Our favorite secret rares from Pokémon TCG’s Black Bolt/White Flare set

The Pokémon Trading Card Game’s next sets are Black Bolt and White Flare, two sets that go hand-in-hand to represent the Unova region from the Pokémon Black and White games.

The special thing about this set is that not only will every Pokémon from Unova be included, but each one will get an illustration rare, making the sets ginormous — and also beautiful. The sets released in Japanese on Friday, so we can finally take a full look at these cards ahead of their English release on July 18.

For those who don’t remember or didn’t play Pokémon Black and White, those games had a real fun gimmick: You couldn’t actually catch any “old” Pokémon until you became the champion. The Unova region was new Pokémon only, meaning you had to learn about the new creatures GameFreak made in order to play the game. Zubat? No, that’s Woobat. You need a Chansey? Well, we don’t have that. We have Audino.

That all being said, that means the region has a ton of Pokémon, some of which are pretty unique in design and others that are more controversial. Listen, Chandelure (the chandelier Pokémon) and Vanillite (the ice cream Pokémon) are both very valid and good. I won’t hear otherwise.

Under normal circumstances, I would make a post listing all the illustration rares (like how I did for The Glory of Team Rocket), but with over 150 cards in this set, it’s too many for me to do that. So let’s dive into a few of my favorite cards from the upcoming set below.

Ouugh, this Dwebble is so cute and full of curiosity. Something about its face on the glass is really capturing my heart, and this isn’t a Pokémon I usually care for.

This Darumaka is so perfectly friend-shaped. It’s not often you see one with all its limbs tucked in like this!

A peaceful Tympole resting in a nice little potted pond? What could be better?

I want the record to show that I actually hate pigeons. When I visit the city, I don’t like seeing hordes of them. But this? I like this.

Ya-yoink! Oh, to be a Pansear who can pluck berries off a tree, hanging from its tail.

Oh, my God, these Swoobat are in LOVE!! Or they’re fighting. I hope its the former.

Annother “ya-yoink!” card. I love that those Scraggy are fighting and this one is just like, “Well, okay, more for me!”

Any clay-sculpted card art by Yuka Morii goes on the list instantly. I don’t usually care much for Klinklang, but I’m gonna have to cop this card.

Similarly to the above card, any knitted cards by Asako Ito are must-haves. The set here is also so cute! It’s giving Yoshi’s Wooly World.

I already liked Foongus and Amoongus, but the design here of the Amoongus trudging through the moss-covered waters here really tickles my brain in the best ways.

Heatmor is a great Pokémon, and the looming Durant watching it from the shadows in this card makes it take the cake.

Being a ghost Pokémon, Jellicent has been portrayed as too cute and goofy and not scary enough, I think. This card did create a sense of dread in me, though. Being at the bottom of the ocean while these mortifying huge jellyfish approach you… no thanks!

You can see the full list of cards on PokéBeach’s blog post. Which one is your favorite? We can lament still not being able to get our hands on any cards together. 🤝 But hey, at least we can probably buy the singles we want from our local card shops, right? (Unless the single you want is wildly popular. In that case, I’m sorry.)