I spent about thirty minutes this week performing a soliloquy on the market conditions governing the Pokémon Trading Card Game. I remember this conversation feeling long at the time, but I was earnestly distressed listening to it. I kept saying to myself “Shut up, man! Let someone else talk or change the subject!”
I would hear the past me attempt to get someone to jump in, fail, and resume speaking.
We occasionally run into emails in which I have a lot of ideas that I want to get out into the world. In the case of Pokémon TCG, most of the ideas are the various threads that lead to the chaotic marketplace we currently occupy. This is fine when my co-hosts likewise have things to say, but when they’re blanked – either due to lack of opinions or by the unrelenting machine that is my mouth – we get a segment like this.
And here’s the silliest part: I have no idea how to play Pokémon TCG. None.
So to write this article I went and read the 2026 rulebook. I expected this to be a short exercise; I could read the rules and digest them at a high level.
I was not prepared for a 44 page document with 28 distinct appendices.
As an example, there are multiple paragraphs covering how to enforce the rules around having multiples of a card in your deck. By rule, you can only have four cards of a Pokémon in your deck – but this is based on the name of the card, not the species. “Trainer” Pokémon, such as Rocket’s Meowth, do not count the same as a regular Meowth. Likewise, some Pokémon have their level in the name, these all count the same as the base with no level. Even more, some symbols follow the Pokémon’s name and make them “distinct” while the delta symbol does not.
I hope you have a lot of time.
My favorite rule deals with mulligans. At the start of the game, each player draws their opening hand and puts down a base Pokémon. If one of the players does not have one, they reshuffle and draw again. The penalty: their opponent gets to draw one more card into their hand. This goes on until the offending player manages to get a hand with a base Pokémon. If you don’t care about winning, you could be a real jackass.
It is possible to simultaneously win the game – requiring a tie-breaker game, unless one player won under more rules than the other.
Did you know the Mega Evolutions set does not have Fairy Type energy? Previous generations did, but not this one. Weird.
Anyway, I now know more than anyone selling booster packs online about Pokémon TCG.
This week we kick the show off with Lister Mail. I mentioned the first email above, but we also get an email from a genie! They offer to change the past so that a cancelled game actually comes out. They also ask us to rub their “magical dev kit” so I have my concerns.
You might find this bewildering, but that segment took over an hour – so a break was in order. After the break we talk about more Pokémon, breaking down the news from the Presents.
Finally, we reach New Business. Greg has impressions from the Denshattack! demo, and we talk a bit about the Indie World presentation. He also finished Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. Lastly, he has some early impressions of Resident Evil Requiem. Jon has begun his promised playthrough of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, finding ways to not play the game. Lastly, Guillaume is watching Blippo+. I… cannot help you with Blippo+ using words. Interdimensional Public Access Television is the best I can do for you.
Email us, or I’ll be sad.
- (00:07:17) Listener Mail – The Pokemon TCG supply problem.
- (00:50:06) The Cutting Room Genie writes in.
- (01:26:24) News – Pokemon Presents.
- (01:35:20) Denshattack! demo. Indie World.
- (01:45:47) FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE. Resident Evil Requiem.
- (01:58:46) Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Deluxe Edition.
- (02:15:18) Blippo+.
