Pokemon TCG enjoys resurgence

MANILA, Philippines – Pokemon has had a major impact in the past and the present, may even also impact future generations. When the series first came out, the Pokemon craze touched all walks of life, from games to fashion, to food items and collectibles. The brand has “evolved” since audiences were first introduced to lovable characters Ash Ketchum and the electrifying Pikachu.

One such aspect of Pokemon that has followed the brand since its release is the Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG), which had multitudes of children going to different stores looking for a pack of cards to collect and show off to their friends.

But like many during the height of COVID-19, the Pokemon TCG community saw a decline during the years of the pandemic. With things back to normal, Pokemon TCG is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, not just from the generation that grew up with Pokemon from the start.

"Two years ago, when we had our town leagues, usually we had 30-60 people. Now, it doesn’t fall under a 100 people. It grew so much for the past two years," said player Aira Pineda, who recently competed in the International Pokemon TCG tournament at the Asia Sports Collectors Convention (ASCC) in Macau at the beginning of this month.

Pineda finished third while her teammate Jimbo Santiago finished No. 1 among 87 players across the continent.

Compared to the country's previous events, Pineda recalled how last year's national circuit had a total of 106 attendees, but now that number is the norm for small town leagues, with the attendees doubling going into regional leagues.

A lot has changed in the Pokemon TCG world in a span of two years. Many cards have reached their expiration form the tournament legal standard. The meta of the game constantly changes with the introduction of new cards per quarter plus the new tournament circuit format that now guarantees four Filipinos qualification to the Pokemon World Championships.

"Before, you had to be one of the best in Oceania Region (Southeast Asia + Australia + New Zealand) to win a free trip to the Worlds Championships. Now you just have to be the best in your country," explained Pineda.

Compared to other trading card games out there,