New Game Changes in Next Japanese Set

This news comes from one of our most reliable Japanese sources who has never provided us with incorrect information, but the news itself sounds too good to be true, so we are classifying it as unconfirmed for now. If it turns out to be true, it will be very exciting.

Intense Fight in the Destroyed Sky is the beginning of a new set block in Japan, and with this new block comes new changes to the Trading Card Game.

In the main set, Giratina will have an attack called “Strike of the Destroyed Sky,” which completely removes cards from the game. The opponent’s Pokemon is put outside the playmat, with the effect of being banished to the “Lost Zone.” The opponent’s Pokemon can’t return to the game for the duration of the match. This will probably be a new game concept / mechanic, though for now we are not sure if it is just limited to Giratina and to this set.

Shiny Pokemon, which have been in Pokemon games since Gold and Silver, will appear in the card game in some capacity (they will be different from Shining cards and Pokemon-star cards).

Three popular POKEMON cards (yes, Pokemon) from Base Set will be reprinted in the set, with their old card layout, with their original illustrations, and with their yellow card borders (since current Japanese cards have silver borders). Old cards have been reprinted in the past, so the only difference with this change is that the cards will look exactly the same.

If this news turns out to be true, it will just go to show that Pokemon Card Laboratory is trying to bring new life to the card game. After over 40 sets, new and radical changes are necessary to prevent the game from becoming stale. These changes will certainly be interesting, and are probably the first completely radical changes to the game since it was created.

Since this new set’s information is now split across three news stories, I will make a page of all the information we know so far and have it posted by tonight.