The official Norwegian Pokemon site has again posted an early Majestic Dawn image, this time being Phione! Click the thumbnail below for a larger image. Since this is a computer card image and not an actual card scan, it is not depicted as holo, even though it will be upon release.

All of those kids who say "Pokemon is dead" are absolutely right; the card game is utterly pathetic right now. It was extremely active toward the end of Wizards of the Coast's run, but indolent Pokemon USA decided to take over and gear it toward children, leading to dwindling attendance at events. Overall, tournaments have become extremely boring and unrewarding, dissuading people from even going to them in the first place. It's also not just myself expressing this opinion; almost everyone I talked to this past Saturday completely agreed with Pokemon USA's complete lack of support for this game.

Check out these photos I took at Southern California's Regional event this past Saturday. Out of three huge rooms booked for the event, almost ALL tables were COMPLETELY empty. Between one of the rounds, I snapped a few photos of the general activity occurring at the tables. Click the thumbnails below for larger images.

And these are photos of ONE of the THREE empty rooms! Imagine how empty the other two rooms are. Whoever booked this event obviously did not take into consideration that the card game's attendance is sharply dropping because of PUSA's recent poor decisions. Players simply do not want to participate anymore, and the lack of attendance is sheer proof of this.

That's not it! Pokemon USA itself is run by such corrupt and meanspirited people that their guidelines are geared toward hiring the same type of adults for events. Don't try to approach these people in real life, especially when they are running a Pokemon event, and ESPECIALLY if you are a child. You will be met by lifeless individuals with cold faces who only seem to be running these events for the mere joy and pleasure of saddening and frightening your day. These are not family-friendly events; the judges and organizers are pure evil. None of them EVER crack a smile.

Whatever money Pokemon USA decides to "tip" to their tournaments is not only misused to pay the exuberant salaries of the aforementioned individuals, but to pay for cheap prizes that seem to come from junkyards. If you spent all day fighting for a spot in the top sixteen, won one, and then battled your way to the top four, would you want to go home with the pieces of garbage in the photo below? I think NOT.

Moreover, these tournaments are predominantly dominated by children with no manners, poor sportsmanship, and wild natures. Pokemon obviously only attracts children (especially WILD ones), and is clearly not meant for teenagers or adults. Don't be caught with a Pokemon card, let alone at one of these events; you will be laughed at for the rest of your life (that may be why only children are in these photos). Even if you come just to support your child or baby brother or sister, you will discover a new definition of "boredom" as you sit around and do nothing, like the last two photos show. You may want to get out of the hotel so fast that you pray for your child to lose as soon as possible (perhaps by making them forget to put our their prizes, which is definitely the quickest way to get them to lose AND kill their spirits at the same time).

Little brats, and stupid, childish Pokemon... You wish you could just threaten the existence of these events with a threating letter or something so you and your fellow friends and family don't have to go through such torture in attending. Do what most adults do... avoid the immaturity and childishness of Pokemon.

(I had to add in this note since some people who read this story within the first hour of it being posted weren't "getting it." This news story is pure sarcasm; the photos contradict everything I say.)

Where are the scans?! Where are the SCANS?!?! WHERE ARE THE SCANS?!?!?!

They're GONE, okay???!!!

No, just kidding. Shakespeare has all of the scans saved on his computer, and over the past week I have been reprocessing them. Unfortunately, the system that will display both the set lists and the new Card-Dex is not ready yet, so it'll be just a little while more. At the very least, the set scans and lists (and possibly most of the promo sets) should be up by the end of the week. This also goes for the "Card Search" at the top of the right menu.

The first episode of the eleventh season aired today, and below you can watch the new intro. The music actually sounds decent, especially in comparison to the terrible Diamond and Pearl "rap" of the 10th season.

There is now strong evidence to suggest that at least one fifth generation Pokemon will debut in Giratina and the Bouquet from the Icy Sky, Shaymin, potentially even two.

At the recent 2008 Takara-Tomy (TakAra) Group Summer Dealer's Conference in Japan, new figurines and dolls were on display as promotional products for the 11th movie, including Regigigas, Dialga, Shaymin, and both of Giratina's forms. As you can see in the photo to the right (from Game Watch, a Japanese website; click the thumbnail for a larger photo), there are several question marks scattered around the product display, as well as some "blurbs."

Behind the Regigigas doll is a poster with each of the key players in the movie, along with a green oval in the center. The white text on that oval says "New Pokemon B," while the yellow text displays "First appears in the movie." Since they call it "New Pokemon B," there is possibly a "New Pokemon A" as well. The top of the poster appears to contain more information, but it is unfortunately cut off by the photographer. Since this poster shows all of the main Pokemon in the movie, the "New Pokemon" cannot possibly refer to any of them.

Below the Regigigas doll and next to the Giratina figurine is a giant question mark. The label below that question mark blatantly states "New Pokemon." Far to the right in the photo is yet another question mark as well. Could these two question marks be placeholders for figurines of the two new Pokemon? All of these products are set for release in July when the movie comes out, so it is likely that these new Pokemon are being kept secret for now until they are officially revealed.

Ruby and Sapphire came out in Japan on November 21st, 2002. Munchlax, the first fourth generation Pokemon, was revealed on May 15th, 2004 (its silhouette, that is). So, Munchlax was revealed about eighteen months after the previous generation was released, and was featured in the second movie of that generation (Destiny Deoxys). Diamond and Pearl was released on September 28th, 2006, and it is now April 2008. Nineteen months have passed since the previous generation, and we are now on the second movie of the current generation. If the pattern continues as with Ruby and Sapphire, it is time for a new Pokemon to be revealed.

Since this movie is packed with Pokemon enough as it is, any 5th generation Pokemon present will probably have the same type of role as Munchlax (as minor, cutesy characters). If anything, they will probably be Baby Pokemon or pre-evolutions of Pokemon already known.

If this evidence becomes reality, information on the new Pokemon will most likely come in through the Japanese magazine CoroCoro by next month's issue or the one after. When and if it does, we will have the information posted and translated here!

On April 19th, Once There Were Greenfields, the second episode of Pokemon Battle Dimension, will air on Cartoon Network. The Japanese name of the episode was originally Gardenia and Cacnea! Farewell is for Whom?! The episode will feature a change in a character's team.

This Saturday, Tears for Fears! (Japanese: Chimchar's Tears) will air as the first episode of the season. The episode will debut a new American intro song.

Five Battle Road tournaments were planned this year to determine who would go to Worlds from Japan (not to be confused with America's Battle Road tournaments, which are completely different), but the remaining three have been canceled as the result of a threatening letter sent to Pokemon Card Laboratory (PCL), the makers of the Pokemon TCG. Bangiras has translated PCL's statement on the issue below:

We received a letter from an unknown sender stating an intent to disturb the Kanto Convention (scheduled April 12 and April 13), one of the Pokemon Card Game Battle Road Spring 2008 events which was originally scheduled to occur on 7 days, in 5 locations throughout the country, starting on March 23rd.

Since becoming aware of the situation, we have discussed it thoroughly, and feel the safety of our customers is the top priority. With great regret, we are suspending the aforementioned Kanto Convention, as well as the scheduled Chuubu Convention and Kyushu Convention. So as not to disrupt criminal investigations, we can not release any further details.

This was an extremely painful decision, and we ask that you please forgive us. We offer our deepest condolences to our customers who planned to participate in these events.

This event is unprecedented in Pokemon's history, so the situation is quite shocking. Because the remaining Battle Roads are canceled, it is unknown how the Japanese will determine who goes to the World Championship this year, as only two of the five qualifying tournaments were completed.

The card image for Glaceon from Majestic Dawn has been revealed! Click the thumbnail to the right for a larger picture. When the card is released, it will actually be holo, not non-holo like the image is.

I have created a page containing all cards from Japan's DP4 that did not make it to America (since they were being saved for Majestic Dawn). The link is in this news story below.

DP4: Moon Hunting / Night Dashing originally had 135 cards (excluding Basic Energy), yet only 97 made it to America. What happened to the other 38 cards? Pokemon USA was saving them for Majestic Dawn, America's "filler" set, which we know consists of cards from:

• Entry Pack 2008 DX (42 cards)
• DP4: Moon Hunting / Night Dashing (38 cards)
• At least 2 random promos (Mothim and Bronzong from yesterday) (2 cards)

That equals 82 cards. Majestic Dawn has 100 cards according to a press release from a month or so ago, so we know we are missing 18 cards. Where are these going to come from? Possible options include:

• Other random promos we are missing (there are a lot)
• Basic Energy
• Early DP5: Cry from the Mysterious / Temple of Anger cards
• Reprinted trainers

Japan's DP5 (our DP6) has 130 cards (excluding Basic Energy), so removing around 10-20 cards from it when it becomes our DP6 would make America's DP5 and DP6 around the same size. However, the amount of promos we are missing, in addition to Basic Energy that could be added to the set, does come close to the amount of cards missing from Majestic Dawn. Therefore, there is the possibility we will be getting those instead of early Japanese DP5 cards. Evidence to support this could be indicative of how sucky POP 6 and POP 7 were, since they only contained alternate artwork reprint cards and nothing new. Why didn't they just include some of the random promos we are missing? Were they saving them for something?

For now, we'll just have to wait and see what Majestic Dawn will be comprised of. In the meantime, all translation pages are now included under "Japanese Spoiler Translations" in the "T.C.G." section of the left menu for easy access.

The promo for Majestic Dawn prereleases is Mothim. It originates from the Japanese 2008 New Years blister packs, which were two sets of packages that came with three Diamond and Pearl series booster packs and either a promo Mothim and Empoleon LV.X or a promo Torterra LV.X and Bronzong. Since Mothim will be in this set, it is reasonable to assume that Bronzong will be too (perhaps other promos as well, since there are 20 cards unaccounted for).

Mothim Lv.41 - Grass - HP80
Stage 1 - Evolves from Burmy

Poke-Body: Disturbance Scales
Ignore Resistance on your opponent's Active Pokemon whenever any of your Pokemon attack.

[G] Get Help: Does 30 damage times the number of different types of Wormadam on your Bench.
[G][C] Quick Touch: 40 damage. You may switch Mothim with one of your Benched Pokemon. If you do, choose any number of Energy attached to Mothim and attach it to the new Active Pokemon.

Weakness: Fire (+20)
Resistance: Fighting (-20)
Retreat: 0

Bronzong LV. 44 - Psychic - HP90
Stage 1 - Evolves from Bronzor

Poke-Body: Cursed Alloy
As long as this Pokemon is your Active Pokemon, in between turns, place 1 damage counter on each of your opponent's Pokemon that has any Poke-Powers.

[.] Damage Amplifier: Place 1 damage counter on each of your opponent's Pokemon that already has damage counters on it.
[P][C][C] Coating: 60 damage. During your opponent's next turn, any damage done to Bronzong by attacks is reduced by 20.

Weakness: Psychic (+20)
Resistance: Fire (-20)
Retreat: 3