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.

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During the Bubble Basin storyline, flat Pokemon Stunfisk will ask you to find a special rug for them, presumably to decorate their home. 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!

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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. 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.

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Pokopia Seashell Fencing might just be the cutest fencing in the game yet, so it's only right that you would want to place plenty around the Bubbly Basin - and maybe even the beach, too!

If, for some reason, these pretty posts don't take your fancy, though, you still need to unlock the Seashell Fencing recipe if you want to build the Ocean Temple, thus completing Popplio's request and the DLC storyline. It's not at all obvious where to find this recipe, though, so here's where 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.

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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 Teample, and they make a great feature. What makes them even better is that you can paint them any color to match any surroundings, so go wild! Once you've unlocked the Ocean Door recipe, that is.

Where to find the Pokopia Ocean Door recipe

The required recipe is actually right under nose as you embark on the Ocean Temple build. You'll find 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.

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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 logical way to get the Pokopia Starmie 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.

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.

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If you're looking for Shiny Pearls in Pokopia, 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 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.

Added for free alongside the paid Bubbly Basin DLC, the Pokopia Portal Pod is an item that players have wanted since the game's launch. This clever storage device lets you retrieve the items inside from any Portal Pod, anywhere in the world.

Now, instead of trapsing between the Withered Wastelands and the Shimmering Skylands, you can place the most important items in the Portal Pod (I'd suggest the most used crafting and building materials), and have easy access wherever you place another Pod in Pokopia. If you need a few of these 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 Portal Pods 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.

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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 dragons) made of the following cards:

• Drampa x2
• Mega Rayquaza ex x2
• Dratini (Mega Shine) x2
• Dragonair (Ruler of the Skies) x2
• Poke Ball x2
• Pokemon Communication x1
• Rocky Helmet x2
• Professor's Research x2
• Cyrus x1
• Copycat x2
• Rainbow Cave x2

Energy: Fire / Electric

There's plenty of variants of this deck (many include Gouging Fire) but this one is one we've seen a little more success with. The goal here is to use Mega Rayquaza as your main damage dealer, with throws away energy only for Dragonair to be able to bring it back from the discard pile. Drampa works in the same way, only in a less powerful form.

The downsides are, of course, the costs of energy generation. Even with two Dragonair on the bench you can only bring back one energy per turn, and that makes it difficult to build up once you start attacking. I recommend keeping Rayquaza on the bench until the mid-game and letting Drampa or Dragonair soften enemies up a bit, then bringing out Rayquaza once it has some energy on it or until you can have it target a powerful enemy Pokemon.

• Pros
  • Potentially huge damage output
  • No type weaknesses for enemies to exploit
  • Not much build-up required
• Cons
  • Struggles in the early game
  • Risk of using Rayquaza at the wrong time

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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

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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

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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

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

The Milotic ex deck build in Pokemon TCG Pocket is already establishing itself as incredibly potent, as the ability to put enemies to sleep comfortably falls into all manner of popular builds and strategies. In fact, some are bemoaning the addition of even more sleep cards in PTCGP, but we can't deny that it works for now. If you want to know how to make a strong Milotic ex deck in the wake of the Everyday Wonders expansion set, I'll explain the best build for that below, including how to play it, and all the pros and cons in doing so.

For more deck builds, check out where Milotic falls in the best decks in Pokemon TCGP! Or for more from Everyday Wonders, find out how to make the best Pokemon TCG Pocket Mega Diancie ex deck!

Best Milotic ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

Milotic ex in Pokemon TCG Pocket is a sleep and energy generation powerhouse, and here's how to build a strong deck around it.

• Darkrai x2
• Feebas (Secluded Springs) x2
• Milotic ex x2
• Igglybuff x2
• Poke Ball x2
• Elegant Cape x1
• Sabrina x1
• Cyrus x1
• Copycat x2
• Lisia x1
• Wallace x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Water

The Sleep meta remains strong and gets stronger now that Milotic has entered the fray. This is probably the most straightforward version of the deck, using Milotic and Igglybuff to put opponents to sleep and then having Darkrai do the usual chip damage. We've also seen variants that downplay the sleep for more versatility, bringing in Magikarp and Mega Gyarados ex for greater power. As players start to learn to prepare for Sleep effects as a common occurrence, it may be that ends up being the stronger alternative, but we'll have to see how things shake out.

Otherwise, the deck strategy is straightforward enough. Igglybuff and Feebas get out early, with Wallace allowing you to evolve the latter as soon as possible. Then it's all about riffling your deck to put Darkrai on the bench and maximizing damage. There's no great "killshot" attacks here (nothing that will do more than 80 damage), but with Milotic's passive energy generation, you can get out early and bring down opponents before they have a chance to set up a strategy.

• Pros
  • Strong early game setup
  • Darkrai/Igglybuff is one of PTCGP's most broken combos
  • Versatile build that can be played with ease
• Cons
  • Weak to Electric decks, which are common
  • Players are learning to counter prepare for Sleep
  • No hugely powerful attacks

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

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If you're looking for some Pokemon Prime Day deals then don't worry, I've spent probably too long looking for Pikachu and pals in Amazon's digital shopping aisles to find you exciting savings on all things Pokemon. That includes some of the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories too, along with fun merch, TCG sets and binders, and more.

No doubt more Pokemon Prime Day deals will drop as the next few days go on, but for now these are the best savings I've found that I'd recommend for a fellow Poke Pal. It's just a shame that there are no discounts yet on Pokopia, or even Pokemon Scarlet and Violet to recommend for some gaming fun this summer ahead of whatever Pokemon Winds and Waves brings us in 2027.

The Pokopia Jirachi habitat was introduced via a Limted-Time event, and this is no longer available to play in-game without time travelling. If you aren't willing to time travel to the event dates, which were between June 23, 2026, at 5 AM and July 8 at 5 AM local time, you can still get the items required to build Jirachi's habitat. Here are the details.

Pokopia Jirachi habitat information

The items you need to create the Surrounded by Stars Jirachi habitat in Pokopia are:

• Star Closet
• Cloud table
• Starry-sky bed
• Jirachi Lamp

Place these items anyway you wish, as long as they are in a five-block area, and ensure that the lamp is powered on by inviting a Pokemon with the Generate ability to follow you to it. Once the lamp is powered, the habitat will activate.

Since these items were only available to obtain during the Jirachi event, you'll need to take advantage of the Pokemon Center 3D printer mechanic to get them now.

If you don't have the Jirachi habitat items, you must get a picture of them using the Object Mode on your in-game camera. To do this, you'll need to head to another player's Pokopia Dream Island - as long as they do have the items. Try the Pokopia Developer Dream Islands if none of your friends have the habitat gear.

Be sure to check out our Pokopia Mystery Codes guide for other limited-time items.

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.

The first look at Aardman's upcoming Pokemon animated series is here.

At the Annecy Animation Film Festival over the weekend, Aardman chief creative director Sarah Cox and The Pokemon Company's director of original animation Phil Rynda took the stage and revealed the first real look at Pokemon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu. The poster, which has since been posted on Twitter, gives us our first look at Sirfetch’d and Pichu. Check out the image below.

Despite Aardman teasing the show in 2025, this is the first time we have seen the characters in full. As reported by Variety, the duo also gave audience members a sneak peek at the show's first episode and a closer look at how Aardman brought Sirfetch’d and Pichu to life using claymation and cutting-edge special effects. The series, which is still in development, is expected to be released sometime in 2027.

"This project gives us a unique opportunity to tell stories from the point of view of Pokemon, made possible by Aardman’s extraordinary craft," said Rynda. Cox added, "Director Tom Parkinson and his team have created a hand-crafted spin on the wonderful Pokémon we all know and love, with comedic storytelling that celebrates the quirks, eccentricities, and charms of our heroes as they explore Galar on a delightfully offbeat Quest."

However, the most interesting detail is that the series will be set in Pokémon’s Galar region, which shares many similarities with the UK, where Aardman is based. The panel also revealed that the Pokémon show will adapt the same British sense of humor as Aardman's other works, such as Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, with Gromit's 'signature move' even incorporated.

From the official synopsis, it sounds as though the series will take a page from The Lord of the Rings, as both Sirfetch’d and Pichu are notably small Pokémon, but they are mighty. The synopsis reads, "Our heroes embark on a gallant quest to help and protect Pokémon across the region. Their missions rarely go as planned, but their noble deeds forge their friendship as they step bravely into the unknown. Peril, alliances, rivalries, extraordinary Pokémon, and endless laughs await them."

For more, check out our guide on how to watch Pokémon movies and shows in order, and keep up with new anime shows heading your way.

If you have a nagging feeling that the Pokemon card hobby isn't what it used to be, you're not alone – fans are letting their frustrations out at the prevalence of grading culture. The general consensus? It really, really sucks.

I spend a lot of my time reporting on the best card games, and I'm seeing this take crop up more each month. In a reddit thread with 3K upvotes so far, that feeling has boiled over. "Are there still collectors out there who just buy cards because they like them?" Poster deckdossier writes in a thread venting irritation at those who are chasing the most valuable, highest-graded Pokemon cards. "Honestly, the market has become a lot less enjoyable because of this mindset."

Judging by the rest of the thread, this isn't an unpopular take. The top response (with 1.2K upvotes and counting) from SuchSoup4335 reads, "I never liked it, it feels like a huge detriment to the hobby." They're not alone in that assessment; a wealth of comments from the same thread share that sentiment.

I'd have to agree. I never want to yuk anyone's yum, but it feels as though those in deep with the grading game occupy a similar space to resellers (who are arguably ruining the hobby for everyone else – just look at how hard it is to buy Pokemon TCG Pitch Black for an example). In other words, they couldn't give a hoot about the hobby itself and are purely there for profit. It's aggressively transactional, which is off-putting for both newcomers and more established players alike. It's certainly not a pleasant atmosphere; it often feels more like the stock exchange than the easy-going retreat Pokemon should be. When everyone rolls their eyes at a new expansion with comments like "this would be great if I could actually find any cards in store," something's wrong.

Will this change as the 'craze' runs out of steam? I'd like to hope so, but it feels like a self-sustaining loop now. Grade-chasing isn't a new phenomenon, just like resellers aren't a modern blip. The wild popularity of Pokemon cards (along with nostalgia for the franchise) leads to high demand, and high demand leads to opportunities like this for those who just see dollar signs. While the Pokemon TCG remains as popular as it is, I don't see that changing.

Anyway, enough of my thoughts – what do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

For more tabletop, why not check out the best board games? You can also get your fill of Pokemon with the best Pokemon merch.

The Paradox Drive Espeon card in Pokemon TCG Pocket is incredibly good as a central pillar of various Sleep decks, used with Darkrai to knock foes out and then have them take continous chip damage in the early game. This deck is a modification of the continously powerful Altaria deck build, one that focuses less on Altaria dependence, but still keeps it in reserve. For more details, here's everything you need to know about the best Espeon deck in Pokemon TCGP.

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

Best Espeon deck build in Pokemon TCGP

Yet another variant of the Altaria deck, the addition of Espeon from Paradox Drive makes it all the more focused on the initial sleep.

• Darkrai (Mega Shine) x2
• Swablu (Sing Variant) x2
• Mega Altaria ex x1
• Igglybuff x2
• Eevee (Mega Rising) x2
• Espeon (Paradox Drive) x2
• Cyrus x1
• Copycat x1
• Lisia x2
• Area Zero x1
• X Speed x1
• Poke Ball x1
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Psychic

Doubling down on the power of Sleep, Espeon's ability to put foes to sleep with a 1-energy attack means that you can potentially do 80 damage on your first turn (assuming that you also have both Darkrai cards out), as well as leaving them unable to react. That's a devastating opening play, and buys you plenty of time to set up Altaria before coming in with major damage later on.

We've reduced the number of Altaria cards on the board to 1, as Area Zero allows you to draw more frequently and the upped attack power in the early game balances it out.

• Pros
  • Incredibly powerful early game
  • Very good draw abilities
  • Altaria ex remains as powerful as ever
• Cons
  • Can be ruined by status immunity
  • Low health pools in many cards

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

The Giratina ex deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket has been one of the standout templates since the card first debuted, with dozens of builds and angles to get the most out of the card. For a while Giratina was an almost mandatory card in PTCGP, in part because of its ability to generate its own energy without any input from the player, and while it's not quite as essential to the meta as it used to be, that doesn't mean it can't still hold its own. Here's the best Giratina ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP today, and what you need to know about running it when it comes to strategies, weaknesses, and more.

For more high level and meta-busting deck builds, check out our Pokemon TCG Pocket best decks list here!

Best Giratina ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

This Giratina ex deck folds in Darkrai ex and Greninja, for a collection of some of PTCGP's most infamously powerful cards.

• Froakie (Mega Rising) x2
• Greninja (Genetic Apex) x2
• Iron Jugulis x2
• Darkrai ex x2
• Giratina ex x2
• Rare Candy x2
• Cyrus x1
• Giant Cape x1
• Area Zero x1
• Copycat x1
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Dark

Arguably as much a Darkrai deck as a Giratina deck build, this one runs exclusively Dark energy because of Giratina's ability to empower itself. Meanwhile, Greninja's on the bench to target opponents with chip damage every turn, so while this is a deck with a weaker early game, cards like Darkrai and Iron Jugulis serve to whittle down the opponent and discourage them from really exploiting that early opportunity.

Given enough time, this deck can then come out swinging. Either Giratina is doing 130 damage per turn, or Darkrai is doing 80-100 damage depending on whether you keep putting energy on it. It's not quite as powerful as it used to be now that there's a greater selection of cards with equal (or more) power output, but it's still very strong and worth considering in the meta.

• Pros
  • Good at punishing opponents
  • Versatile strategies
  • Strong late game
• Cons
  • High energy dependence
  • Weak early game

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Iron Valiant and Iron Crown in Pokemon TCG Pocket are in many ways the only viable Future focused deck to emerge from the Paradox Drive booster set expansion. Like many deck builds, this is a modification of the Mega Altaria ex build, but this one focuses on a more directly damage focused early game and overt aggression with some of the advantages that come with the Future tag. If that sounds appealing to you, here's how to make the ideal Iron Valiant and Iron Crown deck build in Pokemon TCGP.

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

Best Iron Valiant and Iron Crown deck build in Pokemon TCGP

Taking advantage of the Future card mechanics, this modified Mega Altaria build focuses on a stronger earlier game.

• Mega Altaria ex x2
• Swablu (Mega Rising) x2
• Iron Valiant x2
• Iron Crown x2
• Sabrina x1
• Cyrus x1
• Copycat x2
• Peculiar Plaza x2
• Future Booster Energy Capsule x2
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Psychic

The advantage this build has over the standard Altaria build that combines with Igglybuff is that it's a bit more flexible, if arguably slightly less effective than the Iggly/Darkrai combo at its peak. If you start with Crown in the active spot and Valiant on the bench, you can do real damage from turn 1, or just discourage the opponent from putting Pokemon down. Then, of course, it's simply a matter of holding out until Altaria can be ready to go for major damage.

• Pros
  • Strong early game
  • Flexible build and strategies
  • Good durability
• Cons
  • Requires a full hand to really make the most out of
  • No healing or status prevention

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

The Suicune ex deck build in Pokemon TCG Pocket comes in many forms, but this one has been a staple since it debuted, as Suicune's scaling damage, ability to dissuade opponents from putting out Pokemon, and passive draw abilities make it one of the strongest openers in all of Pokemon TCGP. Here, combined with Baxcalibur for energy generation and Chien-Pao ex for bench targeting, the result is a very strong Water deck build that remains durable and versatile, and will probably hold to the PTCGP meta for a while.

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

Best Suicune ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

This Suicune deck teams up with Baxcalibur and Chien-Pao to target the opponent's bench with devastating effects, with a strong control focus to boot.

• Chien-Pao ex x1
• Suicune ex x2
• Frigibax x2
• Baxcalibur x2
• Giant Cape x1
• Cyrus x1
• Mars x1
• Pokemon Center Lady x1
• Rare Candy x2
• Inflatable Boat x1
• Copycat x1
• Starting Plains x1
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Water

This deck build makes use of Chien-Pao's frankly terrifying ability to hit a benched Pokemon for 130 damage, at the cost of discarding all the energy on it. The set-up is relatively simple though: Suicune ex comes out first to help fill your hand and provide a strong opening, while you build up Baxcalibur on the bench. It then uses the Ice Maker ability to quickly provide Chien-Pao with energy once you bring it forward. If you like to gamble, try added Misty to this build for those quick energy summons.

• Pros
  • To do 130 damage to a benched target is terrifying
  • Suicune ex is a very strong opening play
  • Baxcalibur is a solid tank and incredible energy generator
• Cons
  • Chein-Pao's energy discard means it's hard to be continuously effective
  • Baxcalibur requires Stage 2 evolution
  • Suicune ex is always weakened by an empty bench

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Our electric Oricorio deck build in Pokemon TCG Pocket makes full use of the Pom-Pom variant's Safeguard ability, which renders it immune to Ex type Pokemon and thus some of the most powerful foes in the entire meta. Oricorio literally changed the whole meta of PTCGP when it first appeared, as otherwise it could disrupt whole decks and leave them ineffectual on its own. Below I'll lay out how to make the best possible Oricorio deck in Pokemon TCGP, which doubles as one of the most powerful electric type decks.

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

Best Oricorio deck build in Pokemon TCGP

The Electric Oricorio has been a powerhouse since it debuted, as has various sorts of Magnezone. Both combine here for a strong deck build based around defensive immunity.

• Magneton (Genetic Apex) x2
• Oricorio (Electric/Pom-Pom Variant) x2
• Magnemite (Crimson Blaze) x2
• Magnezone (Crimson Blaze) x1
• Teal Mask Ogerpon ex x1
• Magnezone ex x1
• Giant Cape x1
• Cyrus x2
• Copycat x1
• Lisia x1
• Clemont x1
• Lucky Ice Pop x1
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Electric

This deck build is all about leaving you as resilient to enemies as possible. Oricorio can't be hurt by ex Pokemon, Magnezone can negate half of all attacks that hit it, and Ogerpon provides the team immunity to all status effects, which is very valuable in the current meta that emphasizes sleep effects.

This is a deck that's pretty low on major hitters - the one exception being Magnezone ex - and is more about leaning on the defensive and reducing your foes' options. Play cleverly and use whatever strategies are available to limit your opponent, ensuring that all they can do is use the very systems that you're immune to.

• Pros
  • Oricorio can't be hurt by most of the game's most dangerous cards
  • Standard Magnezone's a strong mix of defense, offense, and energy efficiency
  • Ogerpon leaves you immune to the common Sleep meta
• Cons
  • No heavy hitters until the late game
  • Ogerpon has to take up the bench without serving a combat function

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

The Mega Altaria ex deck build in Pokemon TCG Pocket has become a staple of the S-tier meta, and is easily one of the most powerful decks out there since it debuted in the Mega Rising expansion. It has all kinds of variations based around adding or subtracting certain cards, but ultimately a Stage 1 card capable of doing 130 damage on two energy is always going to be a powerhouse choice. Below I'll explain the best Mega Altaria ex deck built in PTCGP, how it works, and how you should be using it.

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

Best Mega Altaria ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

Darkrai's power to drain sleeping opponents does passive damage until Altaria can come out and finish the fight.

• Darkrai (Mega Shine) x2
• Swablu (Mega Rising) x2
• Mega Altaria ex x2
• Igglybuff x2
• Leaf x1
• Rocky Helmet x1
• Cyrus x1
• Mars x2
• Copycat x1
• Lisia x1
• Training Area x1
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Psychic

Darkrai might be Dark-type, but its energy needs are universal, so it can slot into this deck nicely. The goal here is simple enough: Use sleep effects from Swablu and Igglybuff to send foes to sleep and inflict chip damage through the Dark Dreams power, all while building up either to Mega Altaria or Darkrai itself. It's a very strong strategy, and we expect to see this build (or some variant of it) staying high in the meta for a while. There's already lots of Altaria builds that have emerged and this one remains the most universally powerful, but there are plenty of variants if you don't have all the cards above or just want to try something new.

• Pros
  • Strong early game
  • Flexible build and strategies
  • Good durability
• Cons
  • Requires a full hand to really make the most out of
  • No healing or status prevention
  • An empty bench leaves Altaria powerless

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Miraidon ex in Pokemon TCG Pocket is a powerful electric legendary Pokemon who's come out swinging as part of the meta in the Paradox Drive booster expansion, using Magneton and Magnezone as backups to hit the opponent as hard as possible and build a strong mid-game. Below I'll take you through how to make your own Miraidon ex deck, as well as how it operates in PTCGP and the strategy to apply with it.

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

Best Miriadon ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

Miraidon's ability to drain energy and come out swinging for massive damage makes it unpredictably dangerous, especially when paired with energy generation.

• Magneton (Genetic Apex) x2
• Magnemite (Crimson Blaze) x2
• Magnezone (Crimson Blaze) x2
• Miraidon ex x2
• Cyrus x1
• Copycat x2
• Lisia x1
• Clemont x1
• Lucky Ice Pop x1
• Professor Turo x2
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Electric

Magneton and Magnezone remain unshakeable in the meta for Electric decks, but now that generation pairs with Miraidon's ability to take energy from other Pokemon and immediately replace them in the active spot, with an attack that scales to how much energy it has on it. Meanwhile, Turo allows you to shuffle Miriadon back into your deck, stopping it from being KOd in a pinch and getting the chance to use its ability again later on.

There is some flexibility here in the build. You could lean into boosting Miraidon's low health with something like the Giant Cape, add Teal Mask Ogerpon for immunity to status effects, swap out Magnemite for a tougher variant if you find yourself getting hit too hard in the early game, or throw in the Electric Generator for increased energy output.

• Pros
  • Miriadon is a great, fast glass cannon
  • Turo gives you flexibility
  • Magnezone is a good damage/tank combo that can handle Oricorio
• Cons
  • Miraidon has pretty low health
  • Can be vulnerable in the early game
  • If you can't draw Magnemite, you're in trouble

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Our Mega Scizor ex deck builds for Pokemon TCG Pocket focuses on the exploits of low retreat costs to get the most out of its Bullet Slugger attack, having Scizor bungee in and out of the active zone to keep doing maximum damage on every attack. Below I'll take you through the best build and deck for Scizor in Pokemon TCGP, as well as what you need to know about its very specific strategy.

Our Pokemon TCG Pocket best decks tier list has plenty more options to pick from. Check it out to see all the meta-beating options there!

Best Mega Scizor ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

This Mega Scizor ex deck uses Revravroom's free swap ability and some careful tools for the best impact.

• Varoom (Promo B or Shining Revelry) x2
• Revravroom (Mega Shine) x2
• Orthworm x1
• Scyther (Mega Shine) x2
• Mega Scizor ex x2
• Sabrina x1
• Cyrus x1
• Steel Apron x1
• Metal Core Barrier x2
• Copycat x2
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Metal

The plan here is that you open with either Orthworm or Varoom if possible, quickly building up energy or setting up your board while putting energy on Scyther and Scizor on the bench. Then, once you're ready, Revravroom can freely swap Scizor in and out of the battlefield to keep making use of its Bullet Slugger attack with maximum damage. Tools like the Metal Core Barrier and the Steel Apron ensure a greater level of endurance than you'd normally get from a deck like this, while Sabrina and Cyrus give you a greater degree of control that allows you to target specific Pokemon.

If you want some ideas for variations, Skarmory is a good option to fold in for the early game, especially with the Tools involved. You can also add zero retreat costs energy generators like Pichu and Mantyke.

• Pros
  • Scizor can one-shot most targets
  • Orthworm and Varoom are strong early game cards
  • Good durability deck
• Cons
  • Scizor has somewhat high energy needs
  • If Scyther is KO'd, you've probably lost

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

The Mega Blaziken ex deck build in Pokemon TCG Pocket is one of the simplest, strongest deck builds in the meta, as Blaziken is capable of doing massive fire damage and inflicting burns without much setup. The downside is that it discards an energy with every attack, but that's pretty easy to compensate for, as I'll reveal in our deck build below. Here's how to make the ultimate PTCGP Blaziken deck, and burn your way through your opponent's team in a fiery flash.

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

Best Mega Blaziken ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

This Mega Blaziken ex deck is all about hitting hard with fire damage, infused with Castform's early game strength.

• Torchic x2
• Mega Blaziken ex x2
• Castform (Sunny Form) x2
• Sabrina x1
• Cyrus x1
• Rare Candy x2
• Lillie x1
• Flame Patch x2
• Copycat x1
• Mesagoza x1
• Hiking Trail x1
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Fire

Straightforward and to the point, this deck once featured Entei for quick card drawing, but that's been replaced with more powerful builds that allow you to impede your opponent's early game. Instead, you open with Castform for quick burns in the early stages, then use Mesagoza, Hiking Trail and Copycat to keep your hand full until you can get Blaziken on the field. Once Blaziken's out, you keep using Flame Patch to keep it energized until your opponent is taken down.

• Pros
  • Energy efficient in all respects
  • Strong glass cannon build
  • Burns whittle down foes rapidly
• Cons
  • You have to build up to a Stage 2
  • Castform isn't hugely tanky

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Mega Sceptile ex in Pokemon TCG Pocket is the centerpiece of one of the most powerful Grass type decks, capable of doing massive damage and inflicting Poison in a single attack. The downside is that it's burdened by an energy discard that makes sustained attacks expensive. Still, if you can make the best possible deck, Sceptile is very strong in the meta of best decks for Pokemon TCG Pocket, as I'll explain below.

For more ideas about how to make a powerful deck, check out the Pokemon TCG Pocket best decks list here!

Best Mega Sceptile ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

Mega Sceptile ex basically serves as a Grass equivalent to the Mega Blaziken ex deck build, with similar attack and strategy.

• Pheremosa x2
• Nihilego x1
• Treecko x2
• Grovyle x1
• Mega Sceptile ex x2
• Erika x1
• Cyrus x1
• Rare Candy x2
• Poison Barb x2
• May x1
• Copycat x1
• Fragrant Forest x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Grass

This is pretty straightforward: Pheromosa and Treecko buy time early on until you can have Mega Sceptile ex ready to do some significant damage and tear through as the heavy hitter of the deck later. Even before Sceptile is on the field, the inclusion of Poison Barb means that you can whittle down your opponents fairly significantly, or hold them back long enough to get Sceptile running without incident.

This is a deck with a pretty good draw power for Pokemon specifically, with cards like Fragrant Forest and May replacing the usual inclusion of Poke Balls. It's also a deck with a decent amount of survival built in, with Erika adding resistance to an already durable deck. You can swap cards like Erika and May out for Quick Grow Extract or Leaf Cape if you want to switch things up, or consider including the Memory Light tool card, as Grovyle's ability to attack the bench can be really effective in certain circumstances.

• Pros
  • Low energy requirements
  • Powerful poison use if done right
  • Good card draw options
• Cons
  • Dependant on Stage 2 evolution
  • Struggles against Poison-immune decks
  • Sceptile discards energy with every attack

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Mega Lucario ex and Lucario cards generally in Pokemon TCG Pocket have always led to powerful deck builds, and this particular style of fighting type deck is incredibly potent for raw damage in the early-to-mid game. Below I'll lay out how to make the ideal deck build for Mega Lucario ex, as well as what you need to know about strategy and play.

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

Best Mega Lucario ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

This Mega Lucario ex deck build in PTCGP is all about maximum damage as early as possible.

• Riolu (Space-Time Smackdown) x2
• Mega Lucario ex x2
• Hitmontop (Wisdom of Sea and Sky) x2
• Rocky Helmet x2
• Cyrus x1
• Pokemon Center Lady x1
• Copycat x2
• Korrina x1
• Arena of Antiquity x1
• X Speed x2
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Fighting

This is a pretty straightforward deck wherein your cards build up early on and come out swinging, especially against ex Pokemon as there are multiple cards here that up your power against them. It's relatively straightforward as a strategy too: start with Hitmontop and use the cheap energy costs to start an immediately aggressive play, using the Rocky Helmets to dissuade opponents from attacking you back. Then, once Lucario is set up, bring it to the active spot and begin a series of heavy duty attacks that few opponents can withstand for long.

For clarity, Fighting Pulse, at full power with both Korrina and the Arena of Antiquity, can do an astonishing 190 damage to an opponent. Up to 210 if it's weak to Fighting attacks! That's enough damage to KO the vast majority of Pokemon in PTCGP in a single strike.

• Pros
  • High damage output, especially against ex Pokemon
  • Very strong early game
  • Very low retreat costs
• Cons
  • Not much durability
  • Predictable strategy
  • Struggles if you don't draw Lucario

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Mega Absol ex and Hydreigon in Pokemon TCG Pocket have been two of the most powerful Dark type cards in the meta since they were added, both for different reasons. Absol does moderate damage, but has a lot of health and causes opponents to discard Supporter cards with every attack, while Hydreigon is a self-damaging energy generator who can do 130 damage per turn, and it's not even an ex Pokemon! Between them they make up one of the most powerful decks in PTCGP, as I'll lay out below.

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

Best Mega Absol ex and Hydreigon deck build in Pokemon TCGP

Several variants of the Mega Absol deck have been going around, but this variant is Hydreigon and a secondary poison effect.

• Mega Absol ex x1
• Nihilego x1
• Deino x2
• Hydreigon x2
• Cyrus x1
• Rare Candy x2
• Poison Barb x2
• Copycat x2
• Pokemon Center Lady x1
• Lucky Ice Pop x1
• Hiking Trail x1
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Dark

This pure dark deck is highly aggressive, using cheap energy attacks and poison to go in hard from the outset, as well as using the Fantastical Parade's Lucky Ice Pop item to help alleviate the damage done to Hydreigon by itself, or just to keep Mega Absol from being KO'd and losing you the game. This is a deck where you can't let up on the offence for a moment, and it works because it can tear through opponent's strategies before they have a chance to set up combos or counters to what you're doing.

Put simply, the strategy is to get Absol or Deino out there early, softening up the opponent with whatever cards you have in the active zone before building up to Hydreigon and unleashing its full power. You don't even have to be particularly protective over it, as Hydreigon's absurd damage output somehow doesn't make it a Pokemon ex, so even if it falls you don't give your opponents many points.

• Pros
  • A strong early game
  • Good at disrupting opponents' strategies
  • Versatile with a decent draw rate
• Cons
  • Not hugely tanky, especially with Hydreigon's self destructive tendencies
  • Poison won't do much to survival-orientated decks or those with cheap retreats

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

A Zoroark ex deck build in Pokemon TCG Pocket is a powerful Dark type deck that's all about rapidly setting up the early game in what's a general "good cards" build for all things Dark type, with cards like Absol and Nihilego backing up your strategy. Below I'll take you through how to make the best possible Zoroark deck in the current Pokemon TCGP meta, including strategy and pros and cons about how best to handle this sort of deck.

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

Best Zoroark ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

This Pulsing Aura Zoroark ex deck build is focused around generally powerful Dark types in PTCGP, and is composed of the following cards:

• Nihilego x1
• Absol (Wisdom of Sea and Sky) x1
• Mega Absol ex x1
• Zorua (Pulsing Aura) x2
• Zoroark ex x2
• Bombirdier x1
• Sabrina x1
• Cyrus x1
• Poison Barb x2
• Copycat x2
• Lucky Ice Pop x1
• Hiking Trial x1
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Dark

This deck is an assortment of general "good card" Dark type Pokemon where Zoroark ex acts as your primary damage dealer from the early game, needing only one energy. Not only that, but Zorua's one attack is about instantly pulling it from the deck to evolve, setting you up from a very early phase to be ready for combat (though damage scales by how full your own bench is).

From that point on the strategy varies depending on what's available to you. This is a pretty flexible deck build, though one that lacks a decisive "heavy hitter" to win you the game. Generally you want to use regular Absol or Zoroa as your opening active card, while keeping Bombirdier and Nihilego on the bench where they're most effective. Poison chip damage from the Barb should whittle down opponents enough to finish them off with Absol ex or Zoroark, and the former's ability to get them to discard Supporter cards should ensure that they have less options than normal.

• Pros
  • Versatile options
  • Strong early game
  • Decent resistance and survival, in part due to a mix of weaknesses
• Cons
  • No major damage dealers
  • Weaker late game

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Mega Manectric ex in Pokemon TCG Pocket is the foundation of a very powerful early game electric deck, in which the lightning hound comes out swinging and only gets more powerful with successive victories. Those who run a Manectric deck build in PTCGP are running a glass cannon deck that's invested everything in damage output, but can't necessarily be relied upon for durability and survival. Still, it's a strong deck in any tournament, so here's how to make the best possible Mega Manectric ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP.

Want to know where this sits on our list of Pokemon TCG Pocket best decks? Check out the details at the link!

Best Mega Manectric ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

The best Mega Manectric ex deck in Pokemon TCG Pocket is all about rapid energy generation and aggression.

• Electrike (Promo-B) x2
• Mega Manectric ex x2
• Zeraora x2
• Sabrina x1
• Cyrus x1
• Elemental Switch x1
• Rocky Helmet x2
• Pokemon Center Lady x1
• Electric Generator x1
• Copycat x2
• Training Area x1
• Poke Ball x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Electric

This deck is a pretty straightforward one when it comes to strategy: rapid energy generation to push you into aggressive play as early as possible and before your opponent can really get a grounding. Zeraora's ability to create energy on itself can get you a good foothold, and Electric Generator and Elemental Switch let you create more energy and move it around. And with Manectric - your main source of damage - only being a Stage 1 that requires two energy to function, you can set up for significant damage before many decks have even got off the ground.

• Pros
  • Good energy generation and early game
  • Straightforward strategy
  • Zero retreat cost on Manectric
• Cons
  • Evolution dependant
  • Glass cannon build means low health pools
  • If Electrike is KO'd, you're finished

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

Meowscarada ex in Pokemon TCG Pocket is focused on a grass deck that's all about sly control play and cheap energy costs, as well as some punishment against players who bring in certain common strategies. Meowscarada in all forms has been something of a troublemaker since it entered PTCGP, being generally unpredictable, and this deck build folds all the best elements of that so you can apply it to you advantage in Pokemon TCGP.

For more high level and meta-busting deck builds, check out our Pokemon TCG Pocket best decks list here!

Best Meowscarada ex deck build in Pokemon TCGP

The Meowscarada ex deck build is low cost and disruptive, keeping opponents on the back foot from an early stage. Here's how to make it:

• Sprigatito (Shining Revelry) x2
• Meowscarada (Shining Revelry) x1
• Teal Mask Ogerpon x1
• Floragato (Paldean Wonders) x1
• Meowscarada ex x2
• Erika x1
• Cyrus x1
• Rare Candy x2
• Leaf Cape x2
• May x1
• Copycat x1
• Lucky Ice Pop x1
• Fragrant Forest x2
• Professor's Research x2

Energy: Grass

This is a deck build in which your choice of Meowscarada (regular or ex variant) should differ depending on what your opponent is doing. One is capable of doing massive damage to the opponent's ex Pokemon, while the other can hit the enemy bench, after a small delay.

This is what makes this deck so disruptive, as Meowscarada ex is constantly forcing the opponent to switch around and stay agile or else potentially lose Pokemon on the bench. And at a one energy cost, it's a strong attack - but the problem is that its not always building to something. Tanky or versatile decks can be difficult for Meowscarada to deal with, though ultimately this is a build that can wreck any deck that's too inflexible or lacking in health.

• Pros
  • Good durability and survival
  • Low energy requirements
  • Good at disrupting common strategies
• Cons
  • Small amounts of Pokemon to work with
  • Low damage output and weak late game
  • Requires Stage 2 evolution

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission

I've been an on-and-off Pokemon card collector for 13 years now, and while I've always enjoyed the collection aspect, there's no doubt that the hobby has... shifted slightly in the last few years. However, with a new goal and mindset, I'm now having more fun with it than ever before, and I'm once again feeling the magic for one of the best card games after the prominence of resellers killed my enthusiasm.

In the Pokemon trading card game (TCG) space, it's a universal experience to want to collect the rarest cards – not much beats the thrill of seeing something cool and sparkly at the back of a pack – but since around 2020, for many people, it's become less about the cards, and more about their value. It's extremely rare we see new TCG sets release these days without being immediately resold to oblivion at launch and beyond, with folks buying as much stock as possible to either resell it sealed, or rip open the packs to resell the hits, all at ridiculously inflated prices. Look, I think Ascended Heroes's Mega Gengar secret illustration rare is as cool as the next person, but you can't tell me that a new card that's still being printed could possibly be truly worth over $3,000.

You now see this monetary-focused mentality in a lot of TCG content, even if it's not from resellers. There's nothing inherently sinister about it, but content creators listing the value of all the cards they pull drives the normalization of the idea that the potential resale value is the most important aspect of collecting, and more money equals a better pull.

I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with this if that's how you enjoy the hobby most, but for me, it's honestly sucked a lot of the joy out of it. I mean, for a start, the level of reselling means it's not all that often you even see packs in stores at regular prices, and as a casual collector, I'm definitely not about to start paying triple or more for them.

Beauty in bulk

Simply, I realized I'm not cut out for how many people seem to be engaging with TCG these days, so I needed to find a different way to enjoy the hobby. Well, what better way than appreciating my stacks of bulk?

Bulk – the common, non-hits that make up the majority of the cards you'll get in a pack – aren't usually worth much. They're the ones listed as being worth pennies on those aforementioned videos, and many hit-chasers skip over them entirely just to look at the last few cards to see if they got anything rare. Anyone who's opened packs over the years will inevitably have a lot, and looking at mine, a thought crossed my mind – how much of the complete Pokedex might I have collected over the years? How many more would I need to get to complete a full (and enormous) Pokedex binder?

I'm not the first to have this idea, of course, but as soon as I set about figuring out how many Pokemon I had, I was already looking at my collection in a whole new light. Obviously, there are multiple different cards for every Pokemon, but I decided it made sense to make my Dex as personal as possible by picking only my favourite artwork for each one. It makes for an eclectic mix of cards, and it's somewhat odd to see a common from Plasma Blast alongside one from Perfect Order, but that didn't matter – I was assembling a collage of favorites, built on years of love for the franchise.

As for what I had already, well, I'm certainly not close to done. While I have a significant amount of the Kanto, Hoenn, and Unova 'mons, overall I'm only around a third of the way there. But honestly? I'm glad this is the case.

That's because it's already affecting the way I think about my new cards as I open them. I recently did my first opening of the latest TCG set, Chaos Rising, and my new goal gave me a surprising chase card.

Stunky is one of my favorite Pokemon. I think real-life skunks are adorable, and as someone who grew up with Pokemon Pearl and Platinum, the existence of the little Diamond-exclusive Poison-type was flaunted in my face for years, despite me never being able to use one. I was thrilled to finally play Diamond in my adulthood and put a Stunky on my team, and I've had a soft spot for it ever since.

A new goal

Alas, there are not many Stunky cards. Up to now, nine existed, and none from sets I'd opened. But looking through the card list for Chaos Rising, I saw something – my beloved skunk was a common card, and not only that, this one had the cutest art out of all the previous Stunky cards that have ever existed.

Needless to say, I had a goal. Looking at the illustration and secret illustration rares in the set, I was also eyeing up the adorable Cinccino SIR, but Stunky had to come home, and nothing else mattered.

Over the course of 17 packs, I was lucky enough to open a gorgeous Crobat illustration rare, as well as an ultra rare Mega Floette ex, but it was only in the last three packs that it finally happened. There it was, the common Stunky – immediately followed by an uncommon Skuntank to complete the evolutionary line. It was like it was meant to be, and I can honestly say that those two cards sparked way more joy than any of the objectively rarer hits I pulled during the course of the opening.

Although Stunky was a highlight, it was a joy for every pack to see what new Pokemon I could add to my physical dex, and it once again makes me glad that I still have so many missing. It'd be easy to get carried away and commit to buying all the missing cards I need right now, but I've decided I want this to be a long-term project. I can't imagine how long it's going to take, but I'm looking forward to slowly building it up each time I get my hands on new packs, something I suspect I'm probably more likely to do more often now that I'm not chasing the unlikely hits alongside everyone else. My chase cards now just got weirder, and I can't wait to find out who my next underrated hit is.

For suggestions of what to play next, why not check out the best board games or the best tabletop RPGs?