The Pokémon Company has announced, in association with the J-League, their Family Join Days (ファミリーJoinデイズ) festivities. To coincide with Golden Week, the J-League Family Join Days will take place from Saturday April 26th, 2014 until Tuesday May 6th, 2014. Elementary aged children that attend specific soccer games can receive special Pikachu TCG cards as a promo while supplies last. In addition there will also be a venue at the stadium to meet Pikachu.

A special Darkrai TCG card will be given to people that pre-order tickets for the 17th Pocket Monsters movie. People that spend 800yen or more on TCG related products can also receive the card while supplies last. Darkrai will be appearing in the upcoming 17th Movie short Pikachu, What Kind of Keys are These?


As a special bonus, at home games for the Urawa RED Diamonds, F.C Tokyo and Yokohama F Marinos, special Nintendo 3DS LL's featuring the team colors and artwork featuring Satoshi, Xerneas and Yveltal on the front and Pikachu and Diance on the back based on the 17th Pocket Monsters movie will be given out via lottery. The number of systems that will be given out will be determined by the score of the home team during the match.


Sources: http://www.pokemon.co.jp/info/2014/04/140404_e01.html and http://www.pokemon.co.jp/info/2014/04/140404_cd01.html

The Pokémon Company International announced that Magmar and Electabuzz will be distributed throughout Europe in April at participating stores. People can also get a free Pokémon TCG: XY special sampling pack that includes Pikachu (XY 42/146).

Distribution Details

Electabuzz: Level 30, Ability Vital Spirit and the moves Low Kick, Shock Wave, Light Screen and Thunder Punch.
Magmar: Level 30, Ability Vital Spirit and the moves Smokescreen, Fire Spin, Confuse Ray and Fire Punch.

Distribution Locations and Dates

Country	Distribution Dates	Locations
United Kingdom	April 4th, 2014~	GAME
Portugal	April 14th, 2014 until June 1st, 2014	FNAC
Australia	April 11th, 2014 until May 11th, 2014	EB Games, JB Hifi and Target
Spain	April 14th, 2014 until June 1st, 2014	Blade Center, Cadena Fnac, Canal Ocio, Carrefour, El Corte Inglés, GAME, GameStop, GAMESTORE, HIPERCOR, Media Markt, Toys R US, Worten, Alcampo, Eroski
France	April 14th, 2014~	GAME
Belgium	April 14th, 2014 until April 30th, 2014	FNAC
Germany	April 14th, 2014~	Gamestop, Toys R US, Müller, Karstadt, MediMax and Flashpoint

Press Release - Easter Comes Early This Year With Pokémon!

Receive Magmar In Pokémon X Or Electabuzz In Pokémon Y Video Games For Free At Game Uk This April! London, UK—March 31, 2014— Today, The Pokémon Company International announced an exciting Easter promotion for Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video game players, with a special Pokémon Trading Card Game: XY expansion treat, at the leading video game retailer, GAME UK.

Starting April 4 and for a limited time only, Pokémon video game players can receive a free Pokémon character—Magmar for Pokémon X or Electabuzz for Pokémon Y — at all GAME UK stores. The redeemable codes for the characters will be printed on cash receipts upon request, and no purchase is necessary. The Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games have already enjoyed huge success, selling nearly 12 million copies globally in the first four months since the worldwide launch in October 2013.

Both seasoned Pokémon Trainers and newcomers to the games will enjoy playing with Electabuzz and Magmar, who appeared in the very first Pokémon video games, Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version. Battling, trading, and collecting have always been at the heart of the Pokémon experience, so fans will appreciate the special bonus items that come with this distribution: Electabuzz is holding an Electirizer, and Magmar is holding a Magmarizer. When traded holding these items, Electabuzz will evolve into Electivire, and Magmar will evolve into Magmortar.

Pokémon Trading Card Game fans can also get in on the action with a free Pokémon TCG: XY special sampling pack available in store and while stocks last. All packs will include a special foil Pikachu card, plus one additional card from the Pokémon TCG: XY expansion. No purchase is necessary.

Pokémon TCG: XY launched on February 5 in the UK and includes all-new Mega Evolution Pokémon and new Fairy-type Pokémon. Since its release, the Pokémon Trading Card Game has shipped over 20 billion cards across 74 countries. The new Pokémon TCG: XY expansion is based on the best-selling Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

To support this exciting promotion, The Pokémon Company International is investing in a TV campaign to showcase the Pokémon universe, demonstrating how Pokémon TCG and video game content is part of the same world. Promotional spots will air from April 7 to April 27 on CiTV, Cartoon Network, Disney XD, and Sky Kids.

Sources: http://www.pokemonxy.com/en-gb/pokemon/electabuzz_magmar_distribution/
http://www.pokemonxy.com/nl-be/pokemon/electabuzz_magmar_distribution/
http://www.pokemonxy.com/pt-pt/pokemon/electabuzz_magmar_distribution/
http://www.pokemonxy.com/en-au/pokemon/electabuzz_magmar_distribution/
http://www.pokemonxy.com/es-es/pokemon/electabuzz_magmar_distribution/

The official Pokémon website has revealed the dates and locations for the Pokémon Spring Regional Championships. Tournaments will be held in cities across the United States and Canada in April of 2014. The Regional Championships is part of a title-event series where players compete for the title of Regional Champion!


Players that do well at the Regional Championships can get a lot of Championship Points as well as a chance to earn Travel Awards to Nationals. Players might even get an invitation to the 2014 Pokémon World Championships in Washington, DC. Top finishers get booster packs, trophies, and a huge step toward earning a National Championships Travel Award or Stipend from a pool of nearly $200,000 in travel allowances!

Locations

April 5–6, 2014 - Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center - 366 Main Street - Sturbridge, MA 01566
April 5–6, 2014 - The Classic Center - 300 N Thomas Street - Athens, GA 30601
April 5–6, 2014 - Overland Park International Trade Center - 6800 W 115th Street - Overland Park, KS 66211
April 5–6, 2014 - Washington State Convention Center - 800 Convention Place - Seattle, WA 98101
April 12–13, 2014 - Utah State Fairpark—Grand Building - 155 North 1000 West - Salt Lake City, UT 84116
April 12–13, 2014 - Monona Terrace Convention Center - 1 John Nolen Drive - Madison, WI 53703
April 26th, 2014 - (TCG Only) - Bingemans FunworX Indoor Playland - 425 Bingemans Centre Drive - Kitchener, ON N2B 3X7 Canada

Press Release

Prepare for the 2014 Spring Regional Championships! Participate in the latest round of Pokémon TCG and Video Game Regional Championships.

Want to test your skills against some of the best players in North America? Compete in the 2014 Spring Regional Championships! With expert play and a little luck, you could be one of the Pokémon TCG and video game players to win great prizes, as well as Championship Points that will get you closer to an invitation to the 2014 World Championships.

The Spring Regional Championships will take place in seven locations: Sturbridge, MA; Athens, GA; Overland Park, KS; and Seattle, WA, on April 5th, and Salt Lake City, UT, and Madison, WI, on April 12th. And Kitchener, Ontario, Canada will host a Pokémon TCG-only Regional Championship event on April 26th.

Participation in the Spring Regional Championships is open to all players. Arrive early to register because space is limited. Play! Pokémon members, be sure to bring your Player ID when you attend. If you're new to Pokémon competitive play and you don't have a Player ID, you’ll receive one for free at the event. Visit the Spring Regional Championships event page for complete information.

Start making your plans now to compete in the Pokémon Spring Regional Championships!

Sources: http://www.pokemon.com/us/play-pokemon/pokemon-events/pokemon-tournaments/spring-regional-championships/ and http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/prepare-for-the-2014-spring-regional-championships/

The official English Pokémon website officially revealed Pokémon TCG: XY Flashfire, the second XY English based Pokémon Card Game Expansion set on March 26th, 2014. It was released on May 7th, 2014. Images from the press release have been added to an Imageboard thread.

Press Release - Pokémon TCG: XY Flashfire available in stores on May 7, 2014

Pokémon TCG: XY—Flashfire is the latest expansion to the Pokémon Trading Card Game franchise. Booster packs and theme decks will be available in stores on May 7, 2014, bringing more than 100 new cards to collect and play.

Blaze your way to glory and watch the sparks fly when you battle with cards from the Pokémon TCG: XY—Flashfire expansion. Ignite the action with a firestorm of Fire-type Pokémon and watch your opponents’ terrified double-take as the awesome Mega Charizard-EX makes its scorching debut in this breathtaking expansion. Your explosive adventures will continue as your foes flee the field with certain doom flashing before their eyes! The XY—Flashfire expansion contains over 100 cards, including five new Pokémon-EX and three new Mega Evolution Pokémon.

Key Features of the Pokémon TCG: XY—Flashfire Expansion:

• Three new Mega Evolution Pokémon — The expansion features two powerful versions of Mega Charizard-EX (a Dragon-type Mega Charizard X and a Fire-type Mega Charizard Y), in addition to Mega Kangaskhan-EX.
• Five new Pokémon-EX cards and four new full-art Pokémon-EX rare Ultra cards—New Pokémon-EX cards include Charizard-EX (two versions), Toxicroak-EX, Magnezone-EX, and Kangaskhan-EX.
• New Pokémon—Over 25 Pokémon from the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games appear in this set, in addition to 15 Pokémon that appear in the Pokémon TCG for the very first time.
• 15 new Trainer cards including three new full-art rare Ultra Trainer cards—New Trainer cards bring increased depth and player strategy to competitive battles.
• Booster Packs—Packs of 10 additional cards selected from the expansion will be available.
• Theme decks—60-card preconstructed decks are designed to introduce players to the Pokémon TCG by enabling them to play right away.

Source: http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/xy-flashfire/explore-and-watch/

Japanese merchants have revealed the promo sheets for the upcoming XY3 Japanese Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion. Rising Fist (ライジングフィスト) will be released in Japan on June 14th, 2014. The set features Mega Lucario and will include over 96 cards. Booster packs will cost 150yen each plus tax and will include 5 cards.


A Mega Lucario Box (メガルカリオBOX) will also go on sale on June 14th, 2014 for 1480yen + tax. The box comes with: 1 Holo Luchabull EX （オリジナルキラカード「ルチャブルEX」）, 8 Booster Packs, a Long Card Box （ロングカードボックス）, 2x Strong Energy (ストロングエネルギー), 10 Fighting Energy, Sana (サナ) and Tierno (ティエルノ).

A pack of 32 Mega Lucario sleeves will also be available for 362yen + tax.

The Pokémon Company International signed a 5 year deal with Russia Free-to-Air broadcaster 2X2 to broadcast the Pokémon anime and latest movies. The series will start with the Pokémon: Black and White season on May 1st, 2014 while the Pokémon the Series: XY will launch in September. Viewers will be able to watch select episodes on 2X2's Pokémon TV app.

Lev Makarov, the CEO of 2X2 was quoted saying: “We are happy to have Pokémon back in the Russian market as it’s a well recognized brand in Russia. We have especially scheduled Pokémon at times when adults and children are at home, so they have more opportunities to spend time together.”

Emily Arons, the senior vice president of International Business at The Pokémon Company International said: “To be back airing in Russia is an exciting opportunity, and were happy to be partnering with a broadcaster like 2X2 as they expand their family offering.”

The Pokémon Trading Card Game: XY expansion will also launch later in the year.

Source: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/212769/Russia_celebrates_the_return_of_Pokeacutemonanimation.php

The official Japanese Pokémon Trading Card Game website has confirmed that Wild Blaze (ワイルドブレイズ) is the next XY expansion and it will be released on March 15th, 2014. Players that purchase 20 booster packs from the set can receive a special promo Numerugon card.


Mega Battle Deck 60 M Lizardon EX (メガバトルデッキ60 MリザードンEX) will also be released on March 15th, 2014. The deck features Mega Lizardon EX as the title suggests. Players that purchase the deck from March 15th, 2014 through May 18th, 2014 can receive a special Pokémon Card Game XY Promotion Card Pack (ポケモンカードゲームXY プロモーションカードパック).


Sources: http://www.pokemon-card.com/campaign/xy2_box/

The official Pokémon website has launched a new design. The site now features 6 main areas which include: Explore Pokémon, Watch Pokémon TV, Play Games, Trading Card Game, Video Games and Attend Events.

The new Pokémon Trainer Club features an an all-new Trainer Builder. Members can get new clothing and accessories for their Trainer avatar to give it great look. New features are going to be added in the future.


Source: http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/see-whats-new-on-pokemoncom/

To celebrate the release of the new XY expansion to the Pokémon Card Game on December 13, 2013, the Corocoro Presents XY's Super Hot Start-Up Campaign (コロコロプレゼンツ　XY激アツ始動キャンペーン) will be distributing 4 special cards. For each 1000yen spent at participating stores that sell the Pokémon Card Game, players will receive 1 randomly sealed card pack featuring 1 of the 4 special campaign cards. Gablias, Dedenne, and Hitotsuki are the four special cards.


Source: http://www.pokemon-card.com/campaign/xy1/

The Pokémon TCG: XY expansion set was released on February 5th, 2014. Pictures from the press release have been added to an Imageboard thread.

Pokémon TCG: XY

The revolutionary Mega Evolution game mechanic is coming to the brand-new Pokémon TCG: XY expansion! Mega Evolution Pokémon evolve from Pokémon-EX, extremely powerful cards in their own right, creating a force that will change the way Pokémon TCG players build decks and create strategies for battle.

Before playing a Mega Evolution Pokémon to evolve a Pokémon-EX, players must consider the situation carefully—doing so ends their turn immediately, which means they can’t attack that turn! The risky move is worth the reward, however, because Mega Evolution Pokémon exhibit a strength that surpasses that of Pokémon-EX. Hard-hitting attacks and high HP totals make Mega Evolution Pokémon dominant during Pokémon TCG matches.


Features of the Pokémon TCG: XY expansion include:

• 2 all-new Mega Evolution Pokémon
• 6 new Pokémon-EX
• Pokémon TCG Online code cards
• Over 140 cards in all!

Source: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-tcg/xy

The World of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y is Coming to Pokémon TCG Fans Around the Globe

Fairy-Type Pokémon and Basic Fairy Energy Debuting in Pokémon TCG: XY
London, UK—September 20, 2013— The Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games launch worldwide October 12, 2013, for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, and soon after, fans of the Pokémon Trading Card Game will experience the excitement of the next generation of Pokémon—Pokémon TCG: XY. Coming to stores on November 8, 2013, Pokémon TCG: XY—Kalos Starter Set gives players and collectors a choice of three 60-card decks, each one featuring a brand-new Pokémon: Chespin, Fennekin, or Froakie. Fans will discover other new Pokémon from the Kalos region in the three XY—Kalos Starter Set decks. A deluxe version of the set will also include one Pokémon TCG: Black & White Series booster pack.


XY—Kalos Starter Set introduces Fairy-type Pokémon and Basic Fairy Energy! Fairy, the eleventh Pokémon type in the Pokémon TCG, is the first new type since the Dragon type was added in 2012. There are still many mysteries about the new Fairy type, such as which Pokémon will be Fairy type and how matchups will be affected by Fairy-type Pokémon. In order to attack with Fairy-type Pokémon, players will need to use Basic Fairy Energy, the ninth Energy type in the Pokémon TCG.


Following the launch of Pokémon TCG: XY—Kalos Starter Set, the Pokémon TCG: XY expansion, featuring 10-card booster packs, arrives at retail in the UK on February 5, 2014. Fans can expect powerful new Pokémon, Trainer cards, and more when the new series kicks off. Each XY—Kalos Starter Set deck and XY booster pack will include a code card that unlocks virtual cards for the Pokémon TCG Online.

Source: https://pokemon.gamespress.com/The-World-of-Pokemon-X-and-Pokemon-Y-is-Coming-to-Pokemon-TCG-Fans-Aro

Pokémon TCG: XY Introduces Mega Evolution to Extremely Powerful Pokémon-EX Cards

New Mega Evolution Game Mechanic Will Revolutionise Pokémon TCG Strategy
London, UK—October 15, 2013—Mega Evolution, what could be described as an Evolution beyond all Evolutions, is changing the landscape of battles in the recently launched Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games for the Nintendo 3DS. This revolutionary game mechanic is also coming to the brand-new Pokémon Trading Card Game: XY expansion when 10-card booster packs arrive at retail in The UK in February, 2014. Mega Evolution Pokémon evolve from Pokémon-EX, extremely powerful cards in their own right, creating a force that will change the way Pokémon TCG players build decks and create strategies for battle.

Before players Mega Evolve a Pokémon like Venusaur-EX or Blastoise-EX, they must consider the situation carefully because doing so ends their turn immediately, which means they can’t attack. The risky move is worth the reward, however, because Mega Evolution Pokémon exhibit a strength that surpasses Pokémon-EX. Hard-hitting attacks and high HP totals make Mega Evolution Pokémon dominant during Pokémon TCG matches.

Look out for the Pokémon TCG: XY expansion, including powerful Pokémon-EX cards, in February, 2014. The Pokémon TCG: XY—Kalos Starter Set, featuring new Fairy-type Pokémon, the first Pokémon type in the Pokémon TCG to have resistance to Darkness-type Pokémon, launches November 8, 2014. Each XY—Kalos Starter Set deck and XY booster pack will include a code card that unlocks virtual cards for the Pokémon TCG Online.

Source: https://pokemon.gamespress.com/Pokemon-TCG-XY-Introduces-Mega-Evolution-to-Extremely-Powerful-Pokemon

XY Kalos Starter Set Deluxe Deck

The XY Kalos Starter Set Deluxe Decks was released on November 8th, 2013. Each deck features one of the three Kalos region Starter Pokémon: Chespin, Fennekin and Froakie. The decks contain 60 cards as well as one Black and White booster pack.

First appearances from long-awaited Pokémon and a brand-new battle strategy! Which Pokémon will you choose to begin this exciting journey: Chespin, Fennekin, or Froakie? Pick your Pokémon and get ready to battle!

Chespin Deck — Show Your Strength!
Start your adventure in the Kalos region with the Grass-type Pokémon Chespin and this 60-card ready-to-play deck! With spikes, toughness, and resilient Grass-type moves, this new deck is perfect for the small but fierce competitor who never gives up! With quiet strength, it grows and grows to outperform and outlast the competition! Plant the seeds of your future victory start with the Chespin deck!

Fennekin Deck — Burn Up the Opposition!
Start your adventure in the Kalos region with the Fire-type Pokémon Fennekin and this 60-card ready-to-play deck! This new deck unlocks a world of exciting Pokémon battles and gives you the head start you need to battle and win in the Pokémon Trading Card Game! As a Fire-type deck, the Fennekin deck is full of powerful moves—grab it and blaze your path to victory!

Froakie Deck — One Easy Hop to Victory!
Start your adventure in the Kalos region with the Water-type Pokémon Froakie and this 60-card ready-to-play deck! This new deck leaps over the competition with Froakie’s unexpected powers, including all the shifting speed and thrilling moves that Water-type Pokémon are famous for! Move like a roaring river and carve your channel to victory— grab the Froakie deck and get ready to play!