There are over a thousand Pokemon in existence, each with unique characteristics. Therefore, it can be difficult to select which critters to include in aPokemon TCGexpansion. Designers and developers often rely on the star power of popular Pokemon like Charizard, Pikachu, or Eevee, but these critters already have many card variants scattered across differentPokemon TCGbooster packs. As such, it’s exciting that more obscure critters like Chingling get new designs after over a decade from their last one. Other Generation 4 Pokemon also deserve their time in the spotlight now that Chingling may get some love.
According to a recent report, a new Chingling card could be included in the Japanese Glory of Team Rocket release. This would bethe first Chingling card release in over 15 years; its previous card was released inPlatinum - Supreme Victorsback in 2009. Chingling’s moves are costless, and the latest iteration could make an opponent discard a random face-down card. There are many other baby critters in Generation Four that have seen some newer designs, but the number of variations they have still pales in comparison to the more popular Pokemon.
Generation 4 Has Many Baby Pokemon that Deserve Newer Releases
Many Generation 4 Pokemon have proven quite popular across all Pokemon game types, like Lucario, who has over 52 variants of its base card alone. It’s understandable, as these critters have cool character designs and are therefore given good moves to use in competition and/or great art for collecting. Theadorable Baby Pokemon, however, seem to get the short end of the stick. For example, Munchlax, a popular Generation 4 baby, only has five card variants. Some have even fewer, like Budew, Bonsly, and Mantyke.
Bonsly
Bonsly was introduced toPokemon TCGthrough theDiamond & Pearlseries, released in 2006. Its first iteration had Fake Tears as its costless ability, which prevents the opponent from using Trainer Cards and reducing damage to attacks to Bonsly by 30 on the enemy’s next turn if the player successfully gets heads on a coin flip.Bonsly’s next TCG version came 16 years laterin 2023’s Obsidian Flames. This time, its ability is Blubbering, which deals 10 damage and confuses the enemy’s active Pokemon. This Baby Pokemon can also evolve into Sudowoodo if the player possesses it in their hand. While it’s only been about two years since Bonsly’s latest card iteration, it still has only two variants, which is far fewer than any of its other Generation 4 pals.
Mantyke
Mantyke is the Baby critter that Mantine evolves from. Its first version, like most Generation Four critters, came fromDiamond and Pearl. It had Call for Friends as its only ability, which lets players search their deck for one Basic Water Pokemon to add to their hand. The next two versions (default and full art) of Mantyke were released around 16 years later in theParadox Rift series. This version of Mantyke featured Buoyant Healing as its ability, which heals 120 damage from one of the player’s benched critters.
Budew
Budew had Psychic and Grass type cards in theDiamond and Pearlseries. Its costless ability allows the player to select a Pokemon from their deck, but they also have to show it to their opponent before adding it to their hand. Meanwhile, its latestPrismatic Evolutions carduses Itchy Pollen, which deals 10 damage while preventing the enemy from using item cards on their next turn. This latest iteration is a popular pick in the current meta, as stopping a player from using crucial Item Cards at no cost can turn the tide of a match.
Gen 4’s Baby Pokemon may seem like they don’t offer much to a deck, but they offer some important utility at a low cost. Plus, they have adorable designs, making them attractive not just to tournament players, but also to collectors. With the release of the new Chingling card, there might just be hope for new versions of its fellow Generation Four Babies.
Pokemon TCG
Pokemon TCG (Trading Card Game) is a collectible and strategy based card game based on Nintendo’s Pokemon franchise. Two players face off against one another, battling one Pokemon at a time and attempting to knock them out to claim one of six prize cards. The cards have also become highly collectible with some in particular selling for thousands of dollars.
