The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket's latest expansion, Space Time Smackdown, released on January 30, has stirred strong emotions among players due to the artwork on one particular card. The Weavile ex card, especially its 2 Star full art version, has become a focal point of discussion and distress. The artwork depicts a chilling scene where a group of Weavile are poised in the treetops, claws bared, ready to ambush an unsuspecting Swinub.
The reaction on platforms like Reddit has been intense, with a post titled "NO! SWINUB LOOK UP!! LOOK UP!!" garnering nearly 10,000 upvotes. Fans expressed their dismay, 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 artwork has sparked conversations about the darker aspects of Pokémon ecology, with one user noting, "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."
Amidst the concern, some fans are clinging to hope offered by the Mamoswine full art card, which portrays the evolved form of Swinub protecting a group of its younger counterparts. 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..." suggest a desire for a more positive outcome for Swinub.
Space Time Smackdown, themed around Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, introduces a range of iconic Pokémon including Weavile, Mamoswine, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and more. The set comprises 207 cards, 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., the developers behind the game, have yet to address the controversy surrounding the Weavile ex card's artwork. Their focus remains on promoting Space Time Smackdown across their social media and within the game itself. Additionally, they have not responded to IGN's request for comment on the matter. The only acknowledgment of the recent update has been a "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" that included 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses, sufficient for one ex Pokémon trade, but no direct response to fan concerns has been issued.
