The Pokemon Trading Card Game will be introducing a new card mechanic concept with a special kind of Charizard. PokeBeach reports that an upcoming Pokemon TCG set will feature a Dark-type Charizard-ex card, the first card that utilizes an alternate Tera type than its usual typing. The card will be part of the appropriately named “Ruler of the Black Flame” set that will be released in Japan in July. That likely means it will be part of the late fall set released for non-Japanese audiences. The card has not been announced by The Pokemon Company, but was confirmed by PokeBeach via a retailer sell sheet.
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The Terastallization gimmick in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (the video games) allows players to temporarily boost a Pokemon’s attack power with one type of attack, which is determined by a Pokemon’s “Tera Type”. While most Pokemon have a “Tera Type” that matches one of their normal Pokemon types (i.e., most Charizard have a Fire Tera Type), some Charizard have a Tera Type that deviates from the norm, such as the Dragon-type featured in a Black Crystal Tera Raid last year.ย
Terastalized Pokemon are represented in the upcoming Scarlet and Violet series of Pokemon cards by special -ex cards that feature a unique holofoil and artwork showcasing the Pokemon in their Terastallized form. These Pokemon are mechanically similar to other -ex cards in the game, but don’t take damage when on the bench.ย Arcanine and Gyarados will both be Tera-ex cards in the first Scarlet and Violet set coming out later this month.ย
Of course, the Dark-type Charizard-ex card won’t be the first time that Pokemon in the Pokemon TCG have had types that deviate from the games. Most notably, the Pokemon TCG had a series of “Delta Species” cards that featured Pokemon with different card types than usual, although they retained their weaknesses from their original type.ย
The first Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG cards come out this month.ย
