Another Neglected Pokemon Is Getting A New TCG Card, And It Sounds Like A Terror

Another Baby Pokémon is getting its first Pokémon card in years, and this one looks to be another terror in the metagame. Baby Pokémon have long had an awkward spot in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. As many of their evolved counterparts are considered Basic Pokémon, Pokémon TCG has often neglected working in even popular Baby Pokémon like Pichu in its sets.

However, recent sets are bringing back Baby Pokémon, with a new card looking to be an absolute pain in the neck for opposing players. The upcoming Glory of Team Rocket set will feature Team Rocket's Chingling (per VGC), the first Chingling card in 15 years. Like other recently reintroduced Baby Pokémon cards, Team Rocket's Chingling has a low HP but a valuable no Energy cost attack.

In this case, Team Rocket's Chingling discards a random card from its opponent's hand every turn that it's an Active Pokémon. While Chingling's HP isn't very high at just 30 HP, the ability to discard opponents' cards while setting up other Pokémon is invaluable.

Baby Pokémon Are Becoming A Real Force in Pokémon TCG

Baby Pokémon Provide Energy-Free Attacks That Can Be Used In Any Deck

Team Rocket's Chingling and other Baby Pokémon are becoming major threats in the Pokémon TCG. The reason is that they all have attacks that have no Energy cost, meaning they can be played for free. For instance, Budew, another recently reintroduced Baby Pokémon card, shuts down the use of Item cards, which can be absolutely devastating to some meta-relevant decks. Cleffa, meanwhile, allows a player to draw until their hand has six cards.

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The key to Baby Pokémon is that since they have no Energy cost, they can be used in any deck. They also have no Retreat Cost, meaning players can play them until they have a stronger Pokémon set up and ready to attack their opponents. Team Rocket's Chingling fits with the control theme of Team Rocket decks, but other decks may find some use for a card that forces their opponent to discard every single turn, potentially shutting down their entire strategy until they can use an item that pulls cards out of the discard pile.

Our Take: Excited To See Another Baby Pokémon Return To The Pokémon TCG

Chingling's Return Is Long Overdue

One of the things that the Pokémon TCG does best is to bring the spotlight to overlooked Pokémon. Budew's recent inclusion in many meta-relevant decks is a great example of this. We're excited to see how Team Rocket's Chingling is used by players, and we're hopeful that the card will also get an Illustration Rare treatment. Either way, I'm glad that Chingling is getting its first Pokémon card in 15 years, as there are now even fewer long-forgotten Pokémon within the Pokémon Trading Card Game.