The Pokémon Company International has today kicked off celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise with a live action retrospective video showcasing each generation of Pokémon to-date.

A Japanese man was arrested near Tokyo on Wednesday on suspicion of fraud, after sending in fake popsicle sticks in November to Akagi Nyugyo Co. in an attempt to redeem them for an Pokémon trading cards that were being distributed as part of a competition the company ran between June and July last year.

Singapore police have announced they have arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of having cheated more than 15 victims of more than $176,000 Singaporian Dollars worth of Pokémon cards.

2020 saw a massive rise in the market for Pokémon TCG cards, fueled in part by coronavirus escapism. It's somewhat appropriate then that someone aiming to one day heal illnesses like this should have been able to take advantage of this market spike.

This week, The Pokémon Company announced has announced that they will be broadcasting new content on a regular weekly schedule on the official Pokémon Twitch channel, with content including Pokémon anime episodes and movies, as well as (re)broadcasts of Play! Pokémon tournaments. The schedule for each week will be announced on the official Pokémon Twitter account. In the past, the official Pokémon Twitch channel has been used primarily to broadcast Play! Pokémon organized events, while the anime has appeared as part of a number of Twitch Presents marathons. Moving forward, it's likely we'll see a broad range of content from TPC's back catalog being broadcast.

Illusionist Uri Geller issued an apology for preventing Kadabra from appearing in the Pokémon Trading Card Game due to a lawsuit he filed in 2000. He has stated that he will now allow Kadabra cards to be printed again.

In November 2000, Geller claimed that Kadabra was based on his likeness, citing the Pokémon's Psychic type and habit of carrying a spoon. Geller subsequently sued Nintendo for £60 million, saying "Nintendo stole [his] name and [his] signature image." Masamitsu Hidaka, a director and storyboard artist for the Pokémon anime, confirmed in 2008 that Kadabra would not appear in the Pokémon Trading Card Game until an agreement was reached with Geller.

When the Pokémon Trading Card Game was released in 1999, the cards had little to no value. As Pokémon's popularity surged, so did card prices. Most veteran Pokémon fans can name the most popular -- and expensive -- card from the Base Set expansion: Charizard. Featuring high HP and damage counts alongside a glorious picture of the Pokémon breathing fire, Base Charizard was -- and perhaps still is -- a (if not the) Holy Grail of Pokémon collecting. Even now, the card sells for at least $80 or more.

Logic, a retired rapper, Twitch streamer, and suicide prevention advocate, recently obtained a PSA Grade 10 1st Edition Base Set Charizard for $226,000, about the price of a house. This amount breaks the record for Nintendo collectibles.

The Pokémon Players Cup II online tournaments for VGC and TCG have been announced to take place from September to December 2020. There will be no Pokkén Tournament DX tournament for the Pokémon Players Cup II. Players who participate in the first qualifying events for VGC and TCG can become eligible to compete in the Region Qualifiers by earning a high enough rank at the end of the first qualifying competitions.

Pokémon TCG players will need to take part in tournaments during the qualifying period on the Pokémon TCG Online application. Players must have a Pokémon Trainer Club account and Player ID by September 21 at 10:00 a.m. PDT and need to have logged in to the Pokémon TCG Online application before that date to take part. Registered players will automatically have 50 Tournaments Keys sent to their Pokémon TCG Online account before...

The Pokémon Company International has announced the next set coming to Pokémon TCG, Sword & Shield—Vivid Voltage. Releasing on November 13, 2020, the set will be made available in all of the forms fans have come to expect: booster packs, theme decks, Elite Trainer Boxes, and special collections.

Vivid Voltage will include some highly sought after cards, including Pikachu VMAX, Orbeetle VMAX, Coalossal VMAX, and the debut of Mythical Pokémon Zarude. Additionally, Amazing Pokémon cards—a brand new card type—will be introduced in this expansion.

Sword & Shield—Darkness Ablaze, the third major expansion in the Sword & Shield series of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, was released on August 14, 2020. It is now available at participating retailers around the world.

Sword & Shield—Darkness Ablaze features the debuts of the Legendary Pokémon Eternatus in its Eternamax form. Additionally, Gigantamax Charizard, Grimmsnarl, Butterfree, and Centiskorch also appear as Pokémon VMAX.

The full expansion includes:

• 7 Pokémon VMAX
• 14 Pokémon V and 9 full-art Pokémon V
• 17 Trainer cards and 4 full-art Supporter cards
• 4 new Special Energy Cards