[singsong] on the road again.... we are on the road again.

this weekend we are invading the esplande in new orleans! if you happen to be down that way this weekend, come give us a zeo hey, or just a regular 'hey'. the choice it totally open. :D

anyway, we're going to be spending three extra days in new orleans so we're not 100% sure of our updating schedule... this might be one of the last updates until thursday. oooooooooor it might not be ;) we're not sure yet.

REDMOND, Wash., June 5, 2003 - Nintendo of America Inc., now the distributor of both video and trading card games for the Pokémon franchise, announces an exciting expansion to the Pokémon Trading Card Game with the June 18th release of Pokémon-e TCG: EX Ruby and Sapphire.  The newest addition to the popular trading card game features EXpanded playability, EXciting all-new Pokémon and EXtreme new strategies.

The highly successful release of the Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire for Game Boy® Advance games this March has sold nearly 2 million copies.  Pokémon-e Trading Card Game EX Ruby and Sapphire introduces over 40 new characters from those games - the first new Pokémon for the franchise since October 2000.  The Pokémon-e TCG cards include the fiery Torchic, the cool Treecko and the tiny and surprising Mudkip, while favorites like Mewtwo and Magmar return as  Pokémon-ex with updated and exciting new rules.  These new cards bring the total number of unique Pokémon characters to nearly 400!

Pokémon-e TCG: EX Ruby and Sapphire are completely compatible with previous Pokémon Trading Card Game releases and for the first time allows 2-on-2 Pokémon battles.  The new set also introduces the new high-risk, high reward Pokémon-ex characters - powerful creatures with more hit points and stronger attacks

"Given the overwhelming success of the recent video game launch, the addition of more than 40 new characters, as well as the exciting new strategic play options, we are anticipating a phenomenal demand for this new release.  Existing players and newcomers alike will have a great time collecting and playing with this newly expanded version of the Pokémon-e TCG," says Gail Tilden, Nintendo's Vice President, Brand Management.

The expansion set features eight of the challenging Pokémon-ex; and updated rules streamlining game play and enhancing strategic deck building.  The innovative e-Reader function allows players to access EXtra Pokédex information from their Pokémon-e cards, helping to redefine the game for both players and collectors.

Pokémon-e TCG: EX Ruby and Sapphire theme decks and booster packs go on sale June 18th with a MSRP of $10.99 for the theme decks and $3.29 for the booster packs.  Each pack features nine randomly inserted game cards (five common, two uncommon, one rare, one reverse holo).  Theme decks include a 60 card deck, plus one holographic card, a card list, game coin, damage counters and an updated rulebook.  Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and e-Reader are required to access the data on the card.

hmmm.... neither poink NOR mini are around to make up an introduction for poor lil porygon, our equation card of the day.... so i'll have to do it myself.

OOOOOOOOR, i could burst into the chatroom, pick a random zeophyte and make THEM do one. ....that sounds like an excellent idea.

[bursts into 247]
ech: WHO IS ALIVE?!
[ech looks around]
Elroy: o_o. i am
ech: you don't count. i need someone whom i can't normally issue to do things
Elroy: oh
[ech waits]
ech: okay, fine. you win. elroy, write me an intro
Elroy: ...an intro for what?
ech: gah! do i have to explain EVERYTHING!
Elroy: oh
ech: just write me an intro!
Elroy: AND NOW FOR YOUR VIEWING ENJOYMENT THE GREAT SPECTACULAR THING THAT'S BELOW THE INTRO!

Elroy: not tib
ech: HYPER TY— oh
Hyper Tiberious: hey!
Elroy: he's not great and spectacular
Hyper Tiberious: err, did I miss something?
Hyper Tiberious: and who are you to tell me I'm not "great and spectacular"?
ech: works for me
[ech rambles back off to the update]

hmmm.... what should we have for today? i suppose i could pull a story off the forums that seems to have everyone talking. ...at least in SOME capacity. :D

anyway before we get into that lets get the REAL update information out of the way. as you all know, today is the wotc weekly chat, so be on the lookout for that at 6est/3pst. maybe we can find out what/if there is a best promo number 10.... and if its what the rumor says it is. [the rumor says its cleffa... i dont know if i like rumors...] and i dunno... maybe get an idea of how many more weekly chats there'll be.

its kinda winding up. i mean nintendo is releasing pokemon ex ruby/sapphire in just under two weeks... and they are starting a card of the day feature on monday, where we can preview 10 cards from the new set on ten consecutive days. i dunno.... i know that i personally cant wait to see some more of the new cards. >_< of course the new cards means new scans, and new scans means new blanks and new blanks means..... aaargh.

also to promote the new set of cards, the pokemon center is having another extravaganza, and yet again it happens to be during the weekend when pure is out of town. :( we reeeeally gotta lobby to have these things held on tuesday afternoon or something. :D

Do we know how to throw a party or what?  Right on the heels of our wildly successful Pokémon Rocks event, we're throwing another celebration – this time for the new, sure-to-be-huge Pokémon-e TCG: EX Ruby and Sapphire!

These new cards will feature powerful Pokémon from Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire, along with a few surprises as well (check out our feature in the trading card section coming soon!)

Don't know how to play? Don't worry – at the Pokémon EXtreme event, we're hosting a Pokémon-e Trading Card Game School, complete with information, strategies, and inside tips from the experts themselves.

We'll also have Radio Disney's Party Patrol on hand, featuring a special concert performance by former Dream Street artist Greg Raposo.

Of course we'll have our usual slate of awesome balloon sculptures, face-painters, contests, prizes, and giveaways. Put this EXtreme event on your calendar, and be there to “get decked” with the big boys on June 14th!

ech: poink, write an intro
Poinko: ¬_¬
Poinko: here goes. 'look, it's alakazam!'. like it?
ech: no.
Poinko: :'(
Poinko: but i worked so hard on it. that's 5 seconds of my life i'll never get back! that's 25 keystrokes of my life i'll never get to undo!
ech: just do an intro and spare the drama
Poinko: but that was my best subject in high school
mini: drama! lol!
Poinko: im not good at writing intros. you do a far better job of it, ech
mini: whats an intro
Poinko: something that introduces something else. you know like, when conan o'brien says stupid jokes at the beginning of his show
mini: (Mental picture shows up in ur mind........ suddenly you hit a bar) then ur alakazem hits one too what a dork.... wait hes already a dork well here it is

Poinko: wow, that's even better than what ech does! i want that for my intro!!!
ech gives in: ....fine....
Poinko: what? it's a literary masterpiece! you're giving Shakespeare a real run for his money, mini
mini: lol

alright! its the fourth of juuuuuuuuuuu-une! which means only one more month until the fourth of july. of course the fourth of june really has no bearing on much, but we do have a nice amount of update fodder for you, so lets head off and take a look, shall we?

Hi all! Gloom here again with another Deck Profile! Tonight's subject is Insanity, the deck which is easily accredited to the way we play the game today. A bit more of a historical edge to this one, should be interesting for both those new to the game, and those who remember the days when Insanity ruled supreme. ;D

um.... well, gloom actually just said everything i did. or rather i said everything he did but before he did. right? [scratches his head] but if i said it before he did but he actually said all that much earlier than i said it that means that i'm copying him before he actually said it..... [clutches his head]

quick little update to the promo page.... and by quick little update i mean adding the cards for the past year that we kinda forgot to... ^_^'

anyway, marril and mt both helped get this page in order.... adding new scans, updating information, you know the stuff that makes the page... well... the page! we still have to add all the jumbo battlezone cards as well as the new pokemon ruby/sapphire ones.... but we dont want to have all the fun in one day do we? [besides.... i kinda forgot to get mt to scan them.... ^_^']

and lastly we have some new work from the palate of poink.

first we have a cool new equation card, the killer kadabra!