In Pokémon, the Terastal phenomenon allows its creatures to transform into geometric, gem-like versions of themselves. When this temporary form is active, a fluffy bipedal bunny Pokémon like Cinderace crystalizes and looks like a glimmering piece of glass that’s fit to adorn an intricate chandelier.
Terastallized Pokémon were introduced as a battle gimmick in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and soon they will be the focus of the upcoming Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, Scarlet & Violet — Stellar Crown. Ahead of its public release on Sept. 13, Polygon had the chance to crack some packs. What we found is that while its rare Terastallized Pokémon may shine, sometimes the cutest cards are just of a little guy eating cake.
The Pokémon Company sent along a Booster Box, an Elite Trainer Box, and a Build & Battle box for us to check out. Although this expansion centers Terastallized Pokémon, they’re rarer to come across than some previous chase cards. We only pulled two cards featuring the art of Terastallized Pokémon in the whole batch. However, the absence of these cards didn’t seem like the end of the world.
The physical production of the Galvantula EX card we pulled layered rainbow sparkles and gems on top of an already shimmering Pokémon. The full card art for Lapras EX looked a bit cleaner in comparison, and had a funfetti cake-esque color scheme to it, which gave it a more whimsical feel. More than anything, the gem- inspired designs of the Terastallized Pokémon came across as pretty gaudy in person.
But at the end of all our cracking, the cards that stuck out the most weren’t those two, big, shiny gems, but everything else that we found. We pulled the full card art for Lacey, and she looks downright cute in her big fluffy cardigan. This set also has a full card art version of Squirtle that depicts him in an inflatable kiddie pool with some Pidgey. It’s hard to beat some kiddie pool shenanigans, but my favorite by far was just the alternate card art for this big dumb Gulpin. It shows the round blob of a creature with its mouth open, about to eat a cake; The brainless look on its face, paired with the adorable pastel color scheme, made it an instant favorite.
The Gulpin looked like the exact opposite of all the gem-cut Pokémon on the packaging for this expansion. It’s just a round squishy guy that wants to eat some cake. It’s not attacking anything in the art and it’s not strong, but for us, it’s the kind of card that stood out in the Scarlet & Violet — Stellar Crown expansion.
Pokémon Trading Card Game’s Scarlet & Violet — Stellar Crown expansion is currently available at retail, including at local retailers and online at places like Amazon. The game was reviewed using a copy provided by The Pokémon Company. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.