The next Pokémon Pocket set comes out in just under a week, and this time, the Kanto starters are getting some time in the sun, with a Mega Evolution Pokémon ex card for Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard. Crimson Blaze launches on December 17, 2025 and you can catch its trailer below.
Of the three, Mega Charizard Y ex is the card I'm immediately drawn to as with a 250 damage attack, this beast has the best damage output of any card in the game. True, it requires four energy so you'll need to deploy ramp cards like Magby to make it work, but it's still double what Mega Venusaur dishes out - and for the same cost!
The newest Pokémon set in the physical TCG just gave Mega Charizard X one of the best Charizard cards ever printed, so it feels good to see its less popular counterpart getting some love, but did it have to be so far above the grass and water types?
Mega Venusaur looks interesting at least. With an attack that applies both poisoned and asleep statuses, it seems very annoying to deal with. Meanwhile, Blastoise suffers from what I call the 'Misty effect'. You need six energy to get the full impact of its attack, which in the current meta is a recipe for getting stomped by Indeedee.
The Kanto trio aren't the only interesting cards shown in the trailer, though. The trainer cards deserve some love too, as they can all help make your deck more consistent. Quick Grow Extract, for instance, guarantees you an evolution Pokémon for a grass type - more useful for Stage 1s than 2s, but great in the right deck.
The new supporters include Serena, who can fetch Mega Evolution Pokémon ex; and Clemon, who grabs two random cards from Magneton, Heliosk, and Clemont's Backpack. I'm not sure about the other two options on Clemont's card, but I definitely don't mind a Magneton tutor. That electric type has somehow managed to hang on and stay meta relevant, despite large amounts of power creep.
Are you still playing Pokémon Pocket? My friends have started dropping off recently. If you're still loving this app, let me know on the Wargamer Discord.