Overlooked Pokemon is finally getting its first TCG card in over 15 years

A baby Pokémon is getting its first Pokémon Trading Card Game card in more than 15 years. The Pokémon Company revealed over the weekend than the next Terastal Festival set would feature a Budew Pokémon card. This is the first time Budew has received a Pokémon card since the 2008 set Diamond and Pearl: Stormfront. Before this card was announced, Budew had the longest drought of any Pokémon since it last appeared in a Pokémon card. Interestingly, Budew can appear in competitive decks, thanks to his zero energy attack that prevents players from using item cards the next turn.

Budew will be featured in Terastal Festival set, which will be released internationally as Prismatic Evolutions. The new “special set” will focus on the former Pokémon Stellar Tera versions of Eevee and its various evolutions, but obviously, the set will also feature some other special surprises. As a special set, Prismatic Evolutions there will be no individual boosters for sale but will be sold in packaged products. Prismatic Evolutions will be the first set released for Pokémon TCG in 2025.

Baby Pokémon are back in the Pokémon TCG

Several “Missing” Pokémon Babies Got Their First Pokémon Cards in Decades

As part of the current Scarlet and Violet cycle, The PokémonTCG brought back several baby Pokémon that haven’t received a new card in a decade or more. Baby Pokémon exist in a strange situation for the trading card game, as they all evolve into Pokémon, defined as “Basic Pokémon.” All Baby Pokémon had abilities that allowed them to evolve into their next forms during previous sets, but newer generations of cards have simply ignored them as unnecessary. Some baby Pokémon appeared in the Sun and Moon cycle of card sets, but others haven’t appeared since the Diamond and Pearl cycle or so.

The latest Scarlet and Violet sets provided baby Pokémon with unique mechanics. Each baby Pokémon has some type of zero-energy move, which typically helps the Pokémon early in the match. Cleffa, for example, allows players to draw cards until they have seven cards in hand, while Mime Jr. copies an opposing Pokémon’s attacks. Although Baby Pokémon still have low HP, they have no withdrawal cost, so a player can quickly swap them out when a stronger Pokémon is ready to come into play.

Screen Rant’s Take: Baby Pokémon Could Fill a Niche in the Pokémon TCG

Baby Pokémon have unique mechanics in the Pokémon TCG

One of the strong points THE Pokémon TCG is its ability to highlight overlooked Pokémon. That’s why it’s a little strange that the game avoided Baby Pokémon for so long. However, cards like Budew and Cleffa seem to have a niche The Pokémon TCG, with intriguing “free” moves that make them viable in several different deck types.

Although Budew is a Grass-type Pokémon, its move has no energy cost, so it can be played in any deck to help harass opponents who rely on item cards to prepare. We look forward to Budew’s return to Pokémon Trading Card Gameespecially if it is present on a Rare Illustration card.

Source: Poké Beach