Pokémon TCG Pocket: Fans' Love-Hate with Time Space Showdown Art

The latest expansion for the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, titled Space Time Smackdown, was released on January 30, and it has stirred significant controversy among the fanbase due to the artwork on one particular card. The card causing the uproar is the Weavile ex, specifically its 2 Star full art version, which depicts a group of Weavile lurking in the treetops, ready to attack an unsuspecting Swinub. This graphic scene has led to widespread dismay and discussion among players.

A Reddit post showcasing the card's artwork garnered nearly 10,000 upvotes, with fans expressing their distress. "No Swinub, look up! Look up!" the post pleaded, highlighting the imminent danger to the Swinub. Comments ranged from "Always got to be one card per set that shows Pokémon in the process of straight up killing each other" to pleas of "Leave the lil guy alone," reflecting the community's shock and empathy for the depicted scenario.

NO ! SWINUB LOOK UP !! LOOK UP !!
byu/RegularTemporary2707 inPTCGP

One fan remarked on the intriguing ecology of the Pokémon world, stating, "The ecology of Pokémon is always so crazy to imagine. Like these are still animals, some smarter than others. Just they have the ability to fire laser beams," emphasizing the wild nature of Pokémon interactions.

Amid the controversy, some fans found solace in the artwork of the Mamoswine full art card, which shows the evolved form of Swinub looking upwards protectively over a group of Swinub. This led to hopeful interpretations, with one fan commenting, "Hey, Mamoswine protected his baby. Don't worry. He most definitely saw those Weaviles," and another adding, "The Mamoswine alt card already looks above. He saw them. He saw..." These comments reflect a desire to find a positive outcome within the troubling imagery.

Gone, but not forgotten.
byu/AshesMemeFolder inPTCGP

The Space Time Smackdown set, themed around Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, introduces characters like Weavile, Mamoswine, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and more. With a total of 207 cards, it's smaller than the previous set, Genetic Apex, which had 286 cards. However, Space Time Smackdown boasts a higher concentration of rare cards, with 52 alternate art, Star, and Crown rarity cards compared to Genetic Apex's 60.

Creatures Inc., the developers, have not yet addressed the controversy surrounding the Weavile ex card. Their social media channels and the game itself have focused primarily on promoting Space Time Smackdown. They also did not respond to IGN's request for comment regarding the issue. A "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" was released, providing players with 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses—enough to trade a single ex Pokémon—yet the developer has remained silent on the fan complaints.