Kadabra will officially return to the Pokémon TCG after a 21-year disappearance

Big news, and bigger spoons.

Screengrab via The Pokemon Company

Nearly 21 years after the Pokémon disappeared from the franchise’s card game, Kadabra is finally going to be featured in a new Pokémon TCG set this year. 

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A special set called Pokémon Card 151 is going to release in Japan this June, and with it comes new cards of the original 151 Pokémon in some shape or form. Alakazam ex is listed among those cards and PokéBeach has now confirmed that Kadabra will be included in this release—making it the Psychic-type’s first appearance since 2002.

Kadabra has not been featured in the Pokémon TCG in 21 years because of legal action between illusionist Uri Geller and The Pokémon Company over the Pokémon’s appearance, name, and spoon-bending abilities. But all these years later, Geller openly talked about how he regrets his actions and wrote a letter to The Pokémon Company and Nintendo in November 2020 that allowed them to bring Kadabra back. 

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“I am pleased Pokémon fans are excited to see Kadabra return to the card game. Look, I want to thank the Pokémon fans who reached out to me over the last [few] years. Including the ones from PokéBeach, who kept contacting me nonstop,” Geller said to PokéBeach

“So basically, it was you and my granddaughters that got me to change my mind. Now we can all see Kadabra reunited with the original Pokémon in the card game this summer. I love you all. And I admit, totally open and honest. I was a fool. It was a devastating mistake for me to sue Pokémon. [Kadabra] was basically a tribute to Uri Geller. But it’s back now. Forgive me. I love you all. Much love and energy.”

This will be the first time we will get a full Alakazam evolution line in a set since 2002’s Skyridge set and the first time we will see Abra and an evolving Alakzam at all since 2007’s Mysterious Treasures. Since then, we have only seen Basic or special Alakazam cards.

Author
Image of Cale Michael
Cale Michael
Lead Staff Writer for Dota 2, the FGC, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and more who has been writing for Dot Esports since 2018. Graduated with a degree in Journalism from Oklahoma Christian University and also previously covered the NBA. You can usually find him writing, reading, or watching an FGC tournament.