The 2023 Pokémon World Championships have come to a close and the closing ceremonies had new announcements for the Pokémon TCG, Pokémon UNITE, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero and the 2024 Pokémon World Championships.

2023 Pokémon World Championships Closing Ceremonies Recap

Look back at the reveals made for the Pokémon TCG, Pokémon UNITE, and The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero as the 2023 Pokémon World Championships come to an end.

The 2023 Pokémon World Championships have come and gone, but not before Tsunekazu Ishihara, President of The Pokémon Company, shared some exciting news during the event’s closing ceremonies. In addition to announcing the return of a classic Pokémon Trading Card Game mechanic, exciting Pokémon coming to Aeos Island in Pokémon UNITE, and an update on The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC for the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet games, Mr. Ishihara also revealed the location of the 2024 Pokémon World Championships!

Paradox Pokémon are shrouded in mystery, but we now know that their Ancient and Future powers will be making their Pokémon TCG debut in fall 2023 as part of an upcoming expansion. Not only that, but the Scarlet & Violet era of the Pokémon TCG will continue its trend of bringing back old mechanics with the return of ACE SPEC cards, a powerful class of Trainer cards that are limited to a single copy per deck.

YouTube Clip - 2024 Pokémon World Championships Location Reveal

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH1cI0f3aOQ

TCG Trailer

More Pokémon are joining the fray in Pokémon UNITE! Blaziken, Mimikyu, and Meowscarada are the next Pokémon slated to show off their skills on Aeos Island. Look forward to seeing how these Pokémon change the landscape of each match!

YouTube Clip - Paradox Pokémon Arrive in the Pokémon TCG

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoWJZ9J1JUI

UNITE Trailer

If you’re itching to get into more battles in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, you’ll be pleased to know that further details were announced for the upcoming The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero DLC. Part 2: The Indigo Disk will feature new Pokémon, new moves, and a brand-new Tera Type—all of which are certain to shake up the Battle Stadium.

YouTube Clip - Three new Pokémon are coming to Aeos Island soon!

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qf_372f8TI

Scarlet Violet Trailer

The location of the 2024 Pokémon World Championships was also announced during the closing ceremony on Sunday evening. Trainers from around the world can look forward to the next exciting Pokémon World Championships to be held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

YouTube Clip - Many Surprises Await in The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero!

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VLPfiX5VJU

“Our hearts go out to all those who have been impacted by the devastating wildfires in Hawai’i,” said Colin Palmer, vice president of Premier Events at The Pokémon Company International. “Our immediate priority is to aid children, families, and their affected communities. To support relief efforts, The Pokémon Company International is making an immediate monetary donation of $200,000 to its partner at GlobalGiving through its Hawai’i Wildfire Relief Fund.”

In addition, The Pokémon Company International will also be matching employee donations dedicated to Hawai’i wildfire relief efforts through Grants Central Station.

Source: https://worlds.pokemon.com/en-us/news/2023-pokemon-world-championships-closing-ceremonies-recap/

The Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet Obsidian Flames Elite Trainer Box went on sale on August 11th, 2023 where Pokémon TCG products are sold.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames Elite Trainer Box

Light up your game with fiery might thanks to the Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames Elite Trainer Box! Stoke your collection with nine booster packs, as well as 45 Energy cards to help you light the way to your next victory. You'll also discover everything you need for your next hot battle, including card sleeves featuring Charmander, dice, a coin-flip die, condition markers, and much more.

Take advantage of everything this fiery expansion has to offer with the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames Elite Trainer Box!

The Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames Elite Trainer Box includes:

• 9 Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames booster packs
• 1 full-art foil promo card featuring Charmander
• 65 card sleeves featuring Charmander
• 45 Pokémon TCG Energy cards
• A player's guide to the Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames expansion
• 6 damage-counter dice
• 1 competition-legal coin-flip die
• 2 plastic condition markers
• A collector's box to hold everything, with 4 dividers to keep it organized
• A code card for Pokémon Trading Card Game Live

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/product-gallery/scarlet-violet-obsidian-flames-elite-trainer-box/

Pre-order gifts for Detective Pikachu were different around the world. Below is a listing of all known Pre-orders Gifts for the games.

Japanese Physical Versions - Pikachu TCG Card

As a pre-order purchase bonus for the physical packaged version of Detective Pikachu Returns, players could receive the promo card Detective Pikachu (098/SV-P) that could be used in the Pokémon Card Game! The promo card is a new card with a full card illustration.

Japanese Pre-order Gifts:

Pre-orders for Detective Pikachu began at stores nationwide in Japan on August 9th, 2023. Those who purchased the game at participating stores could receive a different item at each store!









Source: https://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/detective_pikachu/ja/news/230808_02/

Japan - Amazon.co.jp - Original BOX and Item Case Bundle

Amazon had an exclusive bonus bundle that included the game, TCG promo card, and original box and an item case. The bundle sold for 6,578 yen.

United Kingdom / Ireland - My Nintendo Store - Mug

Pre-orders of Detective Pikachu Returns on My Nintendo Store came with a themed Mug as a bonus item! Those who have already pre-ordered the game before the reward was announced on September 19th, 2023, had their order automatically upgraded. Pre-order items were limited and strictly subject to availability.

A special bundle was also available for an additional £4.50/€5 which contained the Detective Pikachu Returns game, mug and a themed Tote Bag.

Source: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2023/September/You-can-pre-order-Detective-Pikachu-Returns-on-My-Nintendo-Store-to-receive-a-bonus-Mug-with-purchase--2446634.html

United Kingdom - GAME - Keyring

Free Gift with Purchase. Purchase Detective Pikachu Returns to receive GAME Exclusive Detective Pikachu Returns Keyring. GAME Exclusive - The Detective Pikachu Keyring is a GAME Exclusive and only available at GAME stores and game.co.uk. Subject to availability.

Source: https://www.game.co.uk/en/detective-pikachu-returns-2915967

A couple of changes are coming to Pokémon TCG Live this week, with new details on the Expanded Format and card art for the game's mobile version. Read up on the details below with the latest message from the Development Team.

Letter to the Community | 08-07-2023

Dear Pokémon TCG fans,
Over the past few months, the team has been focused on bringing the most recent Pokémon TCG expansion release, Scarlet & Violet—Paldea Evolved, to Pokémon TCG Live. In parallel with bringing this new content to the game, the team has been hard at work making significant progress on upcoming optimizations to enhance the game experience. Today we want to share with you a look at just a couple of changes coming to the game this week.

One of the changes coming to Pokémon TCG Live will replace condensed art in the game's mobile version with full card art. This change will allow the card art to truly shine on the mobile platform and provide more clarity on what your opponents are playing. An update to the visual experience is only one of the goals with this upcoming change. In a future update, we plan to remove the data for these assets, which will significantly reduce the load size in both the mobile and desktop versions of the game. This update will optimize the performance of load and installation times for all players once removed.


In our ongoing efforts to increase support for the Expanded format experience in Pokémon TCG Live, the current in-game shop will be updated. Starting August 10, booster packs and theme decks from Sun & Moon Series expansions will be available in the shop in exchange for Crystals. Products from older Pokémon TCG expansions will continue to be added to the shop as the game updates to support more Expanded format cards. We’re excited to begin taking these next steps to bring the full Expanded format play experience to Pokémon TCG Live!

The Pokémon World Championships kick off this Friday, and we’ve got a fantastic digital distribution you can obtain during the live broadcast on Twitch. Tune in during the stream to snag a redeemable code for Pokémon TCG Live that will grant Charizard ex as a hyper rare card. In addition to this code, you can expect more Twitch Drops, including digital booster packs for the upcoming Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames expansion that releases on August 11, 2023. You can look forward to more Pokémon TCG Live rewards like these in future broadcasts.

We thank you again for your continued support and feedback for Pokémon TCG Live. We look forward to sharing more details on upcoming changes with everyone in our next letter before the end of the year.

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Live Development Team

Source: https://tcg.pokemon.com/en-us/updates/

Umbreon and Espeon Pokémon TCG Promo cards will be distributed starting on August 11th, 2023 at participating retailers in Canada, the United States and Australia. GameStop requires a purcahse of $15 or more on Pokémon TCG products to receive the promo card.

Umbreon & Espeon Pokémon TCG Promo

United States - BestBuy - Espeon - 8/11/2023
United States - GameStop - Umbreon - 8/11/2023
Canada - GameStop - Umbreon - 8/11/2023
Australia - EB Games - Umbreon - 8/11/2023

Source: https://support.pokemon.com/hc/en-us/articles/14212632145172-Pok%C3%A9mon-Partner-Promotions-and-Distributions

Get Espeon & Umbreon Promo Cards at GameStop, EB Games & Best Buy

Visit these participating retailers to celebrate the release of Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames with a gift with purchase.

With the release of the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames on August 11, 2023, fans can get some cool promo cards to celebrate this new collection. GameStop stores in the US and Canada, and EB Games stores in Australia and New Zealand, will have an Umbreon promo card emblazoned with the respective retailers’ logo that you’ll receive as a gift with purchase of $15 or more of Pokémon TCG products.

Fans in the US can also visit Best Buy stores to receive an Espeon promo card bearing the Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames logo as a gift with purchase of $15 or more of Pokémon TCG products. These offers are valid both in-store and online, but they’re only good while supplies last, so don’t wait!

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/get-espeon-umbreon-promo-cards-at-gamestop-eb-games-best-buy

Won’t be in Japan for Pokémon Worlds? No problem! Get in on the action by attending participating local Leagues from August 11th, 2023 to August 13th, 2023 to earn Play! Pokémon Prize Packs from Series Three before anyone else!

Visit Your Local Game Store to Receive Play! Pokémon Prize Packs

Earn Prize Packs by participating in events at your local League during the 2023 Pokémon World Championships.

In-store events provide exciting opportunities to socialize (and battle!) with fellow Pokémon enthusiasts. And promotional Prize Packs distributed at Play! Pokémon events—including Leagues, League Challenges, League Cups, and more—add to the fun. Just in time for 2023 Pokémon World Championships Series Celebration Tournaments, the Prize Pack Series Three will be available starting August 14, 2023, at participating retail locations.

Each Prize Pack contains six cards taken from a pool of about 200—all of which are legal in the Standard format. They include everything from popular Pokémon to exclusive foil upgrades of tournament staples, all featuring the special Play! Pokémon logo. Here are just some of the exciting cards you can expect to find in Series Three:

• Gardevoir ex
• Lugia VSTAR
• Arceus VSTAR
• Radiant Greninja
• Nest Ball (exclusive foil version)

Prize Pack Series Three has a limited duration as Series Four will become available in February 2024. For both competitive and casual Trainers, Prize Packs offer an exclusive path to build your collection while making the most of Play! Pokémon events at your local game store. How Prize Packs are distributed varies from location to location. The more active your events are, the more Prize Packs will be available, so be sure to attend as many events as possible.

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/visit-your-local-game-store-to-receive-play-pokemon-prize-packs

Similar to the agreement that The Pokémon Company and Mercari signed in June 2023, Yahoo! JAPAN and The Pokémon Company also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Cooperation to Create a Safe and Secure Trading Card Trading Platform on July 20th, 2023.

Press Release:

On July 20th, 2023, The Pokémon Company and Yahoo! JAPAN signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Joint Cooperation to implement measures to improve the platform so consumers can safely and securely conduct trading card transactions in a safer market environment.

Yahoo! JAPAN operates the online auction service Yahoo! Auctions and the flea market app PayPay Flea Market. They have signed this memorandum of understanding to cooperate with each other through constant consultation and cooperation while implementing measures with the aim of making a safe and secure trading card transaction environment.

Main cooperation measures between the two companies

Pokémon

• Provide new product launch information, product details to Yahoo! JAPAN
• Reporting to Yahoo! JAPAN listings posted on Yahoo! Auctions and PayPay Flea Market that violate the terms of use of those services and infringe on the rights of The Pokémon Company.

Yahoo! JAPAN

• Based on the information provided by The Pokémon Company, they will alert users on the Yahoo! Auction and PayPay Flea Market sites to comply with the Terms of Use.
• Deleting listings that violate the Terms of Use.

Examples of items that violate the Terms of Use

• Listing of items without having the actual product in hand, such as items sold before the release date
• Listing of items that violate The Pokémon Company copyrights.
• Selling trading cards with ambiguous contents.

Based on this agreement, Pokémon will work with Yahoo! JAPAN to create an environment where customers can use the products and services of both companies more safely and securely.

Press Release (Japanese) - ポケモンとYahoo! JAPAN 安全安心にトレーディングカードの取引を行える社会の実現を目指し相互協力の覚書を締結

株式会社ポケモン 2023年7月25日 11時00分
株式会社ポケモン（以下、ポケモン）とヤフー株式会社（以下、Yahoo!
JAPAN）とは2023年7月20日にトレーディングカードを取り巻く市場環境が変化する中で、消費者が安全安心にトレーディングカードの取引を行える社会の実現を目指し、相互に協力をして対策を実施することについて覚書を締結しました。

Yahoo!
JAPANは、ネットオークションサービス「ヤフオク!」とフリマアプリ「PayPayフリマ」を運営しており、これまでも両サービスにおいて、独自のガイドラインを設け、規約違反の商品の削除やパトロールなどによって、売り場の安全を徹底してきました。

今回、Yahoo!
JAPANが独自で対応している取り組みにくわえて、この覚書に基づき、「ヤフオク!」および「PayPayフリマ」において、安全安心にトレーディングカードの取引ができる環境の実現を目指し、両社継続的に協議・連携のうえ対策を実施します。

◆両社の主な連携・対策
＜ポケモン＞
・Yahoo! JAPANに対して、新商品の発売情報、商品情報などの情報を提供すること
・Yahoo! JAPANに対して、ポケモンの権利を侵害する出品など「ヤフオク!」および「PayPayフリマ」の利用用規約等に違反する出品について通報すること

＜Yahoo! JAPAN＞
・ポケモンからの情報提供に基づき、「ヤフオク!」および「PayPayフリマ」のサイト等において利用規約等の遵守を注意喚起すること
・利用規約等に違反する出品の削除対応をすること

【利用規約等に違反する出品の例】
・発売日前の出品など、商品の現物を手元に確保していない出品
・権利侵害品の出品
・内容が不明瞭な複数枚のトレーディングカードの出品

ポケモンは、本協定に基づき、Yahoo!
JAPANとともに、お客さまがより安心・安全に両社の商品・サービスをご利用いただける環境の構築に努めてまいります。

Source: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000513.000026665.html

At the end of PM2023 14, which aired in Japan on July 21st, 2023, a serial code for Friede's Dark Tera Type Lizardon, which was featured in this episode, was announced. The code was: DARKTERA0006 and was usable from July 21st, 2023 until September 1st, 2023 at 8:59 JST. The code was also announced on Monday, July 24th, 2023 around the world and tied in with an Obsidian Flames TCG promotional video.

YouTube Clip - Obsidian Flames | Special Charizard Distribution in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4-FOvO4ukY

Receive a Dark–Tera Type Charizard in Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet

Charizard is appearing as a Darkness-type Tera Pokémon ex in the Pokémon TCG! Celebrate with a Dark–Tera Type Charizard distribution in the Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet games.

Tera Pokémon ex are appearing as different types than usual and a Darkness-type Charizard ex is plunging the Pokémon TCG into a pitch-black blaze! Celebrate the release of Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames and witness the beauty of Terastallization with a Dark–Tera Type Charizard you can receive via Mystery Gift in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet! You can add this Dark–Tera Type Charizard to your team until Thursday, August 31, 2023, at 4:59 p.m. PDT by following these instructions and using the password DARKTERA0006!

1. Launch your Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet
2. Select Poké Portal on the X menu.
3. Select Mystery Gift, then select Get with Code/Password to connect to the internet.
4. Enter the password DARKTERA0006.
5. Watch as the gift arrives in your game. (Pokémon will appear in your party or in your Pokémon Boxes.)
6. Be sure to save your game.

Get a first look at Darkness-type Charizard ex below, then prepare to add this powerful card to your collection when it arrives in Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames on August 11, 2023.

Lizardon Details:

Level: 50
Ability: Blaze
Tera Type: Dark
Moves: Crunch, Flare Blitz, Acrobatics, Belly Drum

Sources: https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/pocketmonster2023/present/index03.html
https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/receive-a-dark-tera-type-charizard-in-pokemon-scarlet-or-pokemon-violet
https://www.pokemon.co.jp/sp/dark_lizardon/

The Pokémon TCG: Paldea Partners Tin will be available on September 1st, 2023, at the Pokémon Center and where Pokémon TCG products are sold.

Pokémon TCG: Paldea Partners Tin

Partner up for a persuasive performance on the battlefield with a fully evolved first partner Paldean Pokémon ex! Choose the sneaky magic of Meowscarada ex, the fired-up singing of Skeledirge ex, or the dazzling dance moves of Quaquaval ex in the Pokémon TCG: Paldea Partners Tin. Then, find even more Pokémon for your team inside the included booster packs.

The Pokémon TCG: Paldea Partners Tin includes:

• 1 foil card featuring Meowscarada ex, Skeledirge ex, or Quaquaval ex
• 5 Pokémon TCG booster packs
• A code card for Pokémon TCG Live

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/product-gallery/paldea-partners-tin/

The Pokémon TCG: Meowscarada ex Deluxe Battle Deck & Quaquaval ex Deluxe Battle Deck will be available on September 1st, 2023, at the Pokémon Center and where Pokémon TCG products are sold.

Pokémon TCG: Meowscarada ex Deluxe Battle Deck & Quaquaval ex Deluxe Battle Deck

The new Pokémon TCG: ex Deluxe Battle Decks offer a step up for players who are ready for a challenge, with more advanced strategies and additional power cards. There are two decks to choose from: one built around Meowscarada ex, and one that highlights Quaquaval ex. Each 60-card deck includes 3 foil cards and everything you need to play right away. Let the deluxe battle begin!

The Pokémon TCG: Meowscarada ex Deluxe Battle Deck & Quaquaval ex Deluxe Battle Deck each include:

• 1 ready-to-play 60-card deck
• 1 single-player playmat
• 1 set of damage counters
• 1 large metallic coin
• 2 condition markers
• 1 deck box
• 1 strategy sheet
• 1 code card to play this deck online

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/product-gallery/meowscarada-ex-deluxe-battle-deck-quaquaval-ex-deluxe-battle-deck/