The Pokemon franchise is no stranger to collaborations. One medium promotes another, such as how the anime can feed game and card sales. Sometimes even the opposite happens as the resurgent popularity of the cards has boosted interest in other mediums. The previously announced Pokemon GO and Pokemon Trading Card Game crossover aims to continue that legacy as the hit mobile game will soon have an in-game event that will celebrate the release of Pokemon GO-related card packs.
The Pokemon GO Crossover Event will introduce a new Pokemon to the game. Wimpod and its evolution Golisopod will be appearing in the wild. Golisopod will require 400 candies to evolve. There will also be a new hat for Pikachu with the arrival of the TCG hat. Pikachu with the TCG hat can be shiny and found either in the wild or through Field Research rewards. The Pokemon GO Mystery Box which is obtained from making transfers between GO, Pokemon Home, Pokemon Lets Go!, and other mainline games, will have a lower refresh timer and have a chance to give out shiny Meltan.
The Pokemon GO Crossover Event will begin on June 16th and run until June 30th. The Pokemon GO cards will be available starting July 1st. Many of the featured Pokemon coming to Pokemon TCG will be rewarded through Field Research rewards, Raids, and Collection Challenges in Pokemon GO, including shiny variants for Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Snorlax, Onix, and more. Most notable Raid offerings are Timbur, Chansey, and Larvitar and their shiny variants in 1-Star Raids, Alolan Execcutor and its shiny in 3-star, and Mewtwo with the chances of finding its shiny in 5-Star raids.
Pokemon GO cards will have unique Pokemon artwork and the Pokemon GO logo is emblazoned on the bottom right of the cards, making it stand out from cards from other packs. The Pokemon GO x Pokemon TCG will feature Mewtwo VSTAR, Melmetal, the Kanto Legendary Birds, and an assortment of highly sought-after cards spread out across twelve collections. There are three special edition collector's boxes that are stylized after the three Teams in Pokemon GO: Mystic, Valor, and Instinct.
The launch of a new series of cards will be an event as the spike in interest and value of Pokemon Cards has seen some stores run out of stock as battlers and collectors seek out the strongest and most valuable cards. Exploring the real world searching for Wimpod and other rare Pokemon from this event, then breaking out the cards after a long day of hunting sounds is likely an appealing way to spend a day for families or groups of friends.
Pokemon GO is now available on Android and iOS.
Source: Niantic
