If you've ever sat there looking at your plain, portable gaming storage and thought, "I wish these were cute and had pictures of Pokemon on them," then you'll be glad to know that SanDisk has you covered. The storage brand has just unveiled a new Mew Edition USB-C Flash Drive and a Mewtwo Edition Portable SSD to celebrate 30 years of the franchise, which has resulted in one of the first "aww" utterances I've ever had while looking at storage.

The Mew Edition drive is available in a 128 GB capacity and is pink and adorable, just like the classic Kanto Pokémon. Meanwhile, the Mewtwo Edition is available in both 500 GB and 1 TB capacities for those who need a bit more storage. Fortunately, neither is as elusive as the Pokemon themselves, as you can catch the Mew and Mewtwo Edition storage for £28.99 and £106.99 (500 GB) respectively, straight from SanDisk starting today.

VP of Consumer Product Management at SanDisk, Susan Park, states in the official press release that "Iconic and powerful, Mew and Mewtwo are among the most beloved and instantly recognizable Pokémon. By combining the enduring appeal of these two Pokémon with Sandisk’s proven performance and reliability, we’re giving fans new ways to carry the moments, memories, and creations that matter most."

The drives most definitely look iconic, that's for sure. The first of SanDisk's new storage, the £28.99 Mew Edition USB-C Flash Drive, is ridiculously adorable. The 128 GB flash memory features a pastel pink chassis that perfectly matches that of the iconic Pocket Monster. The drive also utilizes a USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface and is equipped with up to 250 MB/s read speeds. You can find faster and cheaper flash drives from SanDisk for £24.99 at Amazon these days, but as is always the case for officially licensed hardware, you're paying more here for its aesthetics rather than the specs.

It's a similar situation for the Mewtwo Edition Portable SSD. The 500 GB and 1 TB models are on the official SanDisk store for £106.99 and £177.99, respectively. You can grab the 1 TB SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD for less at just £170 at Amazon right now, but it'll be missing that flashy Mewtwo look.

The Pokemon version sports a black and pastel purple exterior, with Mewtwo standing proudly on the front. The external hard drive shares a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface and boasts sequential read speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s, which should be plenty to move around large files (or a digital game or two) with ease.

As a heads up, this isn't the first time SanDisk has collaborated with The Pokemon Company to release cute storage options. Both brands released a series of SD cards in 2023 that sported imagery of Pikachu, Snorlax, and Gengar. Much to my chagrin, the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards have yet to receive a similar Pokemon transformation. But I'll settle for these Mew and Mewtwo external drives in the meantime - even if they can't give my Ninty handheld a storage boost.

• View all Pokemon SanDisk gaming storage at Amazon

Need more storage options? Check out our guides to the best SSDs for gaming, the best SSDs for PS5, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards.

Pokemon Polaroid pre-orders are hitting the shelves, and you can now claim your own Pikachu, Sylveon, or Pokeball instant camera. Not only that, but if you're not keen on the $99.99 cameras themselves, there's a whole host of accessories to snap up, starting from just $14.99. Wondering where to buy these adorable snappers? You're heading straight to the Polaroid Store.

This is where we're seeing stock landing en masse right now, and there's still time to scoop up your Pokemon Polaroid pre-order. As evidenced by the fact that empty Pokemon donut boxes are being flogged online by resellers, it's a jungle out there where Poke-merch is concerned.

That's why I've rounded up the first spots you should hit when pre-ordering Pokemon Polaroid cameras and accessories ahead of their full October 5 release date. This should allow you to beat any potential rush and stay ahead of the curve.

No matter what's caught your eye, I'd recommend moving quickly. Polaroid itself promises that you'll only be able to pre-order them "while supplies last." Once they're gone, it looks as though they may be gone for good.

Polaroid Go Gen 3 (Pikachu Edition)

Polaroid Go Gen 3 (Sylveon Edition)

Polaroid Now Gen 3 (Poke Ball Edition)

Polaroid x Pokemon accessories

Pokemon Polaroid FAQ

Looking for more cool Poke-gear? Here's where to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration. The new Pokemon Halloween merch also seems to be super-effective, because it's already starting to sell out.

• See all camera offers at Polaroid

The Pokemon Company International has appointed series veteran James Turner as the new creative director of Pokemon art and design.

Turner shared the news on Twitter. "It feels great to be working in the world of Pokémon again, with a lovely group of people," he says. "I’m very excited about what comes next!"

Though Turner is most recently known for indie hit The Plucky Squire, made by All Possible Futures, a studio which Turner co-led, his history with Pokemon goes back generations.

Per Bulbapedia (and Mobygames credits), Turner worked with Game Freak on multiple Pokemon games dating back to Pokemon Black and White. Not only that, he directed Tembo the Badass Elephant, one of the stranger non-Pokemon games to come from the studio.

Game Freak only recently released Beast of Reincarnation, an action RPG with a more realistic art style. Our Beast of Reincarnation review praises its combat and, very appropriately for the Pokemon studio, its big ol' dog.

Turner was credited as a Pokemon character designer on Pokemon Black and White, X and Y, Sun and Moon, and Sword and Shield. He was also art director on Sword and Shield, and has dabbled in digital movie and effect design as well as 3D map graphics for the series.

Turner's earliest Pokemon credit was 2003's Pokemon Colosseum, for which he handled camera animation and contributed some special effects. You'll also find a few Pokemon cards under his name on The Art of Pokemon.

Our The Plucky Squire review had high praise for All Possible Futures' 2D-meets-3D puzzle adventure. It sees storybook characters explore the world outside their pages, and was a high point for publisher Devolver Digital in 2024. Its art style, which used segmented lines and delivered a charming, illustrated look, is a recurring point of praise across its reviews.

Pokemon Winds and Waves might not have turn-based battles as Game Freak veteran hints the combat system "could change" thanks to Pokemon Champions.

Pokemon Champions director Kazumasa Iwao says that the mainline Pokemon games could gradually move away from turn-based battles, as Champions is available for fans of the current combat system. Pokemon has a vibrant competitive scene, and having a battle-focused game allows Game Freak to experiment with different types of combat for the mainline games like Winds and Waves.

The Pokemon series has a large number of different battle systems from PokePark to Conquest, but the mainline series has stayed mostly the same, with each new generation making changes and building on existing mechanics. Both Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Legends: Z-A had entirely new battle formats, but these are the exception rather than the rule.

Fans assumed that Winds and Waves would stick to the traditional turn-based formula, but Game Freak could be about to shake things up. In a video on Game Freak's YouTube Channel, which has been translated by GamesRadar+, Iwao explains, "The Pokemon series has always used a turn-based battle system, but there is the possibility that this rule could change little by little."

While this change might not be happening as soon as Winds and Waves, Game Freak's desire to try out new systems is what led to the creation of Champions, which will preserve VGC-style turn-based battles. "There are people who have battled for decades since Pokemon Red/Green or Pokemon Gold/Silver, so we didn't want to say like 'it's changed now, so please buy and play the new games,'" explains Iwao.

"That wouldn't be good. However, at Game Freak we always want to challenge ourselves by doing new things with the series, but we don't want to throw away the battle system that we've built until now," he continues. "Because of this we thought it would be good to put the battle system we've constructed into one game that you can keep playing, and that's where the development of Pokemon Champions began."

The Pokemon World Championships take place this weekend (August 28 – 30) in San Francisco, and Pokemon Champions will be at the center of the video game battles. Going forward, it appears that the mainline games may no longer put competitive fighting at the center, as Champions becomes the focus of the battle arena.

I spent 12 hours constructing a diabolical Pokemon Champions team to challenge the meta head-on, which has caused so many forfeits I almost feel bad.

I took one look at the 2026 Pokemon Halloween collection and let out a loud groan. Make no mistake: my bank account is in danger.

The official Poke-store tends to hit the mark where quality is concerned, but those hits turn into bullseyes with spooky season. The 2026 Pokemon Halloween collection (which you can see in its entirety at the Pokemon Center) is no different, and there are multiple pages of "oh no, I want it" merch ranging from mugs to cozy sweaters. No matter whether you want to decorate home or you'd like the best Pokemon merch with a touch of the eerie this fall, there's no shortage of options.

Some of the cooler items are already selling out (I've seen themed plushies fly off the digital shelves), so fellow GamesRadar+ Poke-merch fan Rosalie and I have rounded up our favorite Pokemon Center Halloween collectibles for 2026. Personally, I'm a big fan of the Pikachu Pumpkin String Lights as well as the Gengar Cardigan. An eerie ambient glow never fails to deliver on Halloween atmosphere, while the latter looks hyper cozy. They're just the tip of the iceberg though, so I'll need to hide my credit card if I want to have any money left over this spooky season...

For more cool collectibles, don't miss these China-exclusive Pokemon TCG figures (they've ruined my entire day).

• See all the 2026 merch at the Pokemon Center

Over the past couple of weeks, official accounts run by Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have repeatedly made references to Pokemon Gold and Silver. Maybe it's nothing more than a nostalgic tribute to some classic games. But I'm over here drinking hopium straight from the tap, and I'm willing myself to believe this is a tease for a HeartGold and SoulSilver revival on Switch.

Earlier this week, Nintendo of America tweeted "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other is gold." Attached is a screenshot from Pokopia, recreating the bit in Pokemon Gold and Silver's intro where you find your rival peeking through a window into Professor Elm's laboratory.

That alone would hardly be a reason to infer anything, but it's not the only suspicious recent tweet. Back on August 10, an official Japanese Pokemon account tweeted an image of the ultimate battle in HeartGold and SoulSilver, where you confront the original game's protagonist in a mountaintop battle against his uber-powerful Pokemon team.

Two tweets counts as a pattern, right? After all, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen hit the Switch earlier this year. Wouldn't it make sense for Nintendo and The Pokemon Company to follow up on these modern versions of classic gen 1 remakes with modern versions of classic gen 2 remakes?

And! – I shout as I start stretching red strings along my conspiracy board – FireRed and LeafGreen are about to get Pokemon Home support. If you've completed the Pokedex in those games, once that update hits, you'll be gifted a Celebi in Home. That's the very same legendary Pokemon that was introduced alongside Gold and Silver all those years ago. Johto fever is running wild, baby.

This is, admittedly, a lot of wishful thinking. But we're now celebrating Pokemon's 30th anniversary, and HeartGold and SoulSilver are often regarded as the best Pokemon games ever made. What better way to see out the year than a new way to play the classics?

For now, Pokemon Winds and Waves are the biggest things on the horizon.

The next expansion set, Pokemon TCG Delta Reign, now has a release date; it's due to launch at the beginning of November. In addition, we now have a better idea of what the set will offer fans.

Hitting shelves a couple of months after the the 30th Celebration set, Pokemon TCG Delta Reign is eyeing a November 6, 2026 release date - but fans will be able to get early access at special prerelease events starting from October 24. The expansion also introduces 'Legendary Stadiums' (two Stadiums played alongside each other), and more Mega Evolution Pokemon ex. That includes Mega Rayquaza ex, which is returning for the first time since the game's XY era.

Here's a breakdown of what you can expect from the set:

• Four more Mega Evolution Pokemon ex (Mega Rayquaza ex, Mega Golurk ex, Mega Malamar ex, and Mega Golisopod ex)
• 6 standard Pokémon ex
• New Legendary Stadium mechanic that combines two Stadiums together, with three Legendary Stadiums available in the set (boosters with Stadiums include both required cards)
• 14 illustration rare Pokemon
• 17 ultra rare Pokemon and Trainer cards
• Six special illustration rare Pokemon and Supporter cards

Pre-orders aren't available for Pokemon TCG Delta Reign yet, but it probably won't be long before they start to appear. While the Pokemon Center will sell this set in November, it's probably going to run out of stock fast. With that in mind, I'd keep a close eye on third-party retailers like Miniature Market in the US and Wayland Games in the UK. Both typically offer the range at standard (or close to normal) prices, though this does mean the cards sell fast.

That's certainly been the case with the current set; it's incredibly difficult to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration right now. As such, I'd keep a very close eye out for Delta Reign pre-orders in the coming weeks.

While we're on the subject of poor availability, Palworld TCG dev promises more stock with a 2nd Edition printing and apologizes again for poor availability.

• See the latest Pokemon card offers at Amazon

I'm feeling sorry for myself, and it's all because of China's exclusive Pokemon TCG figures.

China already has a reputation for getting some very cool Poke-merch, but the latest drop takes the cake. In honor of the 30th Celebration (which is grand enough to feature 27 products as is), the territory has pulled out all the stops for exclusive figurines to go with special Pokemon TCG cards.

While there's been a lot of fuss in the community over 13 adorable Pikachu models that match some of the 30 unique Pika-cards dropping alongside this set, an incredible Charizard commemorative figure based on the original card artwork is just as impressive. Actually, looking at it makes me feel weirdly nostalgic; it's the spitting image of the 1999 card, despite being a 3D model. Due to cleverly-placed linework, it feels like a cartoon come to life.

It's unclear if we'll get any of the above in the US or UK (and if we did, my guess is it'd appear somewhere like Walmart before being snapped up instantly), but I don't feel hopeful. While there's a chance these collectors' items could make the trip across the ocean, I'm not overly hopeful. We've seen figures such as these before, and they've remained China-exclusive. The only exception is in the UK at very select Forbidden Planet stores, which occasionally get Chinese Poke-merch in... but again, it's a small batch so I wouldn't say it's a super reliable method.

Not that they're completely out of reach. These items will launch in China this September 16, and I have no doubt you'll be able to get ahold of the figurines via secondary channels such as eBay… but you'll probably be paying way over the odds for them, not to mention painful shipping costs. Considering how it's already difficult enough to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration, this may be a step too far for many. In other words, these models may stay a daydream for most of us.

Back to feeling sorry for myself I go.

It's a day of ups and downs for card game fans; while it sucks that we probably won't get those cool Pokemon figures here, Palworld TCG dev promises more stock with a 2nd Edition printing.

• See the latest Pokemon cards at Amazon

I knew resellers were shameless and will do their level best to flog anything they can, but I didn't realize they'd stoop so low as to sell empty Pokemon Krispy Kreme donut boxes.

No, that isn't a typo; resellers really are attempting to shift cartons at an absurd price. I've seen some Pokemon Krispy Kreme boxes being listed for as much as $99.99, and honestly, my flabbers are gasted.

It's a similar story with the accompanying Poke-cups featuring Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and more. Getting a full collection can cost you well over $100 via eBay right now.

For context, Krispy Kreme just released a Pokemon collaboration with themed donuts based on the beloved pocket monsters. (More than one of our Editors can confirm that they are, in fact, delicious.) Because this is a limited-time drop and fans are going nuts for the tasty crossover, resellers have sniffed out an opportunity to make some easy cash by selling the remains at a ridiculous markup. Or at least, that's their hope; from what I can tell, very few of them are actually being bought. Faith in humanity restored.

These unscrupulous individuals are well known by fans of the best card games, and I can't say they have a good reputation. They typically scoop up all the TCG packs they can to move on with obscene price-hikes attached (which is part of the reason why it's so hard to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration right now), and this means there's nothing left for actual players. In fact, the war on Pokemon scalpers now includes facial recognition checks in some stores in Japan.

"....so they're not just scalping Pokemon cards, but the EMPTY DONUT BOXES?!!?!? ...is having good things as a 90s nerd just NO LONGER ALLOWED anymore?!" Asks @DaJoestanator on X/Twitter. I can't disagree with that sense of disbelief.

In more positive news, the new Disney Lorcana digital game sounds like a cross between MTG Arena and Pokemon TCG Pocket.

• Skip the trash and find actual Pokemon merch at Amazon

The solo developer behind a fan-made Pokemon Emerald remake says they've been working 12-hour days for about two years to bring their project to life, during which time they created a whopping 384,000 animation frames and a whole lot more.

Pokemon Gamma Emerald launched into early access last week. Its creator, UndreamedPanic, describes it as a free, "built from scratch" remake, with this early build containing around three to six hours of gameplay. The project adds some quality-of-life improvements not found in the original Emerald, as well as additions like a day/night cycle and the option to let your Pokemon follow you around like in HeartGold and SoulSilver.

As spotted by Dexerto, on social media, Gamma Emerald's dev is adamant that "this is not a rom," nor is it a mod. "I built the assets like sprites, animations, models, music, UI, entire gamma engine myself. Calling it a mod is literally dismissing all of that haha," UndreamedPanic writes. "This is an original creation from scratch. It took 2 years to build with me working on it everyday for 12 hours a day." In a different post, they add: "I've been working to death."

Part of that was the project's animation – in a separate post, UndreamedPanic says "I did 384,000 frames of animation in the past 18 months," which definitely helps explain where those 12-hour workdays came from. Elsewhere, they reiterate: "I built this from the ground up, 0 rom, all me."

Although Gamma Emerald is in early access, UndreamedPanic said at launch that "I am not gonna fix bugs or look at them for a while, I REALLY need a break from this project." After those years of work, I don't think anyone could blame them for having a rest.

Pokemon Pokopia becomes second best-seller on Switch 2 after its first DLC launch, as Nintendo confirms the cozy spin-off has hit over 5 million sales in 5 months.

Polaroid seems to have said "what if Pokemon Snap, but real," because it's dropping a handful of cameras based on the mega-franchise.

Designed to look like Pokemon or items inspired by the series, this Polaroid collaboration includes three models: a Pikachu design, a Sylveon version, and a more classic camera based on the iconic Poke Ball colorscheme. They'll be available to pre-order soon (on August 25) via the Polaroid store or Pokemon Center, and launch alongside a host of accessories like carry-cases this October.

Rather than being different colorways on the same camera, the Pokemon × Polaroid crossover modifies two separate designs. The Pikachu and Sylveon ones give the smaller Polaroid Go Generation 3 a Poke-makeover, while the Poke Ball model is a modified Polaroid Now Instant Camera Generation 3. However, all feature the same shutter button modelled after a Poke Ball.

The cool thing about the smaller designs is that they feature themed straps modelled after their inspiration; the Pikachu one has a charm made to look like the electric mouse's tail, while the Sylveon Polaroid features a strap borrowing the Pokemon's signature colors in a suitably wavy pattern.

All of the cameras come with film whose frames are based on instantly-recognizable pocket monsters, from Charmander to Bulbasaur. These are all protected by darkslides featuring custom Pokemon silhouettes.

You'll also be able to grab a few Pokemon-themed add-ons soon, or use them with an existing Polaroid camera. All are modelled after a Poke Ball; there's a Poke Ball strap, a camera case, and photo album.

Here's a breakdown of exactly what's available:

• Polaroid Now Gen 3 (Poké Ball Edition): $139.99 / £129.99
•  Polaroid Go Gen 3 (Pikachu & Sylveon Editions): $99.99 / £89.99 each
• Special Edition Film: Custom-themed i-Type Film ($22.99) and Polaroid Go Double Packs ($24.99) with themed frames and custom dark slides
• Accessories: Themed Go Camera Cases ($24.99), Photo Albums ($24.99), and universal Camera Straps ($14.99).

These items will go up for pre-order at Polaroid on August 25, 2026 ahead of a full release on October 5.

If you want more nostalgia-fuelled collectibles, fans agree this new Lego Batman Returns Batmobile looks great.

• See all the latest camera models and accessories at Polaroid

SDCC has come and gone, but that feeling of wanting the best toys from the nerdy extravaganza never goes away. A lot of the time, these items are exclusive to con-goers, so I always expect to feel FOMO each time the annual event fades from view. But this year, my most-coveted item, the stunning Pokemon Team Rocket Cameo Mini Loungefly Backpack, was actually available to buy online, so it was time to prepare my bank account for trouble.

The $90 / £85 backpack was priced pretty similarly to other brand-new Loungeflys, so buying for myself felt like a no-brainer. That, and the fact that Pokemon's iconic, petulant villains are some of my favorite characters in the franchise. As a kid of the 90s, my friend and I were paid in sherbet straws to go around the playground and do impressions of the trio, and even as an adult, they hold a special place in my heart. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have more Team Rocket in my life, and after taking it out for a spin, I highly recommend anyone else with a fondness for Pokemon, Loungefly bags, and not forking out cash to resellers, do the same.

I assumed that a design with a "convention exclusive" metal emblem on its side would be far more than £85 via the official UK Funko Loungefly online store, and yet I was pleasantly surprised. Well, surprised in the context of Loungefly pricing, as their usual $80 / £80 MSRP has never sat well with me. Whenever my Loungefly strikes up chat with fellow fans in the wild (it happens more often than you'd think), I always recommend waiting for sales at retailers like Magic Madhouse or TruffleShuffle rather than paying full price. A deal price of around £50 feels far more reasonable for what you get, but as an SDCC item, this bag was only available straight from Funko and was not going to see any savings before it sold out for good - so I did what I had to do.

That doesn't mean I'm not ecstatic with my purchase. This is a gorgeous bag, which features the anime duo Jessie and James straight on the front. It feels adult and elegant with its rose and Poke Ball motif over past Pokemon releases. It's the roses that drew my attention, as, of course, they're referencing James, who would frequently pose with one while reciting the iconic Team Rocket motto. However, as someone whose name is "Rosalie", there's a double meaning in there, which makes it feel like an extra special addition to my Loungefly collection.

A design that's perfectly fitting for adult fans

The rose and Poke Ball design doesn't just encircle Jessie and James, but it's found throughout the bag's interior lining. Even the black straps and lower half of the Loungefly are made up of the same delicate pattern. The photos I've provided and the official marketing images honestly don't do it justice.

I'm not sure if it was the intention, but the bag's look reminds me of an old Victorian piece of jewelry but with some Team Rocket flair, and I'm very much a fan of it. I was initially drawn to Loungefly bags as they're accessories designed with adult fans in mind, and tend to incorporate licensed art and IPs in a more unique way rather than just utilizing logos and calling it a day. This Pokemon release in particular encapsulates everything I adore about the line, and why my collection continues to grow at a faster rate than I, or my bank, can keep up with.

The bag isn't all about style over substance either, as you've got plenty of storage to play around with. I own a Loungefly Mini Backpack Bag Organizer Insert ($29.99 at Amazon) as it fits without issue in the main section of the bag. Not to mention, you've got a deep front pouch sitting behind Jessie and James, which I use to store sunglasses, spare makeup, and anything else I need quick access to in a pinch.

It's also managed to hold up well, despite being taken on a wild ride at the weekend. I always like to break in my bags as soon as possible, and this one went on a trip into the city of Glasgow, through the busy and claustrophobic Barras market, to a pub afterwards, and there wasn't a stain or mark left upon its surface. There's always a fear of taking new and pretty pricey bags like it out of the house, but it's a bag, and that's what it's for. As a collector, I have plenty of things that are meant to be left on a shelf, but this is meant to be taken out and shown off, and I loved every moment doing just that.

The only issue I experienced with the bag was that mine arrived in an awkward state. The Poke Ball and rose design I adore so much that surrounds Jessie and James was folded inwards, which I suspect was due to how it was packaged for me from the official Funko store. Judging from the marketing images, it's not meant to be this way, so be sure to inspect your bag when it arrives so you can ensure you're getting your money's worth. I've probably left it too late to give customer service a ring.

If you're holding off on buying this bag, I'd be wary that it might not be in stock for long. This is a "limited edition" release, not one you'll likely find in your local comic shop, and it's prime fodder for resellers. A quick scan of eBay.com right now brings up multiple listings requesting as much as $160 for a bag that's still in stock straight from the brand for $80. That's more evil an act than Team Rocket could ever muster.

I appreciate that you may not have almost $100 to lay down on a mini backpack, but if you do grab it and you're as big a Team Rocket fan as I am, you won't be disappointed. Just beware that at least one millennial will come up and talk to you about it when you wear it out in public, and make it double.

• View all Pokemon Loungefly bags at Funko

Want more Pokemon toys? Our toy expert, Benjamin Abbott, has rounded up the best Lego sets, which include appearances by some iconic Pokemon.

On February 25, 2027, Pokemon Bank will shut down, leaving seven generations worth of creatures trapped on old game cartridges. It's a sad milestone if you want to keep adventuring with your childhood Pokemon pals, but if you're purely interested in completing the modern Pokedex, you still can – well, mostly. With the app's closure, a small handful of Pokemon will be unobtainable in the modern console games, and nobody's quite sure when that's going to change.

The current hub for digital Pokemon collecting is Pokemon Home, a storage app that allows you to upload your creatures from any of the Switch games. For now, it also accepts transfers from Pokemon Bank, a 3DS app which – through a long, convoluted history of transfers, trades, and Virtual Console releases – allows you to upload Pokemon from every game released prior to the Switch.

There are now 1,025 Pokemon, and 1,018 of them can be uploaded to Pokemon Home via the modern Switch and Switch 2 games. The missing 'mons? Spinda, Deoxys, Celebi, Victini, Zarude, Iron Leaves, and Walking Wake. Currently, you can catch Deoxys in the eShop versions of FireRed and LeafGreen, and once those games are updated with Pokemon Home support in October, you'll be able to upload that catch with all the others.

That gets us to 1,019 out of 1,025. The Pokemon Company recently announced that the October Pokemon Home update will also give a reward to players who've fully completed the FireRed and LeafGreen Pokedex – a free Celebi. Now we're up to 1,020, but the immediate good news stops with just five Pokemon left to go.

Zarude is a relatively modern addition to the series, as it was introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield, and is still distributed via online events about once a year. It's safe to expect another such opportunity will come around soon enough. Similarly, Walking Wake and Iron Leaves have been regularly distributed through events for Scarlet and Violet.

Then there's Victini. This li'l guy dates back to Pokemon Black and White on the DS, and has only ever been available via event distributions. And even those have dried up since 2022. There is an important caveat here, since Victini can be caught in Pokemon Go and transferred into Home that way. But if you want to catch all your Pokemon through the mainline RPGs, Victini is currently off the board.

The real, final outlier – the one who's going to leave your Pokedex sitting at 1,024 out of 1,025 – is Spinda. You can catch this Pokemon without much hassle in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, but it's got a weird, unique gimmick: a spot pattern with billions of unique values. That seems to be the reason it's the one and only Pokemon from the Diamond and Pearl remakes that can't be uploaded to Home.

Legends Z-A and its DLC made a wide array of hard-to-obtain Pokemon reasonable to catch once again, but these outliers are all notable exceptions. They've been the subject of plenty of discussion among Pokemon fans on social media, with a lingering question: when will these creatures be catchable again?

Maybe some of them will be reintroduced in Pokemon Winds and Waves. Maybe we'll get to see Spinda again in a seemingly inevitable eShop release of Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. Or maybe The Pokemon Company will simply open the floodgates with a host of event giveaways in the near future. For now, we're all just gonna have to make peace with some incomplete checklists.

Check out our ranking of the best Pokemon games.

Palworld stock is incredibly difficult to get hold of right now, but there are some Set 01 pieces in play. Whether you slept on pre-orders or you're only just hearing of the Palworld TCG, grabbing a regular-priced booster pack or box is going to prove particularly difficult right now. Those wondering where to buy Palworld TCG, though, have two spots to hit.

In the US, Walmart is the only retailer with physical cards on the shelves, though it should be noted these prices are looking pretty inflated and come from third party marketplace sellers. It's important to check who you're actually buying from here, and whether their reviews stack up.

In the UK, Magic Madhouse is the only store with Pals in tow. The site is out of stock on booster packs and bundles, but has the Red / Blue Trial Deck on the shelves. Again, this is at a higher price than you'd find at RRP.

We're still waiting on a number of retailers to receive their Palworld TCG stock. Amazon is the most notable in both the US and UK, after many assumed the online giant would receive early shipments in plenty of time. Amazon regularly stocks new Pokemon, One Piece, and MTG releases from launch, protected from resellers by an invite-only system in many cases. It's well worth keeping an eye here in your hunt to buy Palworld TCG then.

US stock

UK stock

FAQ

We're also showing you where to buy the Pokemon 30th Anniversary Collection and where to buy Pokemon TCG Pitch Black.

If you're hoping to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration cards, I've got good and bad news. The bad news first: everyone is trying to get their hands on the latest set, so stock is very hard to come by. (Which isn't surprising, considering how it commemorates the last few decades for one of the most popular card games around.) Next, the good news: you can get cards if you know where to look.

That's why I'm tracking down all the stock I can find for this hard-to-get release. I've spent a long time monitoring availability for the best card games so have plenty of advice on where to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration if you don't want to break the bank. More specifically, I've listed my go-to stores below. Even though they still struggle with inflated costs, they're your best shot at securing cards at the most reasonable rate.

No matter what, just move quickly; these packs are highly sought-after so get snapped up fast. Don't hesitate if you see cards at a reasonable price, because they might not stay that way - or in stock - for long.

Where to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration in the US

It's rough out there if you're trying to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration, but there is hope... so long as you're happy paying an inflated price. Cards are available right now from both Walmart and Amazon, but the former has the better range (though it's worth noting costs have gone up slightly there since I checked last week). Again, just be aware that there have been price hikes due to demand... and most items are from third-party sellers, so make sure you check their reputation before hitting checkout. I've had a look and they seem reputable enough, but it's always worth double-checking.

Struggling to find anything at a price you're willing to pay? Don't give up hope. Indie retailer Miniature Market has been known to restock cards regularly with previous sets, and while they're still more expensive than normal, it's far closer to usual prices.

Walmart

Amazon

Miniature Market

Best Buy

Target

TCGPlayer

eBay

Where to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration in the UK

Although it's still fiendishly hard to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration in the UK, things are starting to look up. To begin with, Zatu Games got stock last week. Yes, it promptly sold out, but that suggests it could happen any day for other retailers. Keep a very close eye on Wayland Games or Magic Madhouse, in other words.

Make sure you're watching out for Amazon as well. OK, sure, that may seem like an obvious answer. But unlike so many other retailers, it offers an "invite by request" system to foil resellers, which means you have a chance of buying the items at a normal price.

Wayland Games

Amazon

Magic Madhouse

Zatu Games

Smyths Toys

Where to buy other Pokemon TCG sets

While all eyes are on places to buy Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration, that's sometimes easier said than done. Fortunately, demand doesn't mean you have to go without cards. Plenty of older sets are widely available, and stock (as well as prices) for them is stabilizing.

I've set our dedicated software to rounding up the best offers as and when they appear, so you'll find the lowest prices on the latest sets below.

Pokemon TCG 30th Celebration FAQ

Wondering what makes this set so special? As the name would suggest, it celebrates three decades of the trading card game with throwbacks to 30 years of sets. This includes an adorable suite of collectible Pikachu cards, an all-new rarity, and box sets that include everything from figures to themed 'Day' and 'Night' packs with a host of accessories.

If you're looking to play something while you wait for stock, don't miss the best board games or the best tabletop RPGs.

• See all Pokemon TCG offers at Amazon

Pokemon Pokopia has only been out in the wild for a little over five months now, but with the recent release of its first DLC Bubbly Basin, it's managed to hit over five million sales.

That's no small feat, seeing as that marks it as Nintendo's second best-selling game on the Switch 2 – after Mario Kart World, of course, which itself boasts over 15 million copies sold, last we heard officially.

The company confirmed the exciting Pokopia-shaped news yesterday, as per Business Wire, with word of its five million sales coming shortly after the release of Bubbly Basin: the cozy spin-off's first-ever expansion, focusing on islands' water rather than land.

In Bubbly Basin, there's a brand-new underwater town to explore, ocean-themed Pokemon to befriend, mermaid-esque furniture to collect, and various outfits to snag.

It's the first part of Pokemon Pokopia's recent expansion pass, which comes with three DLC: Bubbly Basin and two mysterious additions that Nintendo has yet to fully unveil. As it stands now, the pass is $34.99 and includes 30 rare Pokémetal items if purchased before August 31, 2027.

That's quite a bit of time – and, personally, I wonder how Pokopia will be doing by then. Will it boast even more sales? Probably. It strikes me as the infinite-life sort of sandbox sim game that Minecraft is, with no real limit to playtime.

The capacity to build and explore seems endless (heck, so much so, that I feel like I'm constantly encountering complaints that there's too much to do and it's almost overwhelming to folks).

I'm excited to see what the future holds for Pokemon Pokopia – and for us eager players as well, with the second and third part of Nintendo's expansion pass.

Pokemon Pokopia was bioengineered to be the "best selling spin-off" according to Koei Tecmo CEO, but he had no "real expectations" for the cozy game until it became an international hit

A Pokemon PC port known as Gen1Recomp has been going viral over the past few weeks, thanks largely to mods turning the original Game Boy RPG into a three-dimensional voxel world. The project launched with support for Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow, and beta support for Pokemon Gold has just been implemented. Developer BryanThaBoi has also thoroughly answered questions about the project's AI use – though those answers may not be what you're hoping to hear.

Gen1Recomp functions similarly to other PC ports we've seen of classic games. It can play classic Pokemon games pretty much as you remember them, just as an emulator would, but with additional graphics options. Wanna play the game with an ultra-zoomed-out view allowing you to see miles of the map at once? You can do it.

The actual exciting part of these PC ports, however, is the modding potential. Gen1Recomp already has a ton of mods, including some that turn the entire game world into a 3D voxel map, allowing you to see it from an all-new perspective. That's a novelty that's helped shoot Gen1Recomp into stratospheric popularity.

If, however, you don't like your fan-projects to be AI-powered, I'm afraid there's some bad news: Gen1Recomp was made with AI. Or, rather, it was made with help from AI – a distinction BryanThaBoi is very keen to emphasize.

"no, the recomp was not 'made with claude,'" the dev says in a statement on Discord. "was AI used? yes. those are two different sentences and the whole problem is that most people hear them as one. Specifically, using AI = vibe coding. Which is not true. It CAN be true, but in this case it is not."

BryanThaBoi suggests that "vibe coding" is specifically the work of an inexperienced developer who's using AI to paper over the gaps in their own knowledge. That's the kind of thing that the devs behind PS3 emulator RPCS3 were trying to head off when they stopped accepting AI code submissions altogether earlier this year.

But BryanThaBoi insists that his use of AI is different: he's an experienced software developer using AI as an assistant tool, just as he does in his day job. That's the kind of sentiment we saw Valve boss Gabe Newell express when he described AI as a "cheat code" for developers.

"when someone asks me point blank 'is it AI' i have said no, because in the way they mean it, it isnt," BryanThaBoi says. "the second you say 'i use AI' the assumption is vibecoded, hands off, doesnt even know how to develop. thats not what happened here. So it's close to impossible to answer people like this who either have a closed mind about the subject, or dont understand it at all and are just mad any AI touched anything ever."

To those angry about his stance, BryanThaBoi offers a GIF in response. It says "eat a shoe," and you can probably guess what it depicts. I suppose there's something to be said for making your stance clear, but I doubt this response is altogether endearing to anyone who's rejecting AI outright.

These are the best Pokemon games of all time.

Pokemon Bank is officially shutting down on February 26, 2027 - meaning the last proper route to move Pokemon from older generations to the Switch era is being cut off.

Pokemon Day is February 27, and to celebrate, The Pokemon Company has plans to leave our dusty, sometimes life-long pocket monsters stranded on the Nintendo 3DS. But at least it's giving us time to prep beforehand.

"Pokemon Bank, a Nintendo 3DS application that lets players deposit or withdraw Pokémon they have befriended in Pokemon titles on that system from online Boxes, will be ending service," the company writes in its announcement.

3DS players had long been able to store the critters they caught in Pokemon Black and White, Black and White 2, X and Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and Sun and Moon using the handheld system's Pokemon Bank app. Using some creative workarounds, even Pokemon from the GameBoy era were able to be preserved.

Of course, Pokemon Bank was eventually delisted alongside the entire system's eShop in 2023, but since then, fans have been able to transfer creatures over to the Nintendo Switch generations using the more modern Pokemon HOME alternative - as long as you're a paying member, I should add.

"As a result, transferring Pokémon from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME will also no longer be possible," The Pokemon Company continues. "If you have Pokémon stored in Pokémon Bank that you wish to carry over, please move them to Pokémon HOME prior to Pokemon Bank's end of service. Please note Pokemon Bank is not currently available for download."

While Pokemon Bank compatibility is coming to an end, the price of a Pokemon HOME Premium membership isn't changing. To make up for the loss, The Pokemon Company is simply increasing the number of creatures you can store from 6,000 to 9,000 Pokemon starting this October. The Switch ports of Pokemon LeafGreen and FireRed are also getting Pokemon HOME support at the same time.

In any case, you have less than 200 days to dust off your old 3DS clams or 2DS bricks, scramble to find a charger that's probably tangled into oblivion, and save your childhood 'mons from being permanently lost in a dark digital void. Does a Jigglypuff still sing if no one can hear it?

$9,000 eBay auction might hold a secret Pokemon game that's been lost for 20 years

The best Pokemon TCG Pocket deck for Hoopa ex is very good in the current meta, with Hoopa proving incredibly strong owing to its ability to target benches and disrupt strategies in the early game, but at the risk of hurting yourself the further you go into the late game. If you're willing to take this high-risk, high-reward strategy, here's how to make the best Dark Hoopa ex deck build in PTCGP, and what you need to know about strategies, pros and cons.

For more deck builds, find out the best decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket here!

Best Hoopa ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

The best Hoopa ex deck in the PTCGP meta right now is made with the following cards:

• Hoopa ex x2
• Deino x2
• Hydreigon x2
• Bombirdier x1
• Cyrus x1
• Rare Candy x2
• Deceptive Needle x2
• Copycat x2
• Lucky Ice Pop x1
• Field Blower x1
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Dark

Dark decks are usually all about favoring aggressive play over anything else, even to the extent of hampering the user, and that's what both Hydreigon and Hoopa ex do, both damaging themselves to either generate energy or do big damage.

It's worth it through: this is a deck that can run very early on 1 energy, and Hoopa's basic attack is incredibly powerful, especially when it comes to targeting the opponent's bench. Meanwhile, Bombirdier is a major advantage for lowering retreat costs, and the Deceptive Needle doubles down on that early advantage by inflicting chip damage on opponents.

Want an alternative Dark build? Check out the best Mega Absol ex deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket, or the similar Zoroark ex deck.

• Pros
  • Very good early game that also hits the bench
  • Hydreigon remains a low-cost powerhouse
  • Versatile but simple strategies
• Cons
  • Weaker late game, as a result of low health and self-destructive attacks
  • Hydreigon is a Stage 2 evolution

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Each Pokemon has their favorite Pokopia flavors, and knowing which foods fit these categories is essential when feeding fussier Pokemon and trying to increase environment levels throughout your world.

Some Pokemon will ask for any food and are pleased whatever you place in front of them. However, others will ask specifically for something spicy or bitter, for example, and only the right foods will satisfy them. For those occasions, you'll want this Pokopia food guide to hand.

All Pokopia flavors and the basic foods

There are six different Pokopia flavors, and each of the berries, vegetables, and other ingredients belong to specific flavor profiles. When a Pokemon asks for a certain flavor, you'll need to give them food from that category, which isn't always as obvious as you'd think (since when were carrots spicy?!).

So, to help, here's every Pokopia and the basic ingredients that fit their profile:

• Neutral
  • Leppa Berry
  • Lum Berry
  • Watermelon [DLC]
• Bitter
  • Rawst Berry
  • Potato
  • Seaweed
  • Sea Grapes [DLC]
• Dry
  • Chesto Berry
  • Wheat
  • Mushrooms
• Sweet
  • Pecha Berry
  • Bean
• Sour
  • Aspear Berry
  • Tomato
• Spicy
  • Carrot

Meals that you make with these ingredients also fit the flavor profiles above, but the cheapest and most resource friendly way to appease Pokemon hunger is with the basic ingredients listed above.

Mosslax offerings

Once you've awoken Mosslax in Pokopia, you can place offerings on their shrine to increase your rewards. For example, offering dry food grants increased feather drops from Ho-Oh and Lugia. You can offer food to Mosslax once per day, with the effects lasting for that day only. These are the best foods to offer Mosslax for each reward:

• Neutral: increases friendship with other Pokemon faster.
  • Vibrant hamburger steak
    • Combine a bean, a potato, any salad, and any other ingredient in a frying pan.
• Bitter: improves your chance of finding rare items.
  • Bitter hamburger steak
    • Combine a bean, a Rawst berry, a Lum berry, and any other ingredient at a frying pan.
• Dry: increased Lugia and Ho-Oh sightings.
  • Crushed-berry salad
    • Combine a leaf and a Chesto berry at a cutting board, while accompanied by a Pokemon with the Crush specialty.
• Sweet: makes it easier to find ancient artifacts.
  • Fluffy bread
    • Combine wheat, a Pecha berry, and any other ingredient at a bread oven.
• Sour: improved stock appears in shops.
  • Flavorful soup
    • Combine fresh water, an Aspear berry, and any hamburger steak at a cooking pot.
• Spicy: increases the chances of Pokemon turning up at habitats.
  • Crouton salad
    • Combine a leaf and any bread at a cutting board.

With this knowledge, you'll be able to increase your rewards and keep Pokemon happy and well-fed. If you're using this to improve Pokemon homes and therefore the overall Pokopia environment level, but need any more advice on doing so, then our separate guide has all the information you need.

Meanwhile, if you aren't sure how to find any of the ingredients listed above, we've got guides on getting hold of Pokopia wheat and Pokopia tomatoes.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Getting certain Pokopia paint colors - specifically black and white - is no straightforward task, and the game also never tells you how to get them. Then there's other colors, like green, yellow, and pink, which may be obvious depending on a random draw when you started your game, otherwise you might have a tough time getting them.

Whichever color you're after, this Pokopia paint guide will tell you how to get it, so read on - and make sure you've got Smeargle around!

How to get Pokopia paint

To get Pokopia paint, you need to give berries to Pokemon with the Crush Specialty. They'll get to work on the berries, turning each single berry into five bowls of paint after a short time.

If you aren't sure which Pokemon have the Crush Specialty, take a look at our separate guide or use the Pokedex filter in-game.

Here, though, are the base Pokopia paint colors and the berries that require crushing to obtain them:

Other colors then require combining the colors above. For example, if you want lime green paint, you'll need to combine green and yellow paint. This can either be done directly with Smeargle or by crafting Paint Balloons at a workbench. There's more on how to paint further down this guide, but you'll get this recipe after meeting Smeargle in Bleak Beach.

How to get all Pokopia berries

The trouble with all of this is that, while there are plenty of Leppa and Chesto berries about, other berries are slightly harder to come by. Luckily, one seed for each rare tree can be found somewhere in the world, so try not to misplace it when you find it. You'll also get one type of tree randomly assigned to your save game when you start playing Pokopia for the first time, which cannot be changed. This tree will be found in certain places, like the orchard in Withered Wastelands. If you're unlucky, your tree might be Chesto or even Leppa, but you can get any of the other types, too.

Whichever berry you're looking for, though, there's one surefire way of getting the tree you want - and it'll even be ready to harvest right away.

To get every type of berry, head to the developer Dream Island, take a photo of each tree with your in-game camera on Object Mode, then 3D print each tree back at any Pokemon Center.

This way, you'll always have access to as many berry trees as you need, as long as you have one Rare Pokemetal for each single tree you want to print. Upon printing, your fully grown tree will be ready to plant.

If you need to know how to get to this Dream Island, check out our separate guide to accessing the Pokopia Developer Island, which has lots of other stuff you can 3D print, too.

Black and white Pokopia paint

Black and white Pokopia paint, meanwhile, works slightly differently. Since these colors don't come from any berries, you have a chance of getting white or black paint back from Pokemon every time they make you any other paint, at the same ratio of the paint they've made you. For example, if you get ten green paint, there's chance you may also get ten white paint, too. For this reason, it's best to always hand over the maximum amount of berries possible.

Do keep in mind, though, that certain berries result in either black or white paint, as follows:

Again, you're never guaranteed black or white paint, so you'll just have to keep crushing berries with your fingers crossed and you'll get some eventually.

How to paint in Pokopia

There are two ways to paint items and buildings in Pokopia. The first is to craft Paint Balloons at a workbench and throw them at items or blocks. The other is to talk to Smeargle and ask them to paint items or blocks for you.

Either way is simple for painting items, but using paint balloons is probably the best, as you won't need to find Smeargle or take the item to them. Just make sure the correct item is highlighted before throwing the balloon. You can take items to Smeargle if you want something a little more complicated, though, including patterns.

However, when it comes to painting buildings, things are a bit trickier. To paint a building without a color in its name, such as the City Den or a Sand Hut, ask Smeargle to follow you to the building, where they will ask if you want to paint it. However, if you want to paint other buildings, like the yellow, pink, and orange huts, it's bad news.

You can paint these buildings, but you'll need to paint each block individually, which takes a lot of time and paint, as one balloon paints one block. You may find you'd rather destroy the building, take the blocks to Smeargle, and get them to paint the blocks, as Smeargle paints ten blocks for the same paint cost as you can paint one. The downside with this is that you have to rebuild the building from scratch.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

While there is no Manaphy habitat in Pokopia just yet, you can still get this adorable Mythical Pokemon to move into Bubbly Basin - after all, they are the one that started it all.

With the Pokopia Bubbly Basin DLC installed, your attention will be directed to an island off of Bleak Beach which seems to have appeared out of nowhere. Here, you'll find a washed up Manaphy, who'll get your started on the Bubbly Basin storyline before disappearing in search of a home for themselves. If you think this means you need to build a habitat for them, you'd be wrong, but you can still get them to move into your underwater paradise.

I've tried to avoid spoilers as best as possible, but there are some ahead, so be warned.

How to get Manaphy in Pokopia

To get Manaphy to move into Bubbly Basin permanently, simply complete the area's storyline by increasing the environment level to 3 and then building the Ocean Temple as requested by Popplio, Professor Tangrowth's underwater replacement.

I'll let you watch it play out from here, but, just like the base game areas, completing the main storyline results in the appearance of a Legendary - or, in this case, Mythical - Pokemon. From this point on, Manaphy will appear in their new home at all times, but you can't build a new habitat to move them elsewhere. For now, at least.

When it comes to building the Ocean Temple, you're going to need some specific materials, including the Pokopia Ocean Door, Seashell Fencing, and Shiny Pearls, and our guides can help you find them.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

The Pokopia Ocean Pals rug is a special decorative item that you can find lying around Bubbly Basin, but unlike most items, this one's also part of a quest. During the DLC storyline, flat Pokemon Stunfisk will ask you to find a special rug for them. All they'll tell you is that the rug design features lots of underwater Pokemon, and that it can be found in house in the Bubbly Basin town.

This doesn't give us much to go on, so if you're struggling to complete this request, I've already found the Ocean Pals rug and can tell you exactly where to do the same. So, read on for the exact location of the Pokopia Ocean Pals rug - and a bonus rug to boot.

Pokopia Ocean Pals rug location

The Pokopia Ocean Pals rug is found in a Pokeball, itself found inside a very dilapidated and well-hidden house in the very northwest corner of Bubbly Basin, just behind the play area.

This particular house is hard to find as it's hidden on its own in a cave, seemingly having been buried in all the Pokopia chaos. There are two easy ways to find it:

• Head over the bridge to the play area, and the house can just be seen through some cracks in the cliffs to the left of the slide, behind some Star-Speckled Rocks.
• Head above water when you reach the play area, where you'll find half of the house above ground. Drop down to find the other, sunken, half.

Once you find the house, it's pretty easy to find the Ocean Pals Rug, as it's inside the only Pokeball in the home. With the rug in your inventory, head back to Stunfisk and give it to them to complete your request.

There is another lovely fish-friendly rug found in the town as well, the Swampert Squad rug. If you're trying to give this rug to Stunfisk and it's not working, that's because you've got the wrong one - though it's an easy mistake to make.

Alternatively, if you haven't yet found this blue Pokemon-themed rug, it's in the Pokeball just to the right of the bridge before you cross over from the main Bubbly Basin area. Be careful not to lose it, though, because while no Pokemon has asked for it yet, there's no saying someone won't in the future!

For more Bubbly Basin guides, I've got you covered with help finding the Pokopia Ocean Door recipe and the Windup Inkay toy, as well as how to get the incredibly useful Pokopia Portal Pods for improved storage!

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Finding the Pokopia Windup Inkay toy will take you into the deepest depths of the Bubbly Basin - perhaps for the first time. This dark underwater area might look scary, but it's not that hard to explore, and at least when it comes to finding Windup Inkay, I'll tell you exactly where you're headed.

Once you've found it, you can head back up towards the light of day and place the Pokopia Windup Inkay toy as part of the Muddy Playtime habitat, where another sealife Pokemon will join you and friends.

Where to find the Pokopia Windup Inkay toy

To find the Pokopia Windup Inkay toy, follow these instructions:

• Head to the broken bridge in the Imperial area of Bubbly Basin.
• Locate the large, Imperial, descending staircase to the east of the bridge, and go down. Then spin your left stick at the bottom until you drop to the depths.
• Turn back towards the stairs and walk below them, hugging the wall to the north until you see a small cave entrance illuminated by a purple coral (with an orange one inside).
• Follow this tunnel until you reach breakable rocks on your right. Break them to reveal a cave with a Pokeball inside.
• The Windup Inkay is inside the Pokeball, so interact with it, and claim your new toy!

To check you're in the right place, take a look at the map shown on the image above, which also indicates the location of the Windup Inkay. Keep your eyes peeled while you're down here, and you'll also find loads of other important resources and items, including Pokopia Grubby Pearls.

Now you've got the toy, you can build the Muddy Playtime habitat by combining the toy with a Towel Rack and a Floating Log next to some muddy water. You can even change the color of the towel rack by using Pokopia paint. I won't tell you which Pokemon might turn up here, though you might be able to guess at least one.

For more unique Pokemon habitats, check out our other guides on the Pokopia Jirachi habitat and the Sableye habitat, both of which are only available by grabbing event-exclusive items.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Pokopia Seashell Fencing might just be the cutest fencing in the game yet, so I'm sure that you want to place plenty around the Bubbly Basin - and maybe even Bleak Beach, too, thanks to their seaside style.

If, for some reason, these pretty posts don't take your fancy, you do still need to unlock the Seashell Fencing recipe in order to complete the DLC storyline and build the Ocean Temple. It's not at all obvious where to find this recipe, though, so here's how to get it.

How to unlock the Pokopia Seashell Fencing recipe

You can purchase the Pokopia Seashell Fencing recipe from the Bubbly Basin Pokemon Center PC once you reach environment level 3 in the area. It will set you back 500 Life Coins, but since it's essential for the story, that's a relatively small price to pay.

Luckily, you'll already be at level 3 for the story to require these fences, so you shouldn't have a problem grabbing the recipe from the Shop. If for any reason you've gone back down a level, though, you can get it back up using our guide to increasing your Pokopia environment level.

Once you've unlocked the recipe, you can then craft 10 fences with just one Star-Speckled Rock and one Shiny Pearl. We've got a separate guide for you if you haven't figured out how to get Pokopia Shiny Pearls yet.

And with that, you'll be able to craft the ten Seashell Fence pieces required to build the Ocean Temple and have Bubbly Basin looking more fabulous than ever. You'll also need the Pokopia Ocean Door recipe, too, so take a look at our other guide if you aren't sure how to get that recipe - you won't find that one in the shop.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

The Pokopia Ocean Door recipe is a must-have when you come to building the "beautiful building" in Bubbly Basin - otherwise known as the Ocean Temple. Fortunately, unlocking the recipe is much, much easier than you might expect, so don't panic when you first see the seemingly tough requirements for this large, stunning build.

You may not be able to tell from the image above, but these majestic doors aren't what you're used to - they're huge! You won't be able to use them on a normal house, but build something big enough, like the Ocean Temple, and the Pokopia Ocean Door makes a great feature.

Where to find the Pokopia Ocean Door recipe

The Pokopia Ocean Door recipe hidden in a yellow Pokeball among the sand that needs clearing before you can start building the Ocean Temple.

So, simply clear the build area of debris and you'll have the recipe you need in no time. Once you've got it, crafting the doors are almost as simple, as each one only requires one piece of Star-studded Rock, which is found in abundance across Bubbly Basin.

There's still more to do before you can build the Temple, including gathering a few Pokopia Shiny Pearls. Meanwhile, the Seashell fencing recipe isn't quite as easy - or as cheap - to unlock as the Ocean Door.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

The Pokopia Starmie Doll was added with the Bubbly Basin DLC, giving players a way to access a new Dream Island based on the new underwater town. You should have no trouble finding the doll if you follow the story, but if you want it sooner - and know where to look - you can find the doll fairly quickly.

Either way, you're going to need a Dowsing Machine, so make sure you've got one in your inventory, as the Starmie Doll is buried where you're very unlikely to find it by mistake. Here's how to get to it, but bear in mind that all of this is only applicable if you've got the paid Pokopia Bubbly Basin DLC.

How to get the Starmie Doll in Pokopia

The Pokopia Starmie Doll is located in a cave to the northeast of the Bubbly Basin starting area, but it's hidden under a mound of Star-Speckled Rock.

The best way to get the doll is to progress the Bubbly Basin story by raising the environment level to 3 and completing Popplio's next request to find their friends. At this point, you'll meet Frillish in a cave, and it's here that you can find the Starmie Doll using Frillish and a Dowsing Machine.

However, you can head to this location with any Search Pokemon and a Dowsing machine to find the doll early. So, doing this depends on whether you want to play through as intended or head straight to the Pokopia Dream Island.

If you do want to get the Starmie Doll as soon as possible, find its exact location below.

Starmie Doll location

The Pokopia Starmie Doll is located in a cave to the northwest of Bubbly Basin, which is at first blocked by rock. You can see the cave entrance in the image above.

With a Search Pokemon in tow and a Dowsing Machine to hand, you can now head to the location above to hunt down the doll. There are a few different pieces of treasure to find here, so keep going until you reach the special doll. You'll find the Starmie Doll buried in a patch of Star-spotted Rock in the first area with minecart rails, just after a patch of pink Mossy Ocean Soil. You'll need to head back underwater and destroy a couple of netting walls on your way there.

In this area, get your Dowsing Machine out and press 'A', then your Search companion will lead you to the correct area. Once you've got it, you can head off to the Basin Dream Island, a great place for picking up Pokopia Grubby Pearls.

There is more than one Starmie Doll on the island, and you can find another one buried underground is shining blocks or by using the Dowsing Machine again.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

If you're looking for Pokopia Shiny Pearls, you first need to look for something a little less shiny. Grubby Pearls are actually the item you're after, and they then need to be cleaned up to reveal the shimmering pearl beneath the muck.

Once scrubbed clean, this pretty item can then be used as a crafting ingredient in a number of Bubbly Basin recipes, including the full set of Marine furniture and Seashell fencing. To find out exactly where to find Pokopia Grubby Pearls and how to turn them into Shiny Pearls, read on.

How to get Shiny Pearls in Pokopia

To get Shiny Pearls in Pokopia, you must first find Grubby Pearls and then take them to a Pokemon that knows the Scrub ability. After a while, they'll clean up your Pearls, returning them to your as Shiny Pearls.

Just some of the Pokemon who know the Scrub skill are:

• Sharpedo
• Stunfisk
• Flygon
• Trapinch
• Tyranitar
• Bonsly
• Hariyama
• Clodsire
• Snorlax
• Onix

To find out which Pokemon you already know who have this skill, you can open your Pokedex and filter by Specialty.

The process of turning Pokopia Grubby Pearls into Shiny Pearls is much the same as using Pokemon to turn logs into lumber or getting Pokopia Paper - only you'll find that Pearls are returned to you at a ratio of 1:1.

Where to find Pokopia Grubby Pearls

The best place I've found to look for Grubby Pearls is in the tunnel to the left of the Bubbly Basin staircase - the opposite side to the Pokemon Center entrance. There are plenty of Grubby Pearls to be found down here, so you should have no trouble getting all the Shiny Pearls you need.

You can also collect Grubby Pearls from the Bubbly Basin Pokopia Dream Island, but you'll need to find the Starmie Doll before you can travel there. Plus, if you're desperate, you can buy three Grubby Pearls from the Pokemon Center shop upon raising the area environment level to 3, and some friendly Pokemon may even gift you Grubby Pearls from time to time.

For other shiny things, check out our guide to all the Pokopia Mystery Gift Codes you can get in-game right now.

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Secretlab is expanding its Pokémon collection with three new additions to its SKINS range. Building upon the existing collection of officially licensed Secretlab Titan Evo designs that pay homage to Pikachu, Eevee, and Gengar, any Titan Evo owner will now be able to adorn their gaming chair with classic Kanto region Pokémon.

The new skins ($99 at Secretlab) are in tribute to the final evolution of the starter Pokémon from FireRed and other Kanto region games. For me, I'd need to stay loyal to my boy Charizard, but you can also choose Blastoise or Venusaur. While the new SKINS are definitely celebrations of these Pokémon, they really give the vibe of Fire, Leaf, and Water thanks to some really well-made colors woven into the fabrics.

What's maybe more impressive is that Secretlab has managed to texture the new SKINS so they have the scratchy feel of classic Pokémon pixelated graphics. The colors are also super vibrant, which emphasises their texture really clearly from a distance.

The fire type looks like it's covered in simmering embers, whereas the blue tones of the Blastoise variant mimic the depths of water. The gradient of greens on the Venasaur version is oddly calming - Secretlab has clearly put a lot of effort into these designs because they contrast the fluffier texture of the original Pokémon collection really well.

As a reminder, Secretlab SKINS are exactly what they sound like. You won't actually be able to buy these designs on a dedicated version of the Secretlab Titan Evo, but you can buy them separately for $99 each and throw them on any model of that chair to give it a renewed look.

Just in case you want more Pokémon for your money with these designs, Secretlab has dotted the shoulder frames of the SKINS with other fire, leaf, and water-type characters. On the Green model, you can see Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Oddish, and Bellsprout. On the blue, you can see Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise, Poliwag, Slowpoke, Goldeen, Gyarados, Lapras, and Vaporeon. And finally, on the Charizard (GOAT) model, you can see Charmander, Charmeleon, Arcanine, Rapidash, Flareon, and more.

The perk of being able to pick a new detachable colorway is one of the many reasons I deem the Secretlab Titan Evo the best gaming chair for upgrading. The Secretlab Atlas recently stole our award for the best Secretlab chair, but the Titan Evo has been such a staple of the market for so long that its maker has produced all sorts of upgrades for it to help make it your own. Hardly any other chairs have that ability, so it's a big reason the Titan Evo still stands out.

Beyond cosmetics, you can also attach new armrest tops, recliner add-ons, lumbar cushions, and more. Is the Titan Evo the most affordable seat on the shelves? Definitely not, and its upgrades will be an even longer-term investment, but its build quality helps it feel like such. Thankfully, SKINS will mean that if you fancy a new, classier, or even more flashy look, you can keep it fresh as the years go on.

You can see more of Secretlab in our best gaming desk and best standing desk roundups.

The Pokopia Portal Pod is an incredibly useful item that players have wanted since the game's launch as it lets you retrieve the items inside from any Portal Pod, anywhere in the world.

Now, instead of trapsing between the Withered Wastelands and the Sparkling Skylands, you can place the most important items in the Pokopia Portal Pod (I'd suggest the most used crafting and building materials), and have easy access wherever you place another Pod. If you need a few of these clever storage devices as much as I think you do, here's how to get them.

How to get the Pokopia Portal Pod

While you can only unlock the Pokopia Portal Pod recipe by increasing your Palette Town environment level, there are other ways of getting Pods, some requiring the Bubbly Basin DLC. Here's every way to get them:

• Increase your Palette Town environment level.
• Pick up two Portals in Bubbly Basin (requires DLC).
• Photograph a Portal Pod in Bubbly Basin (requires DLC) or another player's island and duplicate them at a Pokemon Center 3D printer.

Getting the Pokopia Portal Pod without the DLC

If you have the Bubbly Basin expansion, then read the section below for the simplest method. If not, you can still get the storage pod, it's just requires a bit more effort.

To get a Portal Pod without the Pokopia DLC, you must raise your Palette Town environment level to unlock the Portal Pod recipe. I'm still working on this, and I'll let you know which level unlocks the recipe as soon as I know.

As with all other areas of Pokopia, raising your environment level can be done by inviting new Pokemon to move in and making sure their house is up to scratch. For that and more ways to level up Pokopia environments, see our standalone guide.

If you want a Portal Pod sooner, the only other way to get one without the DLC is by visiting another player's Pokopia Dream Island, snapping a picture with Object Mode, and duplicating the item at a Pokemon Center 3D printer. You may be able to snap a Portal Pod by visiting a Pokopia developer island, and I'll let you now as soon as I've confirmed it's available there.

Getting Portal Pods in Bubbly Basin

Getting access to the Pokopia Portal Pod is easier if you have the paid Bubbly Basin DLC, as two can be found as soon as you access the new area, and you can then use the 3D printing mechanic to make as many as you need.

To get the Portal Pod in Bubbly Basin, simply swim to the house in the far northeast corner of the map, as shown in the image above. Not only is there a Portal Pod inside for you to pick up, but you'll find a second in a Pokeball down the stairs behind where the other Portal Pod is placed.

While this method is easier, it doesn't unlock the recipe, so you'll still need to complete the Palette Town method above for that. However, with this Bubbly Basin Portal Pod, you can use your in-game camera and any Pokemon Center 3D printer to replicate the item as many time as you want.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

The original Pokemon Red and Pokemon Green are some of the most beloved games of all time, and for many millions of people around the world, hold incredibly precious childhood memories. You might want to clutch those memories very tightly as you read this, because an AI-generated version of the games' iconic opening scene has surfaced online, and it's every bit the atrocity you would assume.

Courtesy of Twitter user Paulius, who admits "the starter scene is v disturbing," the AI-generated abomination shows an uncanny 3D recreation of Pallet Town being explored in a first-person perspective, and at first everything looks dreary, soulless, and vaguely nauseating, but when the camera enters Professor Oak's lab, the nightmarish effects of the video escalate dramatically. That's when we see exactly what happens when we allow generative AI to chew up and spit out our treasured, lifelong digital companions. For me, the reveal of AI Bulbasaur, then Charmander, and finally Squirtle, was increasingly traumatic.

They're all horrible, but AI Bulbasaur is probably the least offensive. Its red eyes and featureless expression are deeply unpleasant, but probably won't make you lose sleep. Charmander, my all-time favorite Pokemon, looks like it's been put through a meat grinder and reformed by a toddler with two left hands. And then there's poor Squirtle, who spasms out of his poke ball standing unnaturally and wearing an expression I can only perceive as threatening. I fear I'll never be able to wipe that vicious smile or eyes, which appear as portals to black holes, from my memory. Paulius himself describes his AI Squirtle as "forever haunted," which seems about right.

Viewer beware: disturbing content follows.

In case you're wondering what it is exactly about these AI-generated Pokemon that makes them so distressing, it could be the fact that virtually everything you see is generated by Claude AI, using a prompt from "AI whisperer" Matt Shumer. "Mind blowing part: Claude generated all the pixels. Every single one. Zero custom assets," says Paulius, as if he didn't just unleash 72 seconds of viral depression onto unsuspecting internet goers.

The worst part? "chormandur, balbisour, squart," as one user dubbed the AI-forsaken creatures, could one day become "real," if Paulius gets his way.

Only Nintendo can stop him now.

Palworld TCG cards are already selling for up to $4,000 as Pocketpair's tabletop game follows in Pokemon's footsteps, with resellers dominating the market 1 day after launch

This Mega Rayquaza ex deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket is one of the best dragon type decks out there to date, with players experimenting with variations to work out the best build. Right now it seems as though Rayquaza and Dragonair from the Ruler of the Skies set remain a winning combination, resulting in a deck that burns up energy and then brings it right back from the discard pile. If you want to know more, here's how to make the best possible PTCGP Mega Rayquaza deck in the meta right now.

Check out our page of the Pokemon TCG Pocket best decks for more options, and to see exactly how this build hold up against the others.

Best Mega Rayquaza ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

The best Mega Rayquaza ex deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket is a combo energy deck (like all dragon builds) made of the following cards:

• Mega Rayquaza ex x1
• Dratini (Mega Shine) x2
• Dragonair (Ruler of the Skies) x2
• Gouging Fire x2
• Poke Ball x2
• Ancient Booster Energy Capsule x1
• Professor's Research x2
• Sabrina x1
• Cyrus x1
• May x1
• Copycat x2
• Professor Sada x1
• Rainbow Cave x2

Energy: Fire / Electric

This is the latest build to arise out of the Mega Rayquaza problem - namely, that this is clearly a very powerful card, if only we could get it to work properly. Here the strategy is to use Gouging Fire as your opening tank, either building up its energy or just letting it absorb damage while evolve Dratini and fuel Rayquaza on the bench.

At the same time, keep using Rainbow Cave to mill through energy, so your discard pile is as big as possible for Dragonair and Professor Sada to pull from. Make sure you save Rayquaza for the endgame, and do everything you can to keep Dragonair alive - they're the key to victory, as energy production is too slow otherwise.

• Pros
  • Potentially huge damage output
  • No type weaknesses for enemies to exploit
  • Gouging Fire is a good early game tank
• Cons
  • Struggles in the early game
  • Risk of using Rayquaza at the wrong time
  • If you lose Dragonair, you'll struggle

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Vespiquen ex in Pokemon TCG Pocket has become the focus on new powerful Grass type deck builds, able to discard your own cards from the bench for the sake of causing your own damage output to double. Not only that, but there's a wide range of powerful Grass types in the meta, mainly focused on durability and resistance, making this as much of a tank deck as anything else. If that appeals to you, here's how to make the best possible Vespiquen deck in PTCGP, as well as the strategies, weaknesses, and more besides.

See how Vespiquen ex fares in our rankings of the Pokemon TCG Pocket best decks!

Best Vespiquen ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

The best Vespiquen ex deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket is composed of the following cards:

• Combee (Space-Time Smackdown) x2
• Vespiquen ex x2
• Teal Mask Ogerpon x1
• Shuckle ex x2
• X Speed x1
• Field Blower x1
• Leaf Cape x2
• Professor's Research x2
• Erika x1
• Cyrus x1
• Mars x1
• Copycat x2
• Fragrant Forest x2

Energy: Grass

Vespiquen is your heavy hitter in this deck, capable of doing 140 damage if you discard one of your Pokemon from your bench. That's actually not too bad a sacrifice - your opponent won't get any points from that, and it can actually be a way to remove weak cards from play so your opponent can't use Cyrus or bench-hitting attacks to KO them.

Otherwise, the strategy of play is pretty straightforward. Start with Shuckle ex for the early endurance, building up to Vespiquen on the bench with Fragrant Forest and other draw cards. This shouldn't take long (it's a low energy deck), before you can then bring the big bug out and start hitting for major damage. Meanwhile, Ogerpon ensures you're immune to status effects, including those all-too-common sleep builds we've seen going around.

• Pros
  • Low energy costs
  • Durable deck build
  • Good damage output from Vespiquen ex
• Cons
  • Single strategy
  • Combee is a vulnerability

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Strong Puppy Pile deck builds in Pokemon TCG Pocket have come creeping up through the meta since they debuted, and while multiple variants of this deck exist, they all share a common theme and strategy. This is a deck wherein combining Puppy Pile cards increases their damage, and the diverse types on display means you can exploit type weakness all the more effectively. Below I'll explain how the Puppy Pile deck in PTCGP works, and the best build for getting the most from it.

See where the Puppy Pile deck falls in our Pokemon TCG Pocket best decks page!

Best Puppy Pile deck build in Pokemon TCGP

Puppy Pile in Pokemon TCG Pocket is a mechanic wherein every card in your hand and board with that attack all add to each other's power. Here's how to make the best Puppy Pile deck possible:

• Magby x2
• Growlithe x2
• Rockruff x2
• Fidough x2
• Yamper x2
• Poke Ball x2
• Flame Patch x2
• Professor's Research x2
• Cyrus x1
• Copycat x1
• Puppy-Loving Girl x1
• Bounded Field x1

Energy: Fire

This is a deck where you want to get an early advantage and come out swinging, as none of your cards have the durability to survive more than one moderately powerful attack. For that reason, the best opening draw is Magby, who can then empower your cards on the Bench so you can quickly get them out for a second-turn strike. At that point, you want to keep up the offense and stop your opponents from building any coherent strategy.

Fortunately, Fire Energy means that power can keep being circulated, with Flame Patch and Magby both aiding in this. And more interestingly, this is a deck that can exploit the weaknesses of countless other decks, as you have four different types of attack from the different Puppy Pile decks, while Bounded Field massively increases the damage of those weakness exploits. With a hand full of Puppies and a type advantage, you can potentially do 300+ damage in a single attack.

• Pros
  • Huge damage potential
  • Can exploit a vast array of weaknesses
• Cons
  • Incredibly low durability
  • Wholly dependant on you being faster than your opponent

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Hori has released a smorgasbord of adorable controllers this year, but now the Eevee Evolutions Wireless HORIPAD controller for the original Nintendo Switch has reappeared at Amazon US with an October 17, 2026 release date.

As discovered by X (Twitter) user PokeJungle, the $59.99 (Amazon) gamepad originally launched on US and European shelves all the way back in April 2024, but now Hori is re-releasing the officially licenced Pokemon accessory. The only issue is that in the time it's taken for the controller to re-launch stateside, the Switch 2 has come on the scene, and yet this controller is still geared towards the older console. That means it's missing out on that new GameChat button, and likely won't have Wake-up functionality in tow. But at least every Eeveelution is available on the faceplate to make up for its missing next-gen features.

This Nintendo Switch controller might be missing some important functionality you'd expect from a modern-day Switch 2 pad, but at least it's extremely cute. The entirety of the accessory is covered in this pastel lavender colorway, and the D-pad, sticks, and ABXY buttons also sport a pastel purple color.

The illustrations on the faceplate are also adorable. Instead of re-using art of the Eevee evolutions we've seen time and time again, there's a unique sketch-like illustration of the lot from Gen 1's Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon, to Gen 6's Sylveon. Eevee itself hasn't been forgotten about either. At the center top of the pad, where you'd maybe expect to see a big 'Nintendo Switch' logo, instead plays host to a cute silhouette of the original Pokemon's rounded face.

While an older controller, it even sports an improved battery life over Hori's more recent Pokemon pads. The Eevee Evolutions controller relies on Bluetooth for its wireless connectivity and includes accelerometer and gyroscope controllers like the rest of Hori's controller lineup, but it also includes an up to 15-hour battery life. Meanwhile, the brand's recently unveiled Umbreon and Espeon Wireless HORIPAD Turbo only provides an up to 10-hour battery life.

This is true of all the brand's Pokemon-flavored Wireless HORIPAD Turbo controllers. Everything from the Hori Ditto Wireless HORIPAD Turbo that's launching for $64.99 at Amazon on August 6 to the Pokemon Pixel controllers only provide up to 10 hours of juice. It's a little disappointing, but if you care more about substance over style, then the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller with its 40 hours is always an option instead.

• View all Hori Nintendo Switch controllers at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 cases if you want to upgrade your Ninty gaming setup.

Pokemon Pokopia's first-ever DLC is landing on the Nintendo Switch 2 on August 5, 2026, introducing a new underwater 'Bubby Basin' habitat that you can help bring to life. The new trailer showed off the adorable Popplio and other water-types frolicking under the waves, and if those drops of cuteness have convinced you to finally invest in the new handheld, then you should check out this Nintendo Switch 2 + Pokopia bundle.

It includes the handheld and a digital copy of Pokopia, and you get that adorable box with Ditto's infectious grin printed on the side. Better yet, it's down to just £399 at Amazon right now, instead of its usual £429.99 MSRP. Over the past couple of weeks, the bundle has been sitting at £424, so you're saving £25 here - just gather £4 more, and you can pick up the Bubbly Basin expansion too.

This Nintendo Switch 2 bundle might have been sitting at £424 recently at Amazon, but if you factor in that it's typically found at its full £429.99 price at the official Nintendo store, then you're really saving £30.99 today. That more than covers the £29.99 (Nintendo) cost of the new Pokopia DLC. Which, by the way, provides you with access to not just Part 1 of the game's new content, but the next two waves of DLC too.

Part 2 of the Pokopia expansion is set to arrive in late 2026 and introduces the option to give your Poke pals a little makeover. Just when I thought Peakychu couldn't get even cuter, Nintendo chose to include them in a little maid hat and wings in the trailer, which was cuteness overload. While Nintendo states that there's no new town included with Part 2, you will get access to "add some new flair to your surroundings", alongside new furniture and new Pokemon. Fingers crossed that means we'll get some new wallpaper options, as I'm getting a bit sick and tired of seeing plain white walls when it comes to my Palette Town builds.

Part 3 doesn't launch until sometime in 2027, so you'll have to be a little patient. Of course, you don't have to bother with the DLC if you don't want to. If you don't grab it, I do recommend buying this cheap Nintendo Switch bundle as soon as possible, not only to ensure you save £25, but as the handheld is getting its first price increase this coming September. In a month's time, it's going to be at least £30 more expensive here in the UK, and that's without a download code for Pokemon Pokopia too.

• View all Nintendo Switch 2 gaming deals at Amazon

New to Switch 2? Our team has also rounded up the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards that can help transform your Pokemon Pokopia adventures.

PokePark Fishing Rally is a real, official Pokemon game that was released for the Nintendo DS back in 2005 – but only in the most obscure circumstances. Since distribution ended around 2006, the game has effectively been lost media, but some fans are hopeful that this might change with an eBay auction that's currently seeking a $9,000 bid.

A seller who goes by catbearpaws recently listed a "Nintendo DS Development/Test Cartridge" with a starting bid of €7,999, or as eBay calculates it, around $9,104 USD. "This listing is for the exact physical development/test cartridge shown in the photos," the seller explains in the listing. "Acquired as part of a private lot, no further history or provenance documentation is available."

The seller notably included an image of this cartridge booting to a screen filled with Japanese text. A Twitter user called Tiramisu090401 soon realized that this text identified it as a part of PokePark Fishing Rally, and other Pokemon fans soon started taking a great interest in the listing (thanks, Dexerto).

PokePark Fishing Rally was released in 2005 through DS Download Play at the PokePark in Japan. You'd visit a kiosk at the theme park, download the game to your DS, and play it until you either turned off your console or 12 hours passed – whichever came first. The game itself would have you catching various underwater Pokemon, and based on their size, rarity, and level, you'd get a rating that could be uploaded to a high score server.

The key question about this eBay listing is whether the cartridge actually contains the data for the game itself, or merely some back-end program – perhaps the transmission of the high score data. It would be a massive discovery either way, as while there were some later distributions of PokePark Fishing Rally, no copies of the game or its ROM are known to exist publicly.

The Lost Media Wiki notes, however, that "a YouTube user named Tim Schuerewegen has uploaded two gameplay video of the game, which suggests that he may have a ROM dump." But those original videos have long since been made private (archives do exist), and the ROM has never been released or even demonstrated publicly.

That makes this eBay listing the most intriguing sign of life for PokePark Fishing Rally in many, many years. Nobody's bitten on that $9,000 opening bid yet – though there is one "active offer," according to eBay – but here's hoping that whoever ends up with the cartridge helps this game escape lost media hell.

Check out our ranking of the best Pokemon games.

Pokémon just announced that we can expect to dive into Pokopia's Bubbly Basin DLC on August 5, and my first thought was: can I grab some more Ditto-themed accessories in time?

I currently have a pair of unofficial yet remarkably cute Ditto thumb grips on my Joy-Cons, but I'd much rather have Hori's Ditto-themed goodies in my collection instead. The brand has a Ditto Wireless HORIPAD Turbo controller and a Ditto Compact Carry All available starting from £34.99 on Amazon, and they just so happen to release on August 6, a day after the DLC. So the answer is yes, I can grab some more Ditto accessories, but I'll have to wait one full day until I can fully transform my setup into one that feels more befitting of the iconic pink-purple Pokémon.

I'm sure I can wait, as these official accessories are plenty adorable and look to be worth it. I've had my eyes on the Compact Carry All ever since it was officially announced on June 19 by Hori of Japan on its official X (Twitter) page, and I have a feeling I'm not alone. In the US, this case, which can store the Nintendo Switch 2, its dock, and some extra accessories including the official Joy-Con controller grip, the handheld's HDMI cable and AC adapter, is sold out across retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon.

Fortunately, here in the UK, pre-orders are still available for the £34.99 (Amazon) case. However, I'm about to add it to my online basket as soon as possible, just in case stock starts to dwindle here too. At least it's not a similar situation with the matching Wireless HORIPAD Turbo controller. It's available for £54.99 (Amazon) / $64.99 (Amazon) here in the UK and in the US, and there seems to be no stock shortages of the gamepad and its funky arcade-floor-like Ditto design.

As a HORIPAD Turbo controller, the pad comes with TMR sticks like previous models, and there are even back buttons featuring little Ditto too. Where it doesn't quite measure up to the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers is that it only includes 10 hours of battery life. I have a feeling I'll be spending more than just 10 hours of my time exploring Bubbly Basin and all the new Pokémon hiding within its many habitats, so that's a little disappointing. At least it has a USB-C port for easy charging for when I need to give it more juice, and I always have 8BitDo Ultimate 2 on me for when I need a pad that lasts a little longer.

Both the Ditto Compact Carry All and the Ditto Wireless HORIPAD Turbo controller launch on August 6 in the US and UK, but you can always check out the upcoming Hori Pokemon Pixel art accessories if you're not a Ditto devotee.

• View all Hori Switch 2 gaming accessories at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch headsets, the best Nintendo Switch 2 cameras and the best Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards if you want to upgrade your setup in time for Pokemon Pokopia's new DLC.

Pokemon Pokopia Bubbly Basin's release date is August 5, 2026, with Part 2 due to launch before the end of the year. The latest trailer for Pokopia's Expansion Pass shows off some new Pokemon and a new underwater town. Details about the second part of the DLC have also been announced, and we'll soon be able to get drip for Ditto and the other Pokemon residents.

Starting from August 5, all Pokopia players will be able to learn the Dive skill from Manaphy and start to fully explore and build on areas that are underwater. However, if you purchase the Expansion Pass, you'll also gain access to a new town called Bubbly Basin on this day, as long as you've reached Environment Level 5 in Bleak Beach.

Alongside the underwater city, the DLC will include the new watermelon food type and bubble machines. Surf will also gain a power-up thanks to the new smoothie recipes. Pokemon also promises us that we'll be able to build a Sharpedo submarine to enable further exploration. While the trailer is short, we get a glimpse at eight upcoming Pokemon: Popplio, Carvanha, Corsola, Corphish, Chinchoi, Mudkip, Buizel, and Manaphy.

Part 2 of the DLC won't feature a new area, but we know a little more about what it includes. Ditto always had access to different outfits, but later this year you'll be able to match outfits with your monster pals. Speaking of furry friends, more will visit Pokopia in the second part, though only Snubbull has been revealed so far.

The final part of the DLC will launch next year and feature the pass's second new town; however, that's all the details we have for now. Pokemon Pokopia's Expansion Pass isn't available for purchase yet, and we probably won't find out the price until it launches next week.

Pokemon Pokopia was bioengineered to be the "best selling spin-off" according to Koei Tecmo CEO, but he had no "real expectations" for the cozy game until it became an international hit

There's a long-running joke about finding really valuable stuff squirreled away at your grandparents' house, but for one Pokemon cards fan, that's actually come true – and the value of what they uncovered is probably around six figures.

In a post on reddit, InkedSketch describes how "Grandma [had] been asking us to come find her Pokemon cards for years." What they didn't expect was just how valuable this collection was. Once it'd all been gathered together, they found dozens of booster packs from the game's launch worth hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars, incredibly rare sealed 'Fossil' box sets, and even a bunch of high-value toys like a pristine, still in-packaging Pokedex.

"She told us she had some packs from along time ago, and that she had a few 'sharjarzds.'" InkedSketch writes in their post. "We finally decided to look for them at the end of last year. She's in her 80s and has been recently talking about them more, we just thought it was like our own trashed pokemon/yugioh collection that was leftover from when we were super young."

Turns out, not so much. Even a quick glance reveals over 70 sealed 'Fossil' booster packs which are worth hundreds of dollars each on the likes of eBay, three sealed Fossil boxes that clock in at $7K+ individually on some price tracking sites, and 60 original booster packs from the game's launch. I quickly checked PriceCharting and these earn anywhere between a couple of hundred dollars to several thousand depending on their grading.

If that was it, grandma would still be sitting on a goldmine... but we're not finished yet. The haul includes everything from original theme decks and starter sets to individual cards too. I count three holo Charizards, a shiny Gyrados, Raichu, multiple shiny Zapdos, and more. There are even a couple of Mew cards in a binder.

The haul goes far beyond Pokemon cards, too; there are also action figures, the sealed '90s Pokedex toy I mentioned from before, a themed mini skateboard (remember those?), and even a still-in-packaging interactive Poke Ball game that really brought me back to my childhood. It's enough to ilicite an "oh damn" at the very least.

The fan community is suitably stunned. "Literal treasure trove," FisherKelTath00 replies with 2.1K upvotes. "Seriously this is prolly like $250k in product. That’s a ROUGH estimate too," War-Daddie adds.

Some in the comments are even suggesting that this estimate is too modest. "Sincere lowball estimate I think," lucky_719 writes. "The one shadowless Charizard can go for five figures alone if it's in decent shape. The 1st edition fossil booster boxes go for $15-$30k each and the lady has 3."

Either way, it's one hell of a haul that would probably make me evolve into "Nervous Wreck" with a special "breakdown" attack if I found it - this is a literal fortune.

What would you do if you stumbled upon that kinda stash at your grandparents' house? Let me know in the comments below.

For recommendations on what to play next, don't miss the best card games. As for what's happening in the community right now, the war on Pokemon resellers now includes facial recognition checks in some stores in Japan.

• See today's best Pokemon card prices at Amazon

A slew of new information about the development of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl has surfaced online following the discovery of a never-before-seen official Game Freak documentary, almost 20 full years after the release of the games.

This long-lost documentary was once mentioned by Pokemon lead Junichi Masuda in a blog post over 19 years ago, but its contents were never revealed to fans… until now. Earlier this year, an auction listing for a copy of the DVD allegedly appeared online before being snapped up by a buyer. Now, it appears that another copy of the DVD has been obtained, and this time, its contents have been uploaded and shared.

The documentary looked at the development process of the 2006 RPGs, including work-in-progress looks at the games themselves and scrapped Pokemon designs.

It should be noted that the source of this information being a physical DVD means that this is all completely separate from 2024's enormous Game Freak leak (which followed a third-party data breach). Game Freak never publicly acknowledged any leaks beyond confirming that there had been "unauthorized access" to its server in August 2024. However, last year, Nintendo reportedly began taking legal action, having apparently filed a request for a subpoena in an attempt to identify the person responsible.

We're currently in a slightly quiet time for the franchise, with the next duo of games, Pokemon Winds and Waves, not set to release until sometime next year on Switch 2. In the meantime, though, we do have more of the delightful Pokemon Pokopia to look forward to, as the first part of its paid DLC arrives next month, as well as a free update.

Pokemon Pokopia was bioengineered to be the "best selling spin-off" according to Koei Tecmo CEO, but he had no "real expectations" for the cozy game until it became an international hit.

It seems Japan's Patent Office is getting tired of Nintendo's ongoing patent infringement lawsuit against Palworld as both the Office and Nintendo spar over a particular, related patent application whose rejection is now under review.

Patent Publication No. 2026-077713 describes Pokemon's typical "in-game monster-capturing system," according to Automaton, which also points out that even Japanese patent law professionals are surprised how the Patent Office and Nintendo are sparring over how "inventive" it is to huck a Pokeball, using language "rarely seen in standard patent practice," according to attorney Kiyoshi Kurihara.

The Office was apparently unimpressed by the fact that "selecting a Poke Ball displayed at the bottom right of the screen causes Ash to throw it; if it hits Pikachu, Pikachu can be captured," but it expressed this while citing a gameplay video from 13 years ago, of the unofficial indie game Pokemon: Generations. The video now has new comments reading, "This game defeated Nintendo in court," and, "You saved Palworld."

But it's not that simple! Nintendo fired back at the Patent Office in a counterargument, telling the Office it "acted extremely inappropriately" by citing a copyright-infringing game like Pokemon: Generations in its rejection of its ball-throwing patent.

The Patent Office then came back with a tommy gun, saying "this argument has no bearing on determining inventive step," but if Nintendo really wanted to talk about copyright infringement, "accuracy should take precedence."

"In that case," it continues, "the notice would need to use cumbersome descriptions such as 'an object in the form of a small animal' instead of Pokemon, 'an object in the form of a boy wearing a red cap' instead of Ash, 'an object in the form of a small yellow animal' instead of Pikachu, 'an object in the form of a small green animal' instead of Bulbasaur, and 'a spherical object with a red upper half and a white lower half' instead of Poke Ball."

"However," continues the Patent Office, "even with such rephrasing, the logical structure of the grounds for refusal remains unchanged."

Ouch – but Nintendo has a band-aid, and it seemingly successfully filed a petition against the rejection. The Patent Office's website now categorizes Patent Publication No. 2026-077713 as having its "rejection decision under review." This patent isn't the one at the center of Pokemon's legal battle against Palworld, but it does belong to the same patent family, and its approval certainly wouldn't help Palworld.

Japanese patent law expert says Nintendo may have strengthened its claims specifically to target Palworld.

In May 2013, YouTuber JolteonPlays uploaded a video showcasing the rough prototype for an unofficial "3D indie Pokemon" game called Pokemon: Generations. To this day, it occasionally comes up among Pokemon fans dreaming about what new games in the series might look like. Today, recent comments on that 13-year-old video have been flooded with praise for a different reason: the existence of Pokemon: Generations has been used to dismiss potentially limiting patents filed by Nintendo amidst its Palworld lawsuit.

As Automaton reports, the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) recently upheld its rejection of a Nintendo patent targeting an "in-game monster-capturing system" – the sort of system that the company's used to argue infringement by Palworld during an extended legal process that has seen developer Pocketpair quietly adjust a few of its own features and designs to be less Pokemon-like.

This does not represent a direct shutdown of Nintendo's case against Palworld, however, as this is just one patent indirectly placed in the same family. (Last year, Pocketpair comms lead said patent infringement was something nobody considered during Palworld's exhaustive legal clearance.)

The JPO cites that exact Pokemon: Generations demonstration in its rejection under "Reasons for Rejection," arguing that Nintendo's patented idea fails to demonstrate adequate "inventive step." Definitions vary between countries, but the World Intellectual Property Organization provides a useful baseline explanation: "The condition of inventive step/non-obviousness is fulfilled if the invention as a whole, compared to the prior art as a whole, would not have been obvious to a person skilled in the art."

I pulled the URL for the Pokemon: Generations video straight from the translated notice of rejection posted to the JPO's logs, and it looks like plenty of other people, including several Japanese fans, have heard the news as well. It feels like some people may be overestimating the impact of this patent rejection on Nintendo or its relevance to Palworld's case, but there's an understandable celebratory spirit in the comments among folks happy to see ideas remain unconstrained by patents.

"You saved the entire industry," one top comment reads.

"To think years later this very footage would be used by the JPO to reject a Nintendo patent claim," adds another.

"The butterfly effect in action," says a third.

An auto-translated Japanese comment adds: "The comments section is going wild, lol. But even JPO must have thought, 'Nintendo, you're crazy...'"

This goes on and on. A huge chunk, if not a majority, of the comments on the video appear to be recent. More than anything, I'm struck by how the JPO's usage of this old fan game has led to this exact discussion. I don't think JolteonPlays ever saw it coming.

Palworld 1.0 has already moved over 1.8 million copies for Pocketpair, analyst estimates, with 65% of players on Steam.

There are no Pokemon players more dedicated, patient, and locked in than shiny hunters, and one veteran is proving just that as he simultaneously uses 58 consoles in the hopes of hunting down an apparently one-in-9-million duck that, worst of all, has a chance of running away and being lost forever.

Shiny Pokemon are the ultimate trophies for Pokemon players. Rare, sparkly, alternate-colored variants of your favorite 'mons – what's not to love? While some players might never happen upon one, and others might only find a small number throughout their time playing, shiny hunters are on a different level – dedicating themselves to tracking down extremely rare targets, ridiculous numbers of the things, and using all sorts of methods to do so.

There may be no better example of this than what I'm about to show you. Behold, what content creator Professor Rex describes as "the world's CRAZIEST shiny hunting setup," and for good reason. He's got 58 consoles – specifically, 25 Wiis and 33 GameCubes – all playing the same copy of Pokemon Sapphire (playable on those consoles using Pokemon Box's Adventure Mode), which he's able to control simultaneously with one controller.

What is all this for, though? You'd think anyone willing to put in so much effort would be tracking down an ultra-rare Pokémon, like a Legendary Pokemon or something similar. Well, he is, sort of, but you're going to have to bear with me – it's a Golduck.

To be exact, Rex claims this is a Golduck that has a "one in 9 million" chance of appearing. He's specifically looking for a level 25 one in the Hoenn Safari Zone – they can appear between levels 25 and 40, but only the weakest will do in this case.

Now, I'll be honest, I'm no mathematician, and myself and my fellow GamesRadar+ co-workers haven't – despite our best efforts – been able to work out exactly how Rex calculated these odds, but given that he writes that the level 25 Golduck can only appear in a 1% encounter slot to begin with, you can start to see where those base one in 8,192 shiny odds start to get inflated.

And, let's just wind things back a moment – he's looking in the Safari Zone for this thing. That means that, on the wildly unlikely chance that this Golduck actually appears, there's a terrifying chance it'll run away from the battle before Rex is even able to capture it. This is all part of Safari Week – an annual community-driven event that sees shiny hunters brave the only areas in the main series games (aside from the Legends titles and Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee) where Pokemon can flee from fights, raising the stakes and leading to some triumphant wins and devastating losses in the process.

You might think this is all a lot of effort for a Golduck with a pink-tinged bill, and yeah, it kind of is. But this is more than just a Golduck – this hyper-specific Golduck represents a mammoth journey of ridiculous odds and an even more mind-blowing setup to actually encounter it… should it appear at all. For Rex's sake, let's hope it does – and more importantly, that it stays in the ball.

I've been a Pokemon shiny hunter for 16 years, but nothing could have prepared me to join 70+ players trying to find as many rare creatures as possible in 60 minutes.

Pokemon Pokopia developers created the game hoping it would eventually become the best-selling spin-off title in the now 30-year-old series, and it seems pretty inevitable it will be.

Speaking to Famitsu (with translation provided by Simon Griffin and SatsumaFS on behalf of Nintendo Everything) Koei Tecmo president and CEO Hisashi Koinuma was asked about Pokemon Pokopia – developed by Koei Tecmo studio and Dynasty Warriors developer Omega Force.

"From among our spin-off titles I do feel a strong sense of accomplishment," Koinuma explains, "We did work with the aim to make it the best selling spin-off game, but before launch there weren't any real expectations." And while Pokemon Pokopia was pretty highly anticipated – at least anecdotally, around me – I definitely wasn't expecting it'd be as huge as it is.

Koinuma adds, "directly ahead of launch, lots of overseas media played it and rated it very highly, and then I felt it spread from there."

Back in May, Nintendo confirmed that within the first five weeks of Pokemon Pokopia's release, the spin-off title had sold over four million copies. For context, that immediately placed it within the top five best-selling Pokemon spin-offs ever, behind Pokemon Stadium, Pinball, and both Mystery Dungeon Red/Blue Rescue Team and Explorers of Time and Darkness.

Red/Blue Rescue Team currently sits up top at 5.85 million copies sold, which means that Pokopia really doesn't have that long to go to be the top-selling spin-off in the series. And, aside from Mario Kart World which is by far the best-selling Switch 2 game by the virtue of a generous bundle at launch, Pokopia only sits behind Donkey Kong Bananza, which – unfortunately, since Bananza is the best Switch 2 game – it seems like it will have passed by the next time Nintendo reports sales. Especially when Nintendo is releasing a Pokemon Pokopia Switch 2 bundle in some regions.

Leaked Lego Pokemon sets look so much better than the old ones, and it's a step in the right direction.

A bunch of new Lego Pokemon sets have been officially revealed, and while some were leaked ahead of time, it turns out the toy company was holding out on us – the best was yet to come.

Alongside (now-confirmed) Rayquaza, Arcanine, and Munchlax display figures, Lego is also releasing what is essentially a Polly Pocket for fans of the original video games; the Iconic Trainer Moments Poke Ball opens up to reveal Professor Oak's lab and a nostalgia-fuelled battle between Red and a random trainer inside. This will be launching alongside an Up-Scaled Red Minifigure, which brings our first player character from the series to life. All these new Lego Pokemon sets can be pre-ordered now via the Lego store, and they'll launch between August 1 and October 1.

In terms of specifics, here's how they stack up compared to the best Lego sets so far as pricing, pieces, and size go.

While I'm not sure how to feel about the Up-Scaled Red Minifigure (or should that be Bigifigure?), I'm all in on the Poke Ball display scene. This is like my childhood turned into Lego; it's a nostalgic look back at the opening of Pokemon Red and Blue, with the lid opening to reveal Professor's Oaks lab (complete with three Poke Balls on the bench to choose from) and trainer Red battling a Picknicker's Pikachu with Eevee. These are utterly adorable minifigure-scale Pokemon that remind me of the tiny toys you can get in those gumball machines – you know the ones? Anyway, because they're all-in-one sculpts that don't need constructing so far as I can tell, they look like the real deal rather than approximations. I imagine that'll please fans who've complained about other Lego Pokemon sets looking a bit… off (like Lego Pikachu and Poke Ball).

As for the others, it's nice to see them in all their glory rather than via a pixelated leak shot. As I mentioned in my piece discussing them when they weren't yet confirmed, these are a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. Fan response was mixed toward Lego Pikachu from the start and the Smart Play range drew some criticism based on its designs as well (even if they had our inner 10 year-old losing it), but these absolutely nail the assignment. They're also a lot cheaper than previous sets like the Starter Evolutions, bringing them more in line with the excellent Lego Eevee.

Basically, I'm obsessed – and I can't wait to see what's next for the Lego Pokemon range.

For more Poke-goodies, don't miss our guide to the best Pokemon merch. Plus, did you see that Razer has evolved its Pokemon PC accessory lineup with these new celestial Espeon & Umbreon goodies?

Razer's new Espeon and Umbreon Collection is fresh on my mind as it dropped on July 6. It's a new line-up of PC gaming accessories decked out in imagery of the two iconic Eevee evolutions, and I assumed the love for the Gen 2 Pokemon would stop there. Still, a brand-new Umbreon and Espeon Switch 2 controller from Hori has been spotted.

Originally shared by the X (Twitter) account Pokémon Deals, Restock and Alerts, the new controller hasn't officially been announced yet on Hori's official social media channels. However, its listing is live at Amazon US, which showcases a new version of the Wireless HORIPAD Turbo gamepad draped in a dark purple colorway and gold star details. Sadly, you can't buy it quite yet, but the moment it goes live, I'll be sure to let you know, so you can complete your hybrid Razer and Hori Espeon and Umbreon gaming setup.

I believe I've stumbled on this new Pokemon version of the controller a little early. It's currently listed as "Temporarily out of stock" despite never being in stock at all. This is very likely just a temporary state while Hori prepares to get its announcement in order, which could hopefully include even more Switch 2 accessories featuring this stunning Espeon and Umbreon artwork.

Hori is known to release accessories in waves, so I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up seeing this design on a Switch 2 case, a game card case, and even a wired headset. If you take the Kirby and Waddle Dee Collection by the brand as an example, it launched its own Wireless HORIPAD Turbo controller, alongside a Puff Pouch and Vault Case in the US. I'd be surprised if these weren't also on the cards for Umbreon and Espeon.

Regardless of what else might come of this new Hori and Pokemon collaboration, I'm glad we're getting a wireless pad over the alternative. As much as I adore the Hori Gengar and Mimikyu controller, its cute design does little to distract from the fact that its wired-only connectivity (over the HORIPAD Turbo's 33 ft wireless compatibility) feels very limiting.

Of course, this wireless support typically comes at a higher cost. While there isn't one listed alongside the new controller quite yet, judging from past officially licensed Wireless HORIPAD Turbo releases, you'll likely be looking at $64.99 for this stunning pad. But for that price, you should also be getting stick-drift-dying TMR sticks, and 10 hours of playback, which isn't too shabby.

So far, this stunning new Umbreon and Espeon controller has not appeared at Amazon UK or other retailers. However, the moment it does, I'll sound the alarm as I feel it's my duty to ensure Nintendo players have the cutest accessories possible. In the meantime, Pokemon fans can pre-order the Ditto Wireless HORIPAD Turbo for £54.99 at Amazon instead. It's not Eevee-related, but it's at least a purple Pokemon pad.

• View all Hori Switch 2 accessories at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 cases if you want to complete your new Ninty gaming setup.

New Lego Pokemon sets seem to have leaked, and honestly? I think they're a real step up from what we've had so far.

Not content to leave it at last month's slew of Smart Play kits that had our inner 10-year-old losing it, the toy-maker appears to be working on three new Lego Pokemon sets for adults – Rayquaza, Munchlax, and Arcanine. These are all display pieces rather than playsets, and Rayquaza actually comes with the first Pokemon minifigure to date (Zinnia, who first appeared in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire).

I've not seen official PR info or listings at Lego yet, but these sets are being touted as confirmed by our friends over at The Gamer in a post dishing details alongside various Reddit threads like this one from Amiibofan101. Both sources suggest these models will all arrive on August 1, 2026, and they won't be throwaway novelties; Arcanine rivals some of the best Lego sets at 1,190 pieces, while Rayquaza is 1,083 and Munchlax weighs in at 757. Meanwhile, it looks as though they'll hover around the $100 mark; Rayquaza will apparently cost $129.99, Munchlax sits at $79.99, and Arcanine is $99.99.

So, are these real? I have no doubt that they are. Both Rayquaza and Munchlax have been rumored for a long time, and leaked images matching the current ones have been circulating on reddit for a while. They also perfectly line up with Lego's own preferred layout for product listings,

Either way, I think they look fantastic. I've been a little mixed on the Pokemon range thus far since it was announced (we were wondering what they'd done to Pikachu when it was first shown off, for example), and the new Smart Play line has divided us at the GamesRadar+ office. However, these figures lean into what made the likes of Lego Eevee and the three starter evolutions so great. Unlike Charizard and co, not to mention Lego Pikachu, they're also far more affordable.

If that August 1 release date is accurate, it's gonna be a busy month for fans; the Pokemon Smart Play kits are due to arrive then alongside the first KPop Demon Hunters model, a newly revealed ET figure, and more. We have reached out to Lego for confirmation.

For more cool collectibles, why not check out our guide to the best toys? As for other pocket monster-themed goodies, don't miss the best Pokemon merch.

Razer has dropped the third of its Pokemon collaborations, this time giving Eevee evolution fans something to get excited about with the new Espeon & Umbreon Collection.

Launching in partnership with The Pokemon Company and coincidentally a few months before the Pokemon 30th Anniversary, the Espeon and Umbreon line-up is made up of a stunning Razer Ornata V3 Tenkeyless gaming keyboard, Razer Cobra gaming mouse, Razer Gigantus V2 mouse mat, and a wired Razer Kraken V4 X gaming headset, all decked out with art of the two Gen two Pokemon. However, unlike Pokemon Gold and Silver, there's no special requirements to grab them besides logging onto the official Razer store and parting with your hard-earned cash.

Where to order the Razer Espeon & Umbreon Collection

Just like the Razer Gengar Collection, purple is the color of choice for the entire collection, which is actually a clever decision on Razer's part. Not just because Espeon is known for its pretty purple color palette, but grabbing any of these new PC gaming accessories would tie in nicely with the Gengar ones, should you already have them in your setup.

In fact, the Gengar Collection doesn't have a keyboard, which makes this new Espeon and Umbreon Edition Razer Ornata V3 Tenkeyless ($119.99 at Razer) even more intriguing. It's the same gaming keyboard that you can buy without the Pokemon branding, sporting low-profile keys and the brand's Mecha-Membrane switches, but the board is coated in this stunning dark purple colorway, which shines when the Razer Chroma-powered RGB lighting is set to a matching light purple-pink, as seen in the official marketing images.

The two Eevee evolutions can be spotted hiding around the directional keys and are hard to ignore as they sit dead center on the accompanying wrist rest. While the Pokémon theming is a bit more subtle than I personally prefer, the little star designs and the UV-painted keycaps should help this keyboard shine amongst your setup, as would the matching Razer Cobra gaming mouse.

At $59.99 it's one of the cheapest additions to this new collection, yet it's also one of the cutest. Espeon and Umbreon can be found on the left and right keys, and Razer has gone for a slightly different design this time around. Instead of just re-using the same depiction of the sitting Pokemon as the keyboard, Espeon is giving a cheeky wink as Umbreon stands guard. The palm rest of this Razer Optical Mouse with Gen 3 switches also plays host to a swarm of stars that surrounds an RGB Chroma-powered Razer logo, which is a nice touch.

I would have preferred to see a glowing Pokeball instead, but it makes sense that Razer would want to keep its branding intact. Especially as it mirrors that of the Gengar Edition Razer Cobra gaming mouse. At least the Razer branding is minimal on the matching Espeon and Umbreon Razer Gigantus V2 mouse mat ($29.99). The medium model remains the cheapest item in the set, and features a textured micro-weave cloth surface that showcases the two Pokemon as they appear on the gaming keyboard.

Last but not least, the Razer Espeon and Umbreon Collection is rounded off with a new version of the Razer Kraken V4 X headset. As the hardware team's best gaming headset connoisseur, this is the accessory that has most caught my eye, though I'm disappointed to see that Razer played it a little safe with this new Pokemon release.

While the Gengar Kraken Kitty V2 headset went all out by replicating the Pokemon's ears and hair tufts with a pair of cups that I'd easily incorporate into a cosplay if I still made costumes, this new Kraken V4 X headset has none of that. Don't get me wrong, it still looks great with its light and dark purple color palette, and the Espeon and Umbreon illustrations that are peeking from inside the earcushions, but I was hoping for a design that felt a bit more elaborate.

I was also hoping that Razer would take an existing wireless headset like the Razer Kraken Kitty V3 Pro and use it as the basis for its next Pokemon collection, as the Kraken V4 X is limited by its wired connectivity. However, at least it's a pair that's got the brand's TriForce 40 mm audio drivers in tow, so while you won't have Bluetooth or 2.4GHz to play around with, it should still sound pretty grand.

The entirety of this new Razer Espeon and Umbreon Collection is available now from the official Razer online store. However, if you aren't a fan of these old-school Eevee evolutions, you could always grab the Gengar Collection starting from $59.99 at Razer instead.

Check out our guides to the best PC gaming headset, the best gaming keyboard, and the best gaming chair if you want to catch all the best accessories for your PC gaming setup.

The Mega Diancie ex deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket is a psychic build focused on energy generation that leads to a glass cannon result, with Diancie able to do huge damage that scales to how much energy you've placed on it. It's a bit risky, but when pulled off correctly, you can one-shot pretty much any Pokemon. In a meta filled with other Mega ex Pokemon, it means you can effectively insta-win many matches, though obviously it requires some setup, strategy and luck to get there. If you want to know more, here's how to make the best Mega Diancie ex deck in PTCGP.

Mega Diancie ex already looks like it might become one of the best decks in Pokemon TCG Pocket, but you might want to see what else the Everyday Wonders booster set brings with our best Pokemon TCG Pocket Milotic ex deck build!

Best Mega Diancie ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

The Mega Diancie ex deck build listed below is all about using Gardevoir for energy generation.

• Mega Diancie ex x1
• Ralts (Space-Time Smackdown) x2
• Xerneas x1
• Kirlia (Fantastical Parade) x1
• Mega Gardevoir ex x2
• Meloetta (Psychic) x2
• Cyrus x1
• Rare Candy x1
• Copycat x2
• Diantha x1
• Peculiar Plaza x2
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Psychic

This deck build is effectively broken into three stages of strategy. First, you open with Meloetta or Xerneas, drawing cards and making sure you get the Plaza out for those zero-cost retreats. Secondly, you deploy Gardevoir, who can do respectable damage while also fuelling Pokemon on the bench with massive amounts of energy. Finally, you bring in Mega Diancie ex, who can basically annihilate whatever your opponent has going if you've put down enough energy.

The downsides are that this little bit of setup is vulnerable to disruption, though it's not as bad as it sounds. Rapid card draws from Meloetta and Copycat mean you can get Gardevoir up and running quickly, and Diantha is there to mitigate any early damage opponents get off on you. Plus, the Plaza means that you have basically free control over your own board, and it will never cost you energy again. Finally, Diancie being empowered by energy across your whole board is incredibly good, whereas most scaling attacks before now have been based on energy on that specific Pokemon.

• Pros
  • Meloetta is a strong opener
  • Mega Diancie ex can one-shot anything if given enough energy
  • Good card draw power
  • Zero retreat costs with Peculiar Plaza
• Cons
  • Vulnerable to early disruption
  • Little-to-no healing or recovery
  • Diancie has low health for a Mega ex card

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