What was once a mystery which seemed eons away in the future has now become a relic of the past. Paradox Rift is finally being ushered into the limelight, trailing behind the end of The Pokemon World Championships 2023. Paradox Rift has been a set that has been known about since December of last year; however, it was only officially announced earlier this month. Finally this set has had its shroud of mystery expunged, and we can take our first real look at the next TCG set of the Scarlet and Violet era.
At the end of the Pokemon World Championships, a trailer was shown displaying several different Pokemon in a fun animation. The video reveals to us a plethora of Paradox Pokemon, and the cards they will be featured on. We are shown a range of different card rarities, essentially from basic holo-rare cards to art gallery cards. These cards feature a label near the top right corner which signifies whether the Paradox Pokemon is a "future" or "ancient" variant; perhaps this is a new TCG mechanic which will be expanded upon in the future. Since Paradox Pokemon do not evolve all of these cards are basic Pokemon, which will more than likely effect the competitive scene. We have not seen any terastalized forms of these Pokemon yet.
In addition to several individual cards, we've also had the first product of Paradox Rift shown to us. The Pokemon Center exclusive elite trainer box was unveiled as well, and it boasts one of the sleekest designs we've seen in some time. Featured on the product is Iron Valiant, which next to Roaring Moon will be the featured Pokemon of the set.
Paradox Pokemon are a new type of Pokemon found in generation nine, which are seen in the newest mainline games Scarlet and Violet. These Pokemon are found either in the supposed past and future, and are based off of "modern-day" Pokemon found in past generations. Some Pokemon, such as Volcarona, have both a past and future form; although, most Pokemon which have Paradox forms only have one variant.
Paradox Rift will have its preorders opened on October 21st, and will last up until the 29th. The set will officially release for retail on November 3rd.
