Pokémon TCG Live beta filled with meme-y catchphrases

Pokémon TCG Live, the new digital trading card app, has custom catchphrases that let you choose between sage sayings or memes from Pokémon history

Pokemon TCG Live beta catchphrase memes - avatar from PTCGL

The Pokémon TCG Live (PTCGL) beta lets you choose custom catchphrases to share in-game, and some of them are much meme-ier than expected. Fans of the trading card game can introduce themselves by wishing their opponent luck, but we’d wager many more players will opt for a quip like “do you even splash, bro?”.

PTCGL is the latest way to play Pokémon digitally, with the desktop and mobile app planned to replace Pokémon TCG Online. The beta has been available in limited countries for some time, but it saw a global release on November 15.

Many of the more humorous catchphrases come from in-jokes in Pokémon history. The catchphrase “I just ate a whole bottle of ketchup” pays homage to Pikachu’s favourite condiment. Meanwhile, the youngster from Pokémon Red & Blue that exclaims “I like shorts! They’re easy and comfy to wear!” even has two dedicated catchphrases.

Other catchphrases seem more random. “Don’t you just love Mudkip?”, one player might exclaim, while the other replies, “What do you think of my dress? It has pockets”.

For those who like to take their trading card games more seriously, there are significantly less silly catchphrase options. Some offer profound sayings like “Strength is no match for wisdom”. Others seem designed to be changed regularly, letting your opponent know whether you’re on a winning or losing streak right now.

Keep an eye out for PTCGL’s full launch – once we have the details, we’ll share them in our Pokémon TCG Live release date guide. Or, if you prefer to play with paper, check out our guide to the most powerful Pokémon.