More spoilers for Japan's upcoming MEGA Dream ex set for the Pokémon TCG have been spoiled, and we're ecstatic to see that there are some more Team Rocket's Pokémon among them, including a Diglett that's turned to the dark side.
Team Rocket's Diglett and Team Rocket's Dugtrio both have super interesting effects, which might actually allow them to see some play (translation credit: PokeJakeTCG). First of all, Diglett has a one fighting energy attack which pops cards from the top of your opponent's deck into their discard. You just start flipping coins and discarding until you hit a tails.
While it's probably more of a gimmick than something that'll see serious play, this can be super disruptive if you can mill evolutions or important trainer cards, and you just know there'll be that one game where you get eight heads in a row and absolutely ruin your opponent's deck.
For Team Rocket's Dugtrio, it's the ability that matters rather than the attack. Dugtrio has an ability called Pothole, which deals 20 HP to an enemy Pokémon that switches to the bench during the opponent's turn. That's not too effective on its own, but if you can get a couple of Dugtrio (a Dugsextuple) onto the field at once and start stacking the power, it adds up fast.
This is the first evil Diglett in the TCG, but its evolution Dugtrio has walked this path before. Dark Dugtrio was released in the fifth Pokémon TCG set, Team Rocket.
The reveal that there are more Team Rocket's Pokémon in the upcoming set is exciting, as it means we might actually be getting a competitive Rocket deck in the not-too-distant future. Destined Rivals brought a fantastic collection of Team Rocket trainer cards, from Giovanni to Team Rocket's Factory, but the Pokémon themselves were woefully weak.
With rotation coming up and the promise of some new Team Rocket's Pokémon in the newest Pokémon set, things could be turning around for the evil team.
Pokémon MEGA Dream ex is the next 'high-class' set coming out in Japan. It mainly contains important reprints, but also packs some new cards, including the brand new Mega Dragonite. The English equivalent has not yet been officially revealed, but it's expected to appear in late January.
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