Although everyone loves the Pokémon TCG, it is difficult to know everything about the game. As such, only die-hard players tend to know the game’s history and some of its lesser-known hidden details. Along with the positives, they might also learn about a few negatives.

The Pokémon TCG is beloved by many, but its true fans know the inside story. Here, you have got an opportunity to learn a couple of things about the iconic game that few people know.

10 Happy Birthday Pikachu

A bit part of the Pokémon TCG, like most trading card games, is that mad rush to find the highest-rated and rarest cards. Some of them are even banned because they simply break the game. Others are just quirky and delightful.

One of the more unique cards is Happy Birthday Pikachu, which not only has an attractive artwork but also boosts its attacking power if it happens to be the player’s birthday. It is indeed the most beneficial present to have while celebrating your birthday.

9 A Special One - Raichu Card

Occasionally, a super unique card is published for promotional purposes. While not often the strongest of cards, they tend to be worth a lot. Just before the game became huge outside of Japan, a limited batch of Raichu cards was made which differ from the rest of the cards, as each one of them had the word “prerelease” written on the bottom.

Interestingly, only about ten copied were made and almost all of them were able to fetch a huge price at auctions.

8 Pikachu - An Artist!

While a lot is known about Pokémon’s mascot, some might be surprised to learn that Pikachu has a hidden talent. Yes, Pikachu has some artistic skills, as proven through the famous Illustrator TCG cards. These cards were rewarded to winning artists who competed in a 1998 illustration contest.

A total of 39 cards were originally introduced and these too got amazing attention at auction because of their limited nature and popularity.

7 Guess The Rarest (Early & Traditional) Pokémon TCG Card

All true fans of the Pokémon TCG must know that when the initial base set of the cards was introduced, all playgrounds were filled with players searching for a Charizard. Even today, Charizard remains a golden card for many players.

While most Charizard cards are not worth all that much, a first-edition version can attract quite a hefty sum at auctions.

6 A Card’s Rarity

There are thousands of Pokémon TCG cards available, which naturally makes it difficult to hunt for the rarer ones. So, it can be extremely helpful for players to identify the timeline of a card they have found.

To check a card’s rarity, simply check the card’s bottom corner. If there is a circle, it means it is way too common. If there is a diamond, the card is a little uncommon. A star represents a rare one and, lastly, if there is a white star, the card is ultra-rare. However, there are cards that go beyond a set’s (seemingly) rarest cards. While every set mentions that it contains a specific number of cards, secret cards exist that are numbered above that threshold.

5 Old Is No Longer Gold

Old is not gold in Pokémon TCG. Due to the increase in the latest edition of the cards, the older ones have become out of scope. Moreover, just like many other games, the Pokémon TCG has also been upgrading the powers of its monsters, therefore, it becomes a lot more difficult for the users to compete using the older cards.

While this does not mean players cannot play with older cards, they are not usually of much use.

4 Preconstructed Decks

The problem with the Pokémon TCG is that it can get a little frustrating to have to constantly update a deck to stay competitive. So, it could be tempting to just pick up a preconstructed theme deck rather than going through the trouble of building one from scratch. While fine for those new to the game, these decks tend to have a short lifespan and are usually too limited in scope to be particularly competitive.

Moreover, as the older sets grow less relevant, the value of said cards rapidly decreases. Hence, every true fan knows the importance of keeping the set updated with newer cards. Pokémon TCG rewards adaptability.

3 What To Do With 12,987 Cards?

How does one even get nearly 13,000 Pokémon TCG cards? With some help, a UK collector managed to collected 12,987 Pokémon cards to put together a Pikachu mosaic.

In 2016, Quentin Devine and the Pokémon Company celebrated the franchise’s 20th anniversary with this huge project. This spectacular mosaic is considered as the largest to date, coming in at over 70 square meters.

2 Pokémon TCG Is For Everyone

Pokémon TCG might be dismissed as some people as a game for the young generation; however, there is a huge number of adults who also enjoy a competitive match of Pokémon.

Parents have been found playing the game with their kids due to its strategical structure. Many adults are even competing in tournaments and running Pokémon YouTube channels. It is truly a game for all ages.

1 The Pokémon TCG Community

While Pokémon TCG fans love playing the game, the community loves to put together giveaways that highlight the sense of camaraderie prevalent throughout the Pokémon family.

Pokémon TCG is quite a competitive scene, which can bring out the best and worst in people. Thankfully, the card game tends to inspire more of the former than the latter.

NEXT: The 10 Cutest Dragon-Type Pokemon