Researching Tower of Horon Half-Deck Scans
Thanks to De0xys997, we now have ALL of The Researching Tower of Horon half-deck scans! To view the scans, you can [click here], or in the future, go to the left menu under "Japanese Sets" and click "Horon Half-Deck Scans." Looks like those photos of Pokemon art I took at Worlds were for this set, and that another Pikachu will be in the main set, since it is the only art we have not seen on a card yet out of those five I took a picture of.

The Professor Test is Upon Us
According to Mike Liesik, OP Coordinator, the professor test should be going up this Friday for people to take. He also mentions "Any Professor with an expiration date of 9/1/05 to 10/15/05 will have their expiration date extended to 11/15/05. I've asked the web team to have this done as soon as possible, as Professors begin expiring this Wednesday." For the new professor test, there will be changes to the exam structure, as shown below:

Old Exam:
25 questions
20+ questions correct to pass
30-minute time limit

New Exam:
40 questions
32+ correct to pass
45-minute time limit

Looks like the test will be a bit harder this time around. So, be sure to take those tests on Friday by logging in to your [My Pokemon] account!

Regional Pins
For those of you that attended a Regional Championship back in June, you should be getting a surprise in the mail from POP any day now (or you already did). They will be sending you a yellow envelope with a note inside of it, along with a Regional pin! You can read the note by [clicking here], which explains why we are just recieving the Regional pin. The Regional pin can be seen by [clicking here]. It is a nice shade of blue, and is similar to the other pins we have recieved in the past, except for its color. Thanks POP for the nice surprise!

Ken Sugimori Trainer Gallery Updated
The [Ken Sugimori Trainer Images] gallery has been updated with the Battle Frontier Brains' images. They are extremely high resolution and can be found under "Hoenn." Thanks goes to Porygon for discovering these images.

The evil treachery that is school has let me escape its mighty walls of books to come and update for you all tonight. Funny thing happened the other day. I put my backpack on one of those standard school desks with the table and chair connected to each other and the little book holder/foot rest thing under it, and when I put my backpack on the table part of the desk, it tipped the entire thing desk over completely. When everyone turned to see what the huge bang was, one could see my backpack on the floor and the desk in three pieces. I think I am going to need back surgery when I get older.

Ken Sugimori Trainer Artwork Galleries
I finallllllly finished the page coding and renaming of all of the Sugimori trainer files today. Meowth346 originally had them on Pokemon Forever, but he shut down his site and gave them to me to use here. So, I have now organized them into two sections. The [Ken Sugimori Trainer Images] gallery contains stand-alone images of Pokemon people, and the [Ken Sugimori TCG Trainer Images] gallery contains Sugimori artwork from Trainer cards in the TCG. Enjoy these rare images and feel free to use them for your own, personal use.

Researching Tower of Horon Half Decks
Bangiras has translated all of the Researching Tower of Horon cards from the Vaporeon, Jolteon, and Flareon ex theme decks for the set. To view the spoilers, you can [click here], or go to the left menu under "Japanese TCG Sets" and click "Horon Half Decks" for the future.

New Featured Article
Flaming_Spinach has done a Featured Article on the top 10 cards of EX Unseen Forces. The article discusses the cream of the crop cards from EX Unseen Forces, and why they deserve to be in the position they are in and why they are good cards. To read his article, you can visit our [Featured Articles] section.

New Way of Commenting
The news articles were down today as I did a painstaking re-doing of the entire news system. What did I change? Well, not much. I just made it so that when you comment on a news story now, it takes you to a topic in the forums for that specific news story. I thought it was impossible to do this, but then last night while I was watching the third Inuyasha movie, it came to me and I figured out how to make it work. A pretty simple concept, but hours of work to make it work. All old news has been archived and I will put it back up soon in the News Archive section. So, comment now and try it out! If you are not registered on the forums, you will need to in order to comment on any news stories. To do so, just click "Register to Comment" on the bar below this paragraph.

Just dropping in real quick. I have been meaning to update for like the past three days now, but I keep coming home after school, falling asleep, waking up around 12 or 1, working until 3 or 4, going back to bed, then having to go to school, and the cycle just keeps continuing. I'll try to update tomorrow if I don't fall asleep (which is really hard), but if not, then the next update will probably be Friday after Pokemon League. I'll have new Horon set translations and scans (new ones you've never seen) and that stupid Sugimori Trainer gallery I said I'd put up a few weeks ago but didn't because my old laptop broke. Yeah, so anyways, check back sooooon.

Dang, this update took me SIX HOURS to work on (I have no life anymore). There has been a ton (yes, 2000 pounds) of information between today and yesterday regarding both EX Delta Species and The Researching Tower of Horon. I have put them into sections below, and you can also find all of the information below on our [EX Delta Species] and [Researching Tower of Horon] pages, AS WELL as new scans and pictures for both pages, which are not in the below update. All exclusive information, being the first four sections below, may not be used on any other website without permission (I have to say this now, unfortunately, since several websites in the past two weeks have been stealing from here and giving credit to themselves. I know it sounds stupid to say it, but it seems that when I say for them not to steal it, they don't, or they at least take it down when I catch them).

Ditto-dit-dit-o!

Remember the other day when Vincent sent me information on there being six different Ditto, and that they would be able to transform into Charmander and Pikachu? Well, not only do we now know that there will be six different Ditto (one for every basic energy type), but I have now discovered that each Ditto will have a picture of another Pokemon! For example, lightning type Ditto will have a picture of Pikachu (but it will still be Ditto), water type Ditto will have a picture of Squirtle, fire type Ditto will have Charmander, and we can assume that grass Ditto will have a Bulbasaur picture (Psychic and Fighting Ditto are unknown at the moment). Ditto seems to be the most unique Pokemon of these sets, and when we have more information on the two other Ditto, I will post it here!

The Story of Delta Species Pokemon

Vincent has discovered some facts to the story of Delta Species Pokemon and the Researching Tower of Horon, which I have put into a story below. All of it is fact, but written by me. :p

In the center of Eidolon Forest there is a mysterious place called Holon. In Holon there is a secret researching tower, where experiments, done by Holon scientists, take place (one of their experiments was to look for Mew as well). One day, an experiment went wrong, and an energy wave escaped from the tower and surrounded the Eidolon Forest. Then they appeared, the Delta Species Pokemon, with new dual types, which they were not naturally born with. The Delta Species Pokemon are the fourth type of species of Pokemon. Delta means four, and first there were Normal Pokemon, then there were Dark Pokemon, then Ex's were created, and now, the fourth type of Pokemon, or Delta, have been created, hence their name.

I wonder, now, if Delta Pokemon will be a new mechanic to the TCG, or if they will be like Dark Pokemon and visit the TCG every once in a while. Only time will tell us...

Delta Species Pokemon in the TCG

You know how I have been calling Delta Pokemon, such as Mewtwo, Mewtwo d (with d being the delta symbol)? Well, that naming of Mewtwo and the other Delta Pokemon is wrong. All Delta Pokemon who have two weird types will only be named the name of their Pokemon, and will not have the delta symbol in their name. These Pokemon will have the text " Delta Species" centered between their name and HP, but it will not be part of their name. They also will have an evolution box on their cards, with the delta symbol under the box. Therefore, unless a new ruling is associated with the set that we do not know about, Delta Species Pokemon will be compatible with all other Pokemon.

Three New Exclusive Spoilers

All of these spoilers can be found on the Researching Tower of Horon page, along with their pictures.

Metang - 80 HP [L]
Delta Species

[CC] Claw - 20+
Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 20 damage plus 10 more.

[LCC] Magnet Blast - 50

Weakness: Fire
Resistance: Unknown
Retreat Cost: Unknown

--------------

Salamence - 110 HP [RM]
Delta Species

[??] Fire Dance - 30
Attach 1 Fire Energy card from your discard pile to one of your Pokemon.

[???] Delta Blast - 100
Discard an energy (either from Salamence, one of your Pokemon, or one of your opponent's Pokemon - we are not sure which).

Weakness: Unknown
Resistance: Unknown
Retreat Cost: Unknown

--------------

Starmie - 70 HP [WM]
Delta Species

[W] Surf - 30
[CCC] Swift - 50
This attack's damage isn't affected by Weakness, Resistance, Poke-Powers, Poke-Bodies, or any other effects on the Defending Pokemon.

Weakness: Lightning
Retreat Cost: Unknown

--------------


Now for the unexclusive, commercial news...

Three New EX Delta Species Scans

[PS-Games], the Dutch distributor site, has "secretly" had the below images on their site for some time. It was only until yesterday that they were discovered. Click the thumbnails for larger pictures.

POP Press Release on EX Delta Species

Pokemon USA, Inc., a worldwide leader in the trading card game industry, today announced the upcoming Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) EX Delta Species Prerelease tournaments. EX Delta Species Prerelease tournaments provide players the opportunity to preview and play with unreleased cards from the upcoming EX Delta Species expansion.

The Pokemon TCG Prerelease tournaments are held during the weekends of October 22nd and 23rd and October 29th and 30th. The official release date for the EX Delta Species expansion is October 31. Players are divided into three age categories: 10 and younger, 11 to 14, and 15 and older. An admission fee of $20 per player is charged for entry and includes six booster packs of the Pokemon TCG EX Delta Species, from which each player will build his or her deck. All participants will receive a Pokemon TCG EX Delta Species Prerelease Promo card and an EX Delta Species pin, while supplies last. As a participation prize for completing the tournament, players will also receive four Pokemon TCG EX Delta Species booster packs and two POP Series Two 2-card booster packs. Pokemon Organized Play (POP) provides players the opportunity to succeed at an intellectual sport and build their Pokemon TCG skills, strategy, and creativity.

Pre-Release Locator

The official Pokemon TCG Website has been updated with the pre-release locator for EX Delta Species! You definitely want to go to at least one of these tournaments, as we will be getting the set before the Japanese, as I said the other day. To access the pre-release locator, you can [click here].


Remember, all of the information above can be found on our [EX Delta Species] and [Researching Tower of Horon] pages for future reference.

Dragonite (Delta Species) and EX Delta Species Packs!
Thanks to RainbowGym who notified us, [PS-Games] has posted a Dragonite picture from EX Delta Species, as well as the four booster pack designs! You can see the images below this paragraph (click the thumbnails for a larger picture). I enlarged the Dragonite, and it looks like it is card #3/113, which means there will be a base total of 113 cards in the set (and that this Draggy will be a holo). You can also see that Dragonite is launching off of the actual researching tower (just an observation). The [EX Delta Species] page has been updated with the new information, and I have posted the text spoiler as well in case you are having trouble reading any parts of the card.

Researching Tower of Horon Release Dates
ToysRUsKid has discovered that The Researching Tower of Horon set will come out on October 28th, while the theme decks will be released October 7th (for Japan in both cases). We originally thought the set would be released October 7th in Japan, but that was for the theme decks apparently. Now what does this all mean now? It means... that America will be previewing the set in pre-releases before Japan even has the set released! For once, we get to see a whole set before Japan! [The Researching Tower of Horon] page has been updated with the new information, as well as the right menu.

More info from Vincent regarding The Researching Tower of Horon (EX Delta Species in America)!

---------------------

Confirmed Info:

 • There will be a Lightning-type Metang (which most likely means Lightning-type Beldum and Lightning, Metal-typed Metagross).

 • There will be a Fire-type Shelgon.

 • There will be a Fire, Metal-typed Salamence (unsure yet if it is a Delta Pokemon).

 • Ditto will be in the set.


Unconfirmed, weird and confusing, but possibly true info:

 • Ditto can transform into a Pikachu or Charmander? o_O (maybe meaning there could be a Charmander and Pikachu line in the set, and that Ditto can change into anything?)

 • There will be six different Ditto? o_O (one for every basic type?)

---------------------

[The Researching Tower of Horon] and [EX Delta Species] pages have been updated with the new info. If all of the above is true, then that Pikachu I took a picture of at Worlds, which is on the Horon page, could be the art for one that could be in the set.

Vincent has provided me with spoilers for some of the cards in the Researching Tower of Horon set (EX Delta Species in America), which I fixed up below. These spoilers may not be used on any other website without permission.

d = Delta Symbol

-------------------------------------

Mewtwo d - 70 HP [RM]
Delta Basic

Poke-Power: Delta Switch
Once during your turn, when you play Mewtwo d from your hand onto your bench, you may switch any number of basic energy from any of your Pokemon in play to another Pokemon (except Mewtwo d) in anyway you like.

[RM] Energy Blast - 10x
Does 10 damage for each energy attached to the Defending Pokemon and Mewtwo d.

Weakness: [P]
Retreat Cost: [C]

-------------------------------------

Rayquaza d - 90 HP [LM]
Delta Basic

Poke-Body: Delta Guard
If there are any Holon Energy attached to Rayquaza d, ignore the effect of Rayquaza d's Thunder attack.

[L] Power Blow - 10x
Does 10 damage for each energy attached to Rayquaza d.
[MCC] Thunder - 70
Put 7 damage counter on Rayquaza d.

Weakness: [C]
Resistance: [W][F]
Retreat: [CCC]

-------------------------------------

Latias d - 70 HP [LM]
Delta Basic

Poke-Body: Delta Aura
If you have any Latios or Latios ex in play, the attack cost for Latias d's Extra Killerbecomes [LMC].

[C] Spiral Drain
Remove 2 damage counters from Latias d.
[MCCC] Extra Killer - 80
If your opponent has no Pokemon-ex on his or her Bench, this attack does nothing.

Weakness: [C]
Resistance: [P][F]
Retreat Cost: [C]

-------------------------------------

Holon's Magnemite - 40 HP [M]

[M] Metal Sound: Choose one of your opponent's Pokemon. This attack does 10 damage to that Pokemon (don't apply Weakness and Resistance for your opponent's Benched Pokemon.

Special Ruling: You may treat this card as a Special Energy and attach this card from your hand to one of your Pokemon in play. If you do, this card provides [C] energy.

Weakness: ?
Resistance: ?
Retreat Cost: C

-------------------------------------

Holon Scientist (Supporter)
Discard a card from your hand in order to use this card. If you have less cards in your hand than your opponent,draw a number of cards until you have the same number of cards in your hands as your opponent.

-------------------------------------

Holon Energy SYN: [W][P]

This card provides one [C] energy.
When there are any [W] Basic energy attached to the Pokemon that Holon Energy SYN is attached to, ignore all affects of attacks done to that Pokemon.
When there are any [P] Basic energy attached to the Pokemon that HolonEnergy SYN is attached to, that Pokemon has no retreat cost.
When you attach Holon Energy SYN to Pokemon-ex, this card has no effect.

-------------------------------------

Holon Energy SYN: [G][L]

This card provides one [C] energy. When there are any [G] Basic energy attached to the Pokemon that Holon Energy SYN is attached to, ignore all affects of attacks done to that Pokemon.
When there are any [L] Basic energy attached to the Pokemon that HolonEnergy SYN is attached to, any damage done to that Pokemon by a Pokemon-ex is reduced by 10.
When you attach Holon Energy SYN to Pokemon-ex, this card has no effect.

-------------------------------------

Holon Energy SYN: [R][F]

This card provides one [C] energy. When there are any [R] Basic energy attached to the Pokemon that Holon Energy SYN is attached to, ignore the weakness on the Pokemon it is attached to.
When there are any [F] Basic energy attached to the Pokemon that HolonEnergy SYN is attached to, when it attacks, ignore the resistance of the Defending Pokemon.
When you attach Holon Energy SYN to Pokemon-ex, this card has no effect.

------------------------------------

I have updated our [Researching Tower of Horon] page and [EX Delta Species] page with the new info as well.

EX Delta Species Theme Deck Pic
[The Place For Games], an online store, has put up a picture of the EX Delta Species theme deck box! (click the one on the right for a larger picture) We have updated our [EX Delta Species] page with the new picture, and you can find more information on the theme decks on our page. [The Researching Tower of Horon] page has also been updated with new information regarding the set.

2,320 Damage Poll
Boy have I been getting a lot of feedback and some interesting comments on this poll. Do you guys like polls that are that hard? Anyways, the answer was Omastar from Neo Discovery, not Magneton from EX Dragon (#35). I like to trick you guys, and since I know that some of you would be too lazy to look up the scan and would just assume that it was the other Magneton, that is what you would answer. So how can it do 2,320 damage, theoretically? Say you have a Mysterious Fossil, Omanyte, and an Omastar in your deck. The rest of the cards are Water energy, which would mean 57 of them. Thus, if you flipped heads 57 times, with the added 20 damage from Omastar's attack, it would come out to 1,160 damage. Then, in the case that the Attacking Pokemon is weak to Fighting type Omastar, you would do x2 damage, coming out to 2,320. Yeah, not really possible, but it's fun to think about what Pokemon can do the most damage.

EX Delta Species Booster Box and New Info!
Quick and big update tonight! Thanks to one of our sources, who emailed us the following info, we now have the EX Delta Species booster box image! You can see the image to the right, obviously, which you can click for a larger image.

Also, our source has informed us that the Horon's Pokemon in this set, which have the owner in their names, can be used as both a regular Pokemon card AND as an energy card! Isn't this an interesting twist to the Pokemon TCG? Imagine the possibilities! The set will also have around 110 cards, which is pretty average for a Nintendo set (excluding EX UFO).

To see our pages on EX Delta Species and The Researching Tower of Horon, which have been updated with more new miscellaneous info, you can check under "TCG Sets" and "Japanese TCG Sets" in the left menu for all the info we know on both of the sets. We will continue to bring you the latest news on this set as it comes, so be sure to keep checking back here!

New Header!
I went to the beach today and had some fun with my camera in the late afternoon, as you can tell by the shiny ocean background. Blastoise and Squirtle were getting kind of old, so Swampert took their place. Hope you enjoy! The next new header will be put up around Halloween time.