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Famous magician Uri Geller has confirmed that Kadabra will finally get a card for the Pokemon TCG on June 16, 2023. For those out of the loop, he had a huge legal dispute against Nintendo in 2000 that eventually led to the Psychic-type's card no longer being printed in new sets.
No other Pocket Monster has ever been absent from the game for as long as this entity was. Moreover, the incident led to Abra having to evolve directly into Alakazam in the former's final appearance in Pokemon TCG.
The Pokemon TCG will feature a Kadabra card on June 16, 2023
The above tweet comes from Uri Geller, who briefly summarizes:
- Uri Geller originally sued Nintendo for using his likeliness (Kadabra's Japanese name is Yungerer).
- Uri Geller had a change of heart and lifted the ban.
- A new card will finally be released on June 16, 2023.
He also claims that he wasn't paid anything to remove the ban and simply did it because he thought of his granddaughters and wanted to bring the card back into circulation.
Note: The card pictured behind Uri Geller in the tweet above is an old one from Expansion Sheet 3, which was released in 1998.
This new stance by Uri Geller is a far cry from what he stated back in 1999, according to a report by The Guardian:
"They can't just make money out of my name and image and try to get away with it by changing the name of the card outside Japan. I've already had several emails from people asking if it is really me on the card and saying how I must have been given a fortune by Nintendo for using my name. I'm very angry about this."
A lot can change in over 20 years, including Uri Geller apologizing and allowing Kadabra to return to the Pokemon TCG.
Kadabra's last card in the Pokemon TCG
For reference, the final card this Psychic-type ever received is the one shown above. It was released in the Skyridge set, which came to English audiences on May 12, 2003. Amusingly enough, it was also the final set produced by Wizards of the Coast.
Abra and Alakazam would get cards after that, with the former having to evolve straight to the latter due to Kadabra's absence from future packs. Abra hasn't had a new card in the Pokemon TCG since 2007, although Alakazam has had some as recently as 2022.
Pokemon Card 151
The new set will have 165 cards, which don't include any potential secret rares that are yet to be disclosed. Moreover, every booster box will consist of 20 packs that cost 5,800 yen. No global release date or news has been announced for this fresh collection.
This new set reportedly includes a Mew deck box and card sleeves. Unfortunately, there aren't any specific listings regarding the new effects and artwork for all cards included in these packs.
At the very least, TCG enthusiasts can get the Japanese set on June 16, 2023. Given its name, one can safely assume that everything from Kanto will be included in the release, even Kadabra.
