The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket's latest expansion, Space Time Smackdown, released on January 30, has stirred significant emotional reactions among fans, particularly due to the artwork on one card. The Weavile ex card, especially its 2 Star full art version, has sparked widespread discussion and dismay. The artwork depicts a chilling scene where a group of Weavile are poised in the treetops, claws bared, ready to attack an unsuspecting Swinub below.
The fan response has been intense, with a Reddit post titled "NO! SWINUB LOOK UP!! LOOK UP!!" garnering nearly 10,000 upvotes. Fans expressed their shock and sympathy for the innocent Swinub, with comments like "Always got to be one card per set that shows Pokémon in the process of straight up killing each other," and "Leave the lil guy alone." This card has highlighted the sometimes brutal nature of Pokémon ecology, with one user reflecting, "The ecology of Pokémon is always so crazy to imagine. Like these are still animals, some smarter than others. Just they have the ability to fire laser beams."
NO ! SWINUB LOOK UP !! LOOK UP !!
byu/RegularTemporary2707 inPTCGP
Amidst the uproar, some fans are finding solace in the full art card of Mamoswine, the final evolution of Swinub. The artwork shows Mamoswine looking upwards, seemingly aware of the danger, while protecting a group of Swinub. Fans are clinging to this image as a hopeful narrative, with comments like, "Hey, Mamoswine protected his baby. Don't worry. He most definitely saw those Weaviles," and "The Mamoswine alt card already looks above. He saw them. He saw..."
Gone, but not forgotten.
byu/AshesMemeFolder inPTCGP
Space Time Smackdown is themed around Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, introducing cards featuring Weavile, Mamoswine, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and more. With a total of 207 cards, it's smaller than the previous set, Genetic Apex, which had 286 cards. However, Space Time Smackdown boasts a higher percentage of rare cards, with 52 alternate art, Star, and Crown rarity cards compared to Genetic Apex's 60.
Creatures Inc. has not yet addressed the controversy surrounding the trading update that was released the day before the expansion. Their social media and in-game focus has been solely on Space Time Smackdown, and they did not respond to IGN's request for comment. The only acknowledgment of the trading update was a "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" that included 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses, enough for one ex Pokémon trade, but no further response to fan feedback has been provided.
