Paradise Dragona brings Pokemon fans “out of collecting retirement”

The hype for Pokemon TCG Paradise Dragona is starting to reach a fever pitch in the Pokemon card community, with fans anxiously counting down the days until the Japanese release hits the market.

While some collectors were baffled by the set theme and box art with Stellar Tera-type Alolan Exeggutor, many were thrilled by the first wave of Paradise Dragona card reveals. Thanks to Pokemon Worlds 2024, more cards have been unveiled for the community.

Two of the cards that have picked up the most attention from the Pokemon TCG community are the Latios Art Rare and Latias ex Special Art Rare. With the amount of attention that they’ve been getting online, it’s likely they’ll be popular Paradise Dragona chase cards.

According to translations from PokeBeach, it’s clear that these cards might be more than just aesthetically pleasing chases – they seem like they’ve got some competitive weight, too.

Latios has Jet Headbutt, which deals a comfortable 110 damage, alongside Skill Dive which can hit both Benched Pokemon and the Active Pokemon. With 120 HP, it’s not the tankiest Pokemon out there, but it’s a potentially impactful ‘mon in the early to mid stages of a game.

Latias ex looks lethal in comparison. It has the Eon Blade Attack, which deals 200 damage, with the caveat being that the ‘mon cannot attack on the next turn. Following this, the Skyline Ability allows your Basic Pokemon to leave battle with no Retreat Cost.

These cards will need to be built into carefully constructed decks to reach their full potential, but at first glance, they both look powerful. The initial reveal went over well with the Pokemon TCG collectors community online, with both cards being praised for their beauty.

One excited fan on X declared, “I love that the cards go together it’s so cool!! Interesting choice in them making only the Latias an SAR, but still really cool!” Others pointed out the difference in card types, theorizing that the opposite textures could be strange to see side-by-side.

Another Pokemon TCG collector chimed in with their thoughts on the reveals, sharing that they were “Getting out of collecting retirement with this set.” Others agreed, with one person adding, “Yeah, I’m back.”

Some fans were already concerned about how much the two matching cards might cost, with one apprehensive collector lamenting, “Oh no, it’s gonna be a gazillion billion dollars.”

Whether you’re more of a collector or a competitive player, Paradise Dragona is a set to keep your eye on. It comes out on September 13, which is the same day as the Stellar Crown expansion set, and it’s gearing up to be one of the most interesting sets of the year.