PokePatch

Did Stolen Pokemon Cards Affect Fusion Strike Pull Rates?

Stolen Fusion Strike Cards

A photo recently when viral on Reddit showing a table full of Rare Fusion Strike cards. This post claims that a Pokemon company production worker stole thousands of hits and rare cards off the line where cards are made and packaged. Some are calling this the largest heist of Pokemon cards ever.

Saw this on a FB group. Allegedly, printing company worker stole hits off the line and tried to offload them to a LGS.
by u/GuavaWave in PokemonTCG

Fusion Strike Pull Rates

All of these cards come from the Fusion Strike set, which has notoriously bad pull rates. This coincidence has spawned the theory that those bad pull rates were caused by this act of theft. So did this huge heist affect people’s odds of pulling rare cards in Fusion Strike packs?

News of this theft spread very quickly amongst the Pokemon community, and it turns out the Pokemon Company worked to recover these stolen cards, which confirms that these cards were real and not fake or counterfeit. As it turns out, this huge case of Pokemon card theft probably didn’t affect the terrible pull rates we saw in Fusion Strike. This is because it was noticed that they had thousands of cards missing before the set was released. The cards were then reprinted and put in the packs that were sent out to retailers. This hasn’t stopped the community from blaming the horrendous pull rates we saw in Fusion Strike on this situation but as far as we know it wasn’t at fault.

Fusion Strike Pull Rates Might Be the Worst We’ve Seen

What do you think? Let us know in the replies!

Why Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Doesn’t Have a National Pokedex

Pokepatch Pokemon Scarlet and Violet National Pokedex

What is a National Pokedex?

A national Pokedex is a term used to refer to all Pokemon that currently exist or known about. As of now, no single Pokemon game has ever included all Pokemon in it. It usually grabs Pokemon that match the region and leaves out a lot of others. Will Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have a national Pokedex?

National Pokedex in Scarlet and Violet?

Will Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have all Pokemon? The short answer is no. It’s not likely for Scarlet and Violet to have one for several reasons. A National Pokedex in Scarlet and Violet seems to be something a lot of fans want but it’s a big ask from the development team. Currently there are 905 Pokemon in the National Pokedex. There are typically about 300 Pokemon featured in each mainline Pokemon game. That’s 3x more work that the devs have to put in, making sure all Pokemon are in the game, which will distract from development on other features in the game. This begs the question; will we ever see a game with a national Pokedex?

When will we see a National Pokedex?

Not only is it an incredible amount of work to include all Pokemon in a single game, some Pokemon don’t belong in certain games. Though, this hasn’t stopped Pokemon from appearing in strange places or games they don’t belong but lore wise, it sometimes doesn’t make sense. Another important thing to note is that Pokemon GO, the popular mobile game, is a global game about catching all Pokemon. While Pokemon GO has a majority of the entre Pokedex, it still falls short and there are several missing. The reason for this is debated but the point is, even the one game that is meant to have a national Pokedex doesn’t. This is pretty strong evidence that a game with a national Pokedex might not happen and if it does, it would be a huge project like Pokemon GO.

Buy Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Despite Scarlet and Violet not having a national Pokedex, it’ll feature many new Pokemon and tons of fan favorites from previous generations! If you’re hyped about the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games, now is the time to preorder. Pick Scarlet or Violet based on which Legendary you like more. Preordering from GameStop is reliable and PokePatch makes commission on qualifying purchases, so you’ll also be helping keep our website up. Thank you!

Get on GameStop >

Pokemon GO Daily Incense Legendary Spawns

Pokepatch Pokemon Go daily incense legendarys

What is Daily Incense?

How does Daily Incense work? Daily Adventure Incense is a new kind of Incense in Pokemon GO that is free for everyone to use. You can only use it once per day, but it resets for everyone at midnight (12am) local time. Claim your free daily incense in the shop menu and activate it in your inventory. You should see a blue smoke ring around your trainer once it’s activated and you’ll see Pokemon spawn more often. If your Daily Incense is not working, it’s likely because you’re standing in one place. In order to have Pokemon spawn with your Daily Incense active, you have to be moving around. This Incense only lasts for 15 minutes so use it wisely!

Daily Incense Legendary Spawns

The new Daily Adventure Incense attracts tons of common and uncommon Pokemon but surprisingly using this free incense has the chance at spawning Legendarys too! The Legendarys you can encounter are the Galarian Legendary Birds. They are still very rare and are difficult to catch so make sure to use golden berries if you have any! The Legendary Pokemon that spawn with Daily Incense may change in the future. Here’s a full list of the current Legendary Spawns.

Galarian Zapdos
Galarian Moltres
Galarian Articuno

Does Paldea Connect to Kalos in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet?

Pokepatch Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Kalos

A recent wave of information was released about the upcoming Gen 9 Pokemon games, Scarlet and Violet. Among that information was a map of the new Paldea Region. This map looks huge and may be the biggest Pokemon region we’ve seen. But some fans have noticed a detail about this map that makes people wonder if there’s more to come.

Kalos in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

Will the Kalos region be in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet? There’s a chance that we may see the Southern Kalos region featured in some Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC. If we look at the new map of the Paldea Region, we can see the entire region is surrounded by water, except for the North East. The top right corner of the map is clearly connected to another region, but it’s hidden by clouds. Since the Paldea Region is based on Spain, that area should be France, where the Kalos region is inspired by.

Map of the Paldea Region from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

If there is Kalos region DLC in Scarlet and Violet, it’ll likely be somewhere we’ve never explored before. On the other hand, Scarlet and Violet seem to be very rooted in Spanish culture and the developers might not want to stray from that concept. If they want to keep the game in Spain, they may find another hidden location to put DLC and save Kalos for the next Pokemon Legends game.

Preorder Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

If you’re hyped about the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games, now is the time to preorder. Pick Scarlet or Violet based on which Legendary you like more. Preordering from GameStop is reliable and PokePatch makes commission on qualifying purchases, so you’ll also be helping keep our website up. Thank you!

Get on GameStop >

How Raid Battles Work in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Pokepatch Pokemon Scarlet and Violet raid battles

Will Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Have Raid Battles?

Since Raid Battles were such a popular game mechanic in Pokemon Sword and Shield, it would be smart to bring raids back for Gen 9. A lot of fans have been asking will Raid Battles be in Scarlet and Violet? Short answer is yes! Instead of Dynamax Pokemon, we’ll battle Tera Pokemon in these raid battles.

A Tera Raid Den in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

How Do Raids Work?

Raids in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet work very similar to the ones in Sword & Shield. It’s a multiplayer mechanic where you fight powerful wild Pokemon, called Tera Pokemon, with your friends or other allies online. It seems like it will be more fast paced than the one from Gen 8. The raids in SwSh were pretty slow and players were waiting around for animations to finish most of the time. In Scarlet and Violet, you’ll be able to attack and heal with your own timing. This means you don’t have to wait for your turn and is the first time a mainline Pokemon game has strayed away from the traditional turn-based combat, besides Pokemon Legends Arceus.

Raid Battles Rewards

Raid Battles are pretty important for progress because of the rewards you get from them. Once you defeat a Tera Pokemon in a Raid Den, you’ll have the chance to catch it for yourself. Your teamates should also be able to catch this Pokemon. These are usually powerful and sometimes rare Pokemon. It’s also important to note that Pokemon with rare Tera Types are more likely to appear in Raids.

Preorder Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Get on GameStop >

What is Terastal Energy and Tera Orbs in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Pokepatch pokemon scarlet and violet terastal energy

A new trailer of the upcoming Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games released and revealed a game changing mechanic! There is something in the Paldea region known as the Terastal Phenomenon that affects Pokemon and can give you the upper hand in battler. Many fans are asking what are Tera Pokemon and how does Terastalization work?

What Does Terastallizing Do?

Terastallizing is the newest gimmick in the Pokemon franchise. Similar to Gigantamaxing and Dynamaxing your Pokemon in Sword & Sheild, Pokemon Scartlet & Violet has Terastallizing Pokemon. When you terastallize your Pokemon, a Tera jewel appears above the Pokemon and makes them shine like a crystal or cut gemstone. But it doesn’t just change the way your Pokemon looks, it also makes it more powerful and can even change your Pokemon’s type. This can be used in battle to counter other types of Pokemon with something that doesn’t traditionally do well against that certain type. This Terastallization will last until the end of the battle.

Tera Type

Each Pokemon will have a Tera Type. This is the type the Pokemon will turn into when it Terastallizes. It seems like you won’t be able to change a Pokemon’s Tera Type and they’ll be permanent. This means you’ll want to catch more Pokemon until you get one with a good Tera Type. Pokemon with Rare Tera Types are more likely to spawn in Raid Battles!

What are Tera Orbs?

To Terastallize your Pokemon, you’ll need a Tera Orb. Only certain trainers are allowed to have a Tera Orb, so you’ll need to progress in the game until you unlock one. Once you get a Tera Orb you can Terastalize your Pokemon. Tera Orbs can only be used once until it’s recharged again. To recharge a Tera Orb, you’ll need to refill it by touching crystals with Terastal Energy around the Paldea region or by resting at a Pokemon Center.

Preorder Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Get on GameStop >

The New BGS Slab vs The Old One

New BGS Label

At new.beckett.com, you can see a lot of new projects BGS is working on. Out of these projects the one that has everyone’s attention is the new slab design. BGS or Beckett Grading Services grade the quality and authenticity of collectable cards like Pokemon cards and put them in a protective slab. The design of that protective case has stayed the same for years, until now. The new design isn’t much different but has their new logo and a font change. Here you can see the difference between the new and old BGS slabs.

A tweet by @ThoseBackPages recently got a lot of collector’s attention. Many replies say they don’t like the new design. It could be because people are just used to the old slab that they don’t like the new one. It has a more modern look compared to the old one so it may take away some of the nostalgic feel for some collectors but it’s all subjective. Which one do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below.

Beckett Collect App

Along with the new BSG slab design, they’re also making an app called Beckett Collect. This will let you track your collection, sales data for cards, and let you browse tons of other collectable cards out there. Whether you love it or hate it, Beckett is trying new things to refresh their brand and platform. We’ll have to see if these changes stick and how the community responds to them in the long run, but it is nice seeing some new designs from a reputable grading service.

How Rare Are Gold Pokemon Cards?

If you’ve been opening Pokemon cards for a while, you may have noticed there are some cards that have a golden face and texture. If you haven’t seen these or noticed them, that’s normal as these are usually very rare and sometimes expensive. However, there are different types of golden Pokemon cards and many aren’t available in booster packs. Here are the gold Pokemon cards out there and how to get them.

Golden Secret Rares

Secret Rare cards are usually very rare with an average pull rate of 3%. On top of this low pull rate, not all Secret Rares are Golden Rares so cut that in half to about a 1.5% chance to pull a golden secret rare when opening packs. This number is just an average and will change depending on what set you’re opening. Looking up the pull rates of the set that you’re opening and looking for the secret rare pull rates will give you a better idea of your odds.

Gold Plated Pokemon Cards

All gold plated Pokemon cards are limited edition items and can’t be pulled out of booster packs. These come with special collection boxes or special promotions. The oldest gold plated cards came from Burger King in 1999 and can only be bought from 3rd party sellers nowadays. Even newer gold cards or metal cards, like the ones from the Celebrations Ultra Premium Collection box from 2021 are very expensive and hard to come by. It’s safe to say if The Pokemon Company decides to make more metal or gold cards similar to these, they’ll be very collectable and sell out quickly.

What’s Inside New Pokemon Halloween BOOster Packs?

Pokepatch Pokemon halloween booster packs whats inside

Halloween is right around the corner! This time of year, fans of the Pokemon TCG often find themselves giving out packs of Pokemon cards to kids for Halloween. It’s a healthy alternative to the sugary sweets and a way to share Pokemon hobby with the next generation. This year those fans will have another option besides regular booster packs. The Pokemon Company announced there will be Halloween themed booster packs coming out this year! Seasonal Pokemon cards and packs aren’t usually holiday themed, so this is a first! The release date is September 1st, 2022, and they’ll be available on the Pokemon Center website. This is quite a ways away from Halloween on October 31st but hopefully this mean they have a lot printed and there will be plenty to go around until the end of October.

Trick or Trade BOOster Bundle

These new Halloween Pokemon cards will be found in a bag called the Trick or Trade BOOster Bundle, which will contain 40 mini packs. This is rumored to cost about $14.99. At $0.38 a pack, that’s one of the cheapest Pokemon packs ever as the price for the usual sets are around $4.00 per pack. Since this is a special set, each pack will only come with 3 cards but there are holos in the set so it’s not just common cards. Cards in this set seem to be reprints of previous sets, so there might not be any new art, but each card will be stamped with a special Pikachu pumpkin icon, setting it apart from other cards. There likely won’t be anything rare in these packs as it’s just a small set of cards to give out to kids. This is probably a way to deter people from buying the packs just to open themselves. These are meant to be given away, but no one will blame you for opening a couple, yourself.

How to Open Pokemon Cards – Card Trick for Each Set

If you’re new to opening Pokemon card packs, you may have noticed cards are out of order in the pack. The order in which cards are not randomized, there’s a method to it. From opening the pack to revealing the cards, there are certain ways to do things that can enhance your experience and a lot of fans have normalized opening packs in this methodic way. Here’s how to open and how to reveal Pokemon cards.

How To Open Booster Packs

First things first, when opening a Pokemon booster pack, try your best to not bend or cut any of the cards. Some people cut packs open with scissors, which can be a regrettable idea if you accidently cut the top off of a rare card. The easiest way to open a pack is to grab the flap on the back and pinch the front. Gently pull the pack apart until the pack opens, you shouldn’t have to put that much pressure and if you do, you might bend the cards. Once you get the cards out of the pack, there is a way to sort them so the last card you reveal is the rare or holo.

How To Do The Card Trick

The Pokemon card trick is easy. While facing the cards down, meaning the Pokemon logo is facing you, grab x amount of cards from the side closest to you (the back) and put them in the front of the pack. This will make it so the 2nd to last card will be a reverse holo and the last card will be your rare, holo, or better. The Pokemon Company probably choses to sort their booster packs this way so that it positions the rarest card in the middle of the pack. This provides the most protection to it because it will be the last card to get bent or damaged if something happens to the pack. This goes for any modern packs after Sun & Moon but if you’re opening a special set or a pack that’s older, the card trick will be slightly different. For example the Sword and Shield Card Trick is 4 cards from the back while the Scarlet and Violet Card Trick is to only take 1 card from the back. Here are the card tricks for each set of Pokemon cards.

Card Trick for Each Pokemon Set

Scarlet & Violet – 1 card from the back
Sword & Shield – 4 cards
Sun & Moon – 4 cards
XY – 3 cards
Black & White – 3 cards
HS – 3 cards
Platinum – 3 cards
Diamond & Pearl – 3 cards
Aquapolis – 2 cards
Fossil – 3 cards
Jungle – 3 cards
Base Set – 3 cards