Highlights
- The upcoming Pokemon TCG set, Obsidian Flames, will feature a new card for Bonsly, a baby Pokemon that hasn't had a new TCG card in 16 years.
- Baby Pokemon, including Bonsly, are rarely featured in TCG sets due to their lack of usefulness, making Bonsly's addition in Obsidian Flames special.
- The new Bonsly card will have a simple attack that can confuse the opponent's Pokemon, but it's unlikely to be popular in the competitive scene. Collectors will likely appreciate the new card.
A recent reveal for all the cards that will be present in the upcoming Pokemon TCG set Obsidian Flames confirms that Bonsly, a Pokemon that hasn't gotten a new TCG card in 16 years, will finally be getting a new card of its own. Baby Pokemon are consistently some of the least-featured among everything in Pokemon TCG sets.
Baby Pokemon exist in a weird space where it seems like many people, the game makers included, aren't completely sure what to do with them. They're cute –very few would deny the appeal of baby Pokemon like Pichu and Magby– but they're not particularly useful, which is partially why they're not often seen in the video games or the trading card game. It's pretty rare to see many baby Pokemon featured on new cards in the TCG, which is what makes Bonsly's addition in the upcoming Obsidian Flames set very special.
Obsidian Flames will be the newest addition to the ever-increasing roster of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG sets. The artwork for all of the Japanese cards was recently unveiled, which confirms the new Bonsly card, featuring the sapling Rock-type wandering through a forest with a Pokemon Center in the background. This is the first new card for Sudowoodo's baby Pokemon since the 2007 Pokemon TCG set Space-Time Creation. It's only the fourth card Bonsly has ever received, which officially puts it above Mantyke as the Pokemon with the least TCG cards in existence (previously the two were tied for last).
Translating Bonsly's card from Japanese reveals its new card will have one attack that costs no energy, does 10 damage, and will leave the opponent's Pokemon confused. It does seem a bit strange that this card will be debuting without a new Sudowoodo card for Bonsly to evolve into, but it's unlikely this card will be seeing much play in the Pokemon TCG competitive scene anyways. In all likelihood, this will just be a card for the collectors who haven't been able to add a new Bonsly since the 2000s.
The Obsidian Flames set will come with some other rare additions as well, such as the debut of Gen 9's Palafin on its first TCG card. It will also be the first set with Tera Type Pokemon, which will feature interesting type shifts like an Electric Tyranitar, Psychic Vespiqueen, and Dark Charizard. This comes in tandem with the ongoing giveaway for Dark-type Tera Charizard in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Hopefully, more baby Pokemon can get some love in the TCG in the near future.