Summary
Numerous releases have been made for thePokémon TCGsince the franchise was conceived, but a new set is raising eyebrows for multiple reasons. Key among them is the art on thesePokémon GO-themed cards and where they will be released, which will make them hard to obtain for some.
As revealed byPokébeach, a new set of 14 cardswill be adapted from the 2022 set modeled afterPokémon GO. The set will be calledBrave Stars, and will be released solely in China on June 18.Each card will have brand-new, exclusive art, some with major differences to their counterparts in English and Japanese. That puts this card set in a rare group of cards that aren’t releasing in Japan yet have exclusive art.
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Chinese Adaptation Of The Pokémon GO TCG Set Has All New Artwork
The Shift In Art Might Be A Legal Issue
A comparison of thePokémon TCGartshows thatthe style and theme of the cards vary dramatically at times. For example, in the original Bibarel art, the Pokémon is featured alongside another Pocket Monster in Smeargle. However, in the Chinese art, Bibarel is on its own and is seen lying on a blanket. On another card, the original version of Snorlax had 3D styling to it as the Pokémon slept in front of the house, but in the Chinese version, a variation of the scene is drawn in 2D. These small changes do help the cards stand out.
It’s unclear why exactly the Chinese art for theBrave Starsset is so different, but a simple answer may have to do with copyrights. Specifically, the ones surroundingPokémon GO.The popular mobile title is banned within the country, and if one looks at the original cards, they have a copyright that ties them to Niantic, as well as aPokémon GOlogo stamped in the bottom right corner of the artwork. In order to adapt the set for a region in whichPokémon GOisn’t supported, Creatures Inc. likely opted for all new illustrations, in part to replace the artwork which adoptedGO’s 3D models.
ThisnewPokémon TCGsetusing all new art will likely increase the cards' desirability among collectors. Releasing exclusively in China could make them highly sought after, and difficult to obtain in the West. Only time will tell, but the restrictions on their distribution could inflate their prices on secondary markets, especially if there is difficulty in purchasing them from other regions.
