The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket's latest expansion, Space Time Smackdown, released on January 30, has stirred a wave of emotions among players, particularly due to the artwork on one card. The Weavile ex card, specifically its 2 Star full art version, has sparked significant discussion and distress. The illustration portrays a group of Weavile lurking in the treetops, poised with claws ready to attack an unsuspecting Swinub. This depiction of predation has left fans feeling shocked and heartbroken.
On Reddit, a post titled "NO! SWINUB LOOK UP!! LOOK UP!!" showcasing the controversial artwork amassed nearly 10,000 upvotes. The reaction from the community was immediate and intense. "Always got to be one card per set that shows Pokémon in the process of straight up killing each other," commented one user, while another pleaded, "Leave the lil guy alone."
NO! SWINUB LOOK UP!! LOOK UP!!
by u/RegularTemporary2707 in PTCGP
The conversation on the platform delved deeper into the ecology of the Pokémon world. "The ecology of Pokémon is always so crazy to imagine," a fan remarked. "Like these are still animals, some smarter than others. Just they have the ability to fire laser beams."
Amidst the concern, some fans found solace in another card's artwork. The full art Mamoswine card, which shows the mammoth-like Pokémon looking up while safeguarding a group of Swinub, was interpreted as a hopeful conclusion to the scene. "Hey, Mamoswine protected his baby. Don't worry. He most definitely saw those Weaviles," one user optimistically noted, while another added, "The Mamoswine alt card already looks above. He saw them. He saw..."
Gone, but not forgotten.
by u/AshesMemeFolder in PTCGP
Space Time Smackdown is a themed set inspired by Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, featuring notable Pokémon like Weavile, Mamoswine, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and others. With a total of 207 cards, it's smaller than the previous set, Genetic Apex, which boasted 286 cards. However, Space Time Smackdown includes a higher percentage of rare cards, with 52 alternate art, Star, and Crown rarity cards compared to Genetic Apex's 60.
Creatures Inc., the developer, has not yet addressed the controversy surrounding the trading update that was released a day prior to the expansion. Their focus has been solely on promoting Space Time Smackdown, with no response to IGN's request for comment. To celebrate the trade feature, players received a "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" containing 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses, enough to facilitate the trade of a single ex Pokémon, but the company has remained silent on the fan backlash.
