Pokémon TCG Pocket renews cards after plagiarism controversy

The launch of the Marine and Sky Blue expansion for Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket was surrounded by criticism. Two of its most notable cards, Ho-Oh and Lugia, were singled out for using images previously created by another artist.

The case led to accusations of plagiarism and criticism toward illustrator Sie Nanahara, whose name appeared on the cards, although she was not responsible for the incident.

Official response and withdrawal of the designs

The Pokémon Company immediately withdrew the illustrations and asked that Nanahara not be blamed. The company clarified that she had no involvement in the selection of the disputed images.

The affected cards temporarily displayed the phrase  "new image coming soon" instead of the original illustration, while an official replacement was being prepared.

New illustrations for Ho-Oh and Lugia

Days later, the new designs for both cards became available. The renewed illustrations received praise from players for their quality and style, successfully leaving the controversy behind.

Those who already had the cards in their collection do not need to obtain them again: the images were automatically updated in the game.

End of the conflict and return to normalcy

With the controversy solved, fans can once again use and display their cards without restrictions. The update ensures that both collectors and competitors have official and approved versions of Ho-Oh and Lugia.

The measure closes one of the tensest episodes for Pokémon TCG Pocket in its latest expansions, reinforcing the company's commitment to copyright protection.