Pokémon‘s hit mobile game, Pokémon TCG Pocket, has pulled two illustrations from its latest expansion, amid plagiarism accusations. “Wisdom of Sea and Sky” was released this week on July 29, 2025. Following the recent claims, the art has been removed from the game and will be replaced at a later date.
Players who now pull the immersive Ho-Oh ex and Lugia ex card will no longer be met with stunning art, but a blank canvas with text that reads “new art coming soon.” The cards are still playable in the game, it’s just going to be blank for the time being. Originally, the Ho-Oh ex immersive card features the legendary bird from the Johto region, spreading its wings in front of a golden background, while the Lugia ex Card features the legendary Pokémon, roaring with the waves.
The plagiarism claims began when a Twitter/X user @lanjiujiu compared their drawing of Ho-Oh with the illustration in question, accusing the mobile game of copying, claiming it is identical. Since then, the Pokémon Company immediately addressed the situation via its website, stating that after an “internal review,” the team “provided incorrect materials” by mistake and that they are now actively working to replace the artwork and will be ready when it’s released. Additionally, only the Ho-Oh ex and Lugia ex cards were affected in this set. @lanjiujiu released a response on social media, praising the PTCGP team for their swift action.
？。？？？？？？ https://t.co/RpaBHRfW1h pic.twitter.com/e5ggVtnD7Q
— 昼时歌 (@lanjiujiu) July 29, 2025
Pokémon TCG Pocket is a mobile game that allows players to play a modified version of the TCG but in a mobile format, while also encouraging players to collect, showcase, and trade cards they’ve got through opening packs. The app first came out in 2024 and was nominated for “Best Mobile Game” at the 2024 Game Awards. “Wisdom of Sea and Sky” is the ninth expansion of Pokémon TCG Pocket, following the release of Eevee Grove back on June 26, 2025. This set focuses on Generation II, introduces the baby Pokémon to the game, containing 161 cards in the main set and 241 in total when counting the various rare cards.
Pokémon TCG Pocket is available now on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
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Erielle Sudario
If she's not podcasting, Erielle Sudario is seen either playing Baldurs Gate 3, The Sims, or a really cute cozy indie game that she found either in conventions or on TikTok. Outside of gaming, she's either embracing her inner Swiftie, building keyboards, or watching shows/films in theatres or streaming platforms.
