monsters to your deck.
On Aug. 31, a special Suicune-themed binder cover and display board backdrop will be added to Pokemon TCG Pocket. In September, a water-type mass outbreak event will scatter aquatic Pokemon throughout bonus wonder picks.
Other September events include a drop event where you can take on special solo battles to earn a Zoroark promo card, a wonder pick event themed around special Miltank and Phanpy promo cards and a week of challenges to earn extra pack hourglasses and other rewards.
DeNA also promised that players will be able to trade in their stardust for new card flair throughout the month, but there are no additional details about what cool new visual effects will be released as yet.
