Blastoise Makes a Splash in Aura Seeker

Aura Seeker keeps on giving. On October 30, a brand new Blastoise from the set surfaced in Traditional Chinese, weeks ahead of the Japanese launch on November 27. The reveal arrived with a surprise partner, an alternate art Mega Lucario Z ex, plus stamped reprints of the Treecko line. When these cards reach English in Flowing Fists on February 5, Blastoise should be one of the first cards Water players reach for.

Built to splash the Bench

Blastoise is card 016 of 078 in Aura Seeker, a Stage 2 Water Pokemon with 170 HP that evolves from Wartortle, illustrated by Tonji Matsuno. Its Ability does the talking. While Blastoise is in play, attacks from your Water Pokemon do 30 more damage to your opponent's Benched Pokemon, and the effect does not stack with a second copy. Its own attack, Heavy Splash, needs three Water Energy and hits the Active Pokemon for 140 damage. A Lightning weakness and a retreat cost of three keep it honest, but a support Pokemon that makes every snipe in the deck hurt more is the kind of card that builds a strategy around itself.

A Squirtle clue from an early McDonald's reveal

The timing made this reveal even better. One day earlier, Pokemon accidentally showed cards from the 2027 McDonald's promotion, a year early. Among them was an English Squirtle, M27 EN 006 of 015, illustrated by Kariya, a Basic Water Pokemon with 80 HP and an attack called Splatter that does 10 damage to one of your opponent's Pokemon. PokeBeach notes that this Squirtle should be the Basic Pokemon sitting underneath the Aura Seeker Blastoise, and the pairing is plain to see. A 10 damage snipe is easy to shrug off, but with Blastoise in play, that same Splatter aimed at the Bench lands for 40, enough to soften up a Basic Pokemon long before Blastoise itself ever attacks.

Alternate art treats from overseas sets

Hong Kong and Taiwan are getting two special Aura Seeker products. An Aura Seeker Bonus Set there will carry alternate art reprints of Blastoise and Mega Lucario Z ex. The alternate art Blastoise, illustrated by Dsuke, carries the Aura Seeker stamp and shows Blastoise charging through the surf. The alternate art Mega Lucario Z ex, illustrated by 5ban Graphics, gives the set headliner a bold new pose at 330 HP. PokeBeach expects the Blastoise could become one of the four Flowing Fists Prerelease promos in English, and that the Lucario could turn up as a spring tin promo. Neither move is confirmed, so for now both are hopeful reading rather than a promise.

A separate 10 Pack Plus Set in Hong Kong and Taiwan adds stamped reprints from the set, including Bellsprout, Treecko and Grovyle. That Grovyle is a Stage 1 Grass Pokemon with 90 HP and a Solar Blade attack for 40 damage, and seeing the Treecko line back on brand new cards is a small joy all on its own.

One more mystery to watch

One door stays closed for now. Blastoise, the Treecko line and the other newly shown Pokemon can all Mega Evolve in the video games, yet PokeBeach expects no Mega Evolution cards for them inside Aura Seeker itself, Lucario aside. Attention is already turning to the still mysterious MEGA x MEGA Parade set, because if a Mega Blastoise or a Mega Sceptile is waiting anywhere, that is the place fans will watch first. Until then, Aura Seeker lands in Japan on November 27, and Water players have a splashy new Stage 2 to plan around.