Pokémon Go trainers will be thrilled to know Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, who were first teased in a trailer in Nov. 2022, have now been confirmed, and will make their highly-anticipated appearance at the Pokémon Go Tour: Hoenn event in Las Vegas next month.
Speaking of anticipation, the long-awaited Scarlet ex and Violet ex Pokémon OCG card sets have surfaced online, and the cards in them look as magnificent as players hoped.
And back on topic for Pokémon Go, trainers are butting heads over whether the new size variant feature, which was recently expanded to include XXS and XXL sizes for all Pokémon, is a good thing, or whether it’s a pointless distraction.
Primal Groudon and Kyogre are coming soon
Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre were first teased when the Pokémon Go Tour: Hoenn in-person event in Las Vegas was announced. At the time, trainers lost their minds. Now, the pair of legendary Pokémon from Gen. III have been confirmed. They’ll make their first appearance in raids at the event on Feb. 18 and Feb. 19.
This also means the Primal Reversion mechanic, which allows certain Pokémon like Groudon and Kyogre to undergo an epic transformation similar to Mega Evolution, making them look different, gain new abilities, and become stronger, will be added at the same time.
Scarlet ex and Violet ex Secret Rare OCG cards leak online
Leakers struck gold after discovering all the Secret Rare Pokémon OCG cards coming in the Scarlet ex and Violet ex sets, which are launching in Japan on Jan. 20 and elsewhere on Mar. 31.
Based on what we’ve seen, the sets contain some of the most vibrant and spectacular cards to date. It contains Illustration Rare, Full Art, Special Illustration Rars, and Gold cards for Pokémon like Koraidon ex, Miraidon ex, Gardevoir, Gyrados, Mabosstiff, Magnezone, and more.
The leaks also confirmed what Full Art Terastallized Pokemon cards will look like. They have silver backgrounds with colored sparkles that match the Tera type of the Pokémon on the card.
Pokémon Go trainers have mixed feelings about the new size variant feature
Nobody debated the XXS and XXL size variant feature in Pokémon Go when it was first added to a limited range of Pokémon in Dec. 2022. But now that it’s been expanded to include all Pokémon, trainers have come out of the woodwork to discuss whether or not it’s a good thing.
The people for it are excited that every single Pokémon in the game can be found in XXS or XXL sizes, and they’ll be notified when they encounter one of either size in the wild. They’re also impressed with the visual differences between sizes, and the fact it’s now possible to have Mega Pokémon that can be tiny or massive, adding a bit more flair.
Those who are against it, however, believe the feature is nothing more than a pointless gimmick that doesn’t really enhance the Pokémon Go experience in any way, and that Niantic should invest their time and effort into other aspects instead, like making events last longer.
Scarlet and Violet’s VCG meta is taking shape ahead of Series Two
Scarlet and Violet’s Ranked Battle Series One Season Two is still underway. Series Two, which adds Paradox Pokémon into the mix, isn’t kicking off until Feb. 1, but that hasn’t stopped organizers from hosting grassroots tournaments online like the NinoPokeBros Tour, the Beanie Brawl tour, and the Duranz Tour to prepare for it. The meta is starting to take shape, and the number one Paradox Pokémon at the moment looks to be Iron Hands.
Based on what we’ve seen so far, Iron Hands looks like an absolute powerhouse. Iron Valiant isn’t too far behind, while Arcanine is still as good as ever, suggesting that while Paradox Pokémon look good, they’re not essential.
We’ll know more as the Poké-meta continues to develop.
