Welcome to PokéMart Monthly: April 2025, your comprehensive roundup of the latest developments in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) universe. This month has been particularly eventful, with significant updates, thrilling events, and intriguing market trends. Let’s dive into the highlights:
🌌 Celestial Guardians Expansion Launches in Pokémon TCG Pocket
On April 30, 2025, Pokémon TCG Pocket released the highly anticipated Celestial Guardians expansion. This set introduces over 200 new cards, spotlighting Alola region favorites such as Solgaleo ex, Lunala ex, and Alolan variants like Raichu and Marowak. Notably, this expansion debuts the first immersive Supporter card featuring Lillie, enhancing the game’s visual and strategic appeal.
A significant gameplay addition is the reintroduction of the Rare Candy card, allowing Basic Pokémon to evolve directly into Stage 2, bypassing Stage 1. This mechanic is poised to shift the competitive meta by accelerating evolution strategies.
To celebrate the game’s six-month anniversary, a special event runs from April 29 to May 12, offering solo battles and missions that reward players with exclusive promo packs and a full-art Rayquaza ex card.
🏆 Tournament Highlights: April 2025
April witnessed several major tournaments, including the Atlanta Regional Championships (April 11–13), Monterrey Regional Championships (April 19–20), and the Seville Pokémon TCG Cup (April 26–27). These events showcased top-tier strategies and emerging deck archetypes.
In the Atlanta Regional Championships, Henry Chao clinched first place in the Masters division with a Gardevoir deck, while Andrew Hedrick secured second place using a Dragapult deck.
🔄 Standard Format Rotation Takes Effect
The annual Standard format rotation occurred on April 11, 2025, removing cards with the “F” regulation mark from competitive play. This rotation aims to maintain a healthy competitive environment by encouraging new strategies and allowing new players to engage with recent releases.
💹 Market Trends: Paradox Rift Set Gains Value
The Paradox Rift set has seen a notable increase in value this month. Collectors and players are particularly interested in the Ancient and Future-themed cards, reflecting a growing demand for these unique designs.
🛠️ Pokémon TCG Live: Silver Series Challenge
Following maintenance on April 24, Pokémon TCG Live introduced the Silver Series challenge, running until May 8. This event restricts deck-building to Common, Uncommon, and Rare cards from the Scarlet & Violet series, offering a fresh and strategic gameplay experience.
Stay tuned for next month’s edition of PokéMart Monthly as we continue to bring you the latest news, trends, and insights from the world of Pokémon Trading Card Game.
