I love a Pokemon TCG set with a strong theme. January’s Paldean Fates expansion is one of my all-time favorite sets to open, and not just because I pulled the Shiny Ch꧂arizard in my first pack. The increased pull rates and changes made to rarity types made hunting Shiny Pokemon just as fun as it was back in the Hidden Fates days, if not more so.
So I wasn’t expecting much from this month’s Temporal Forces, considering shiny set follow-ups (Battle Styles, Cosmic Eclipse, Crimson Invasion) are historically a bit mundane, but I’m pleasantly surprised by how much character and id൩entity this new expansion has. Not only does it lean into the Ancient and Future mechanics introduced in Paradox Rift, but it reintroduces ACE SPEC cards to the game for the fir𒐪st time in more than ten years. Temporal Forces refuses to sit in Paldean Fates’ shadow, and I can’t help but be impressed.
ACE SPEC cards were first introduced in the tail end of the Black & White era as souped-up item cards that were so powerful you were only allowed to have a single ACE SPEC card in your entire deck. Temporal Forces maintains that rule - which is great news for everyone’s wallets - but with a ne🌼w twist: there’s also ACE SPEC Pokemon Tools and Special Energy.
Pokemon TCG Pocket Has Finally Fixed A 25 Year Old Ca🎃rd Er♓ror
Over 25 years ๊after release, the Poke Ball has finally been fiꦍxed.
I’m not tuned into the competitive scene enough to speculate on which ones will have the highest impact - though the Master Ball’s ability to search your deck for any Pokemon you want sure seems like a good one - but I’m certainly taken by the design. These all-neon pink car💝ds have a prismatic foil pattern from top to bottom, overlapping with the even more foiled art box. Then there’s a sharp blue accent down the left and right side that identifies each one - as if it wasn’t already clear - as an ACE SPEC. I’m always impressed by the art on Pokemon cards, especially the Special Illustration Rares, but this is the first time I’ve ever been wowed by an Item. I’d like to collect the whole set of seven just to (mostly) fill a binder page. Nine would have been even better.
Speaking of Special Illustration Rares, this is the set that features the Chatot all arranged on the power lines to read the tune of the Pokemon Center jingle. That’s gotta be one of the most creative Pokemon cards of all time, but there’s some other stunners in this set, as well. The six Paradox Pokemon SIRs - variants of the three Legendary Beasts and three Swords of Justice - are perfect collector fodder, but I’m even more partial to Deerling and Sawsbuck, which are featured in technicolor landscapes to represent the changing seasons. They remind me of the Elsewhere🐬 Forest route in New 💜Pokemon Snap, and anything that reminds me of New Pokemon Snap is a winner.
As for my pull rate, I have no complaints. In one Elite Trainer Box and prerelease kit (12 packs), I had eight hits: Torterra ex, Wugtrio ex, Full Art Incineroar ex, Full Art Iron Leaves ex, Full Art Bianca’s Devotion, Illustration Rare Metagross, Illustration Rare Meltan, and one ACE SPEC, Maximum Belt. No special illustration rares, Shiny, or gold cards yet, but it’s hard to complain about a two-out-of-three hit rate. I know some have been frustrated by the way the increased pull rates have affected the secondary market, but it's only reinvigorated my love for opening packs, so I couldn’t be happier.
It never ceases to amaze me all the ways The Pokemon Company continues to keep the TCG fresh after all these years, and this is a testament to the fact that even a rank-and-file expansion like Temporal Forces can feel like a moment for the 25-year-old gam🅘e. Even as someone who isn’t the biggest fan of Paradox Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet, the TCG has taken the themes of the video games and found a way to make new mechanics and designs that fit beautifully. Temporal Forces is a reminder that the trading card game really is the best way to enjoy Pokemon.
