Trading cards have been a cultural staple for well over a century, commemorating everything from baseball players to key figures in Operation Desert Storm. But many iconic trading cards tend to feature fictional characters, and you can’t mention cards without mentioning Pokémon, the video game, card, and anime franchise that has celebrities dropping millions on rare cards and stores implementing purchase limits to combat scalpers.
Pokémon’s Trading Card Game (TCG) has been a pillar of the franchise since its inception, but aside from a couple of video game adaptations, it’s never really intersected with other Pokémon media. But an upcoming movie — the first Pokémon movie since 2021’s animated Secrets of the Jungle — will bring the cards face to face with the creatures they depict.
