the pokemon companyPokemon TCG Pocket players are petitioning developer DeNA to turn an iconic meme into a holiday promo card.
Pokemon TCG Pocket does a lot to keep players engaged from stacking the game with rare cards to collect to a battle system that allows for the building of fun meta decks. A steady release schedule of sets like the recent addition of Space-Time Smackdown serves to refresh the gameplay loop from time to time.
Of course, in between those major releases, developer DeNA also triggers limited-time events and these serve as a way to collect the game’s coveted promo cards. These promo cards are often alternate art treatments of existing cards or a slight variation on a Pokemon from the set.
Hungry for more, players on the Pokemon TCG Pocket Subreddit are demanding that developers turn an iconic meme into a promo card. The meme in question is the famous Surprised Pikachu.
We need this Surprised Pikachu card in Pokemon TCG Pocket
For the uninitiated, Surprised Pikachu became a popular reaction image back in 2018 to expressed feigned surprise. It was sometimes formatted as an additive to text memes about social media users entering situations with obvious outcomes and still being shocked when something predictable happened.
The initial image was a blurry screenshot from the Pokemon Anime circa 1997 and originally featured in the very first season’s ‘Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village’ episode. Since then, the startled little Pikachu has wormed its way into fans’ hearts, and Pokemon TCG Pocket players think it should be the subject of an April Fools Day promo.
The suggested card even has a mechanic based on the meme’s association with shock. If the card is switched into the active position, its ‘Surprise’ attack deals an extra 20 damage.
Some players have suggested making the would-be promo card completely busted by adding an extra 100 damage for triggering the effect. This comes with the proviso that this card’s ability only works on April 1. You’ve got to balance things somehow.
With a plethora of Pokemon memes to draw from, Pokemon TCG Pocket seems like fertile ground to show them off. DeNA has already shown off some knowledge of inside jokes among Pokemon fans, albeit far less obvious than just plastering a meme on a card. A god-tier Bidoof from the most recent set proves they know about the one true lord and savior at least.
