The Pokemon Trading Card Game is getting ready to roll out its new expansion over in Japan, with cards based on the new Pokemon movie. Yesterday, a new card was revealed, with artwork and moves based on one of the Pokemon anime’s saddest scenes.
The new Butterfree card shows a Butterfree looking towards the player as a flock of Butterfree fly away into the sunset. This is a pretty clear reference to the first season episode “Bye, Bye Butterfree,” in which Ash releases his Butterfree so it can mate with a pink Butterfree and have children.
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If that’s not enough, the card also has a move called “Bye, Bye Healing” that can heal all of your Pokemon at once, but at the cost of Butterfree and all cards attached to it getting shuffled back into your deck.
Butterfree has appeared in several promo stills and trailers for the new movie, which has caused fans to wonder if Ash’s long-missing Pokemon would finally make a return after nearly 20 years. Butterfree was the first Pokemon Ash caught (as Pikachu was given to Ash as a starter Pokemon) but left Ash’s side relatively early into his journey.
The upcoming expansion also has a Charizard-GX card, likely in reference to Ash’s Charizard. Like Butterfree, Charizard is also slated to appear in the movie after a lengthy absence.
You can check out the full card art to both Butterfree and Charizard in the photo gallery.
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