The closing ceremony of the 2024 Pokemon World Championships included several announcements, with the TCG’s being the most thrilling. A beautifully animated and detailed trailer confirmed the return of Trainer’s Pokemon in 2025.
The Trainer’s Pokemon, also known as Owner’s Pokemon, made their debut in the TCG with the release of the Gym Heroes set. These Pokemon are specifically owned by various Gym Leaders or members of Team Rocket, and are designed to work together in gameplay, regardless of their types. While most of these cards feature actual Pokemon, some are representations of the Trainer’s ownership of the Pokemon, such as Brock’s Onix and Lt. Surge’s Raichu. Others draw inspiration from the anime, like Brock’s Vulpix and Zubat, while some are completely unique to the TCG, such as Erika’s Dratini, Lt. Surge’s Fearow, and even Blaine’s Moltres.
Since then, Trainer’s Pokemon have made occasional appearances in the TCG. One notable comeback was during the Diamond and Pearl era with the introduction of Pokemon SP. These powerful Pokemon could be found under the ownership of various groups, including Team Galactic, Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, the Champion, or a Frontier Brain. Among them, Luxray GL LV.X (owned by Gym Leader Volkner) gained significant popularity in the metagame at the time.
The mechanic’s return has been announced through a trailer, featuring Lillie, Marnie, and N battling against representatives of popular competitive-level decks. In one match, Lillie and her Clefairy (revealed to be a Pokemon ex) go up against Murkrow from the well-known “United Wings” deck. Marnie, along with Morpeko and Grimmsnarl (both ex cards), face off against Cramorant and Sableye from the “Lost Box” deck. N also joins in the action, using his team of Pokemon to battle against Chien-pao ex, Baxcalibur combo, Iron Hands ex, Dragapult ex, and Charizard ex. The trailer showcases
Like Lillie and Marnie, N’s team consists of Pokemon that he has used in the video games. We are able to witness a card depiction of Reshiram, featuring an incredibly stunning and rare illustration. N’s Zoroark ex is also unveiled, showcasing the noteworthy “Trade”Ability. Interestingly, this powerful Ability was previously seen on the popular Zoroark GX card. Additionally, Zoroark GX’s GX attack, Trickster GX, makes a comeback in the form of the modified “Night Joker”attack.
The trailer also features Arven and Mabosstiff, Misty and Psyduck, and Ethan and Pichu. This will be the first time Pichu has been seen on a card since the HeartGold and SoulSilver set, with its left ear out of view suggesting it may be the Spiky-eared Pichu. The trailer concludes with the Team Rocket logo and a glimpse of Mewtwo flying, teasing the return of Rocket’s Pokemon. The TCG has been incorporating classic mechanics such as Pokemon ex and ACE SPEC cards, and now Trainer’s Pokemon, in new and exciting ways. Even those who are not familiar with the TCG will be delighted to see these Trainers featured in such a thrilling trailer
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