Generation 4 Pokemon Gets First Trading Card in Over 15 Years

Summary

Chingling, a Gen 4 Pokemon, is finally getting a new TCG card after over a 15 year wait, part of Team Rocket expansion.
Chingling has only 30 HP, forces player to discard a face-down card; collectors excited.
Chingling was last seen in TCG in 2009, while its evolved form, Chimecho, has 14 cards; high demand expected for new release.

A Pokemon from Gen 4, Chingling, is getting a new Pokemon TCG card after seeing no new releases since 2009. Though there are over a thousand Pokemon in the series now, most haven’t been neglected this badly, so it’s arguably long overdue to see Chingling in Pokemon TCG again.

Chingling was introduced to the series when Pokemon Diamond and Pearl launched back in 2006. While baby Pokemon typically aren’t great for battling with, they’re the favorites of many fans, and can be useful in some capacities. However, Chingling hasn’t really seen much attention in the core game series, either. Chingling was only available in Gen 7 through transfers, completely unavailable in Pokemon Sword and Shield, and initially only available by trade in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

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As reported by VideoGamesChronicle, a new Chingling card will be arriving in the Japanese The Glory of Team Rocket release. Destined Rivals, an expansion set to release in May, should have the cards that this Japanese expansion contains. Chingling has 30 HP, and based on an automatic translation, its ability forces a player to discard a face-down card at random from their hand. This will be the fourth Chingling Pokemon TCG card ever released.

Team Rocket’s Chingling

Fans seem to be amused by the new Chingling card being part of the “evil” Team Rocket TCG release. While this particular Chingling is supposed to simply belong to Team Rocket, it may be a nod to James’ own Chimecho, which is its evolved form. James eventually released his Chimecho, but expressed a fondness for Chingling in an episode, as it reminded him of his own Pokemon.

Prior to the launch of this set, Chingling had only received three cards in the Pokemon TCG. For a while, Chingling was seeing annual releases, initially arriving to the tabletop game one year after its release in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, in 2007. Chingling was featured in Mysterious Treasures, followed by Majestic Dawn in 2008, and finally Supreme Victors in 2009. After that, the Chingling cards simply stopped coming. However, its evolved form has been far less neglected, initially appearing in the Pokemon TCG game in 2004, and seeing a total of 14 cards released overall thus far. Its last card premiered in 2024 with the Twilight Masquerade expansion.

While the capabilities of this card are questionable with its low HP, that may not matter to some fans. Many Pokemon TCG card buyers are collectors and don’t actually play the game, so it may be enough to simply see a favorite baby Pokemon back again. However, with the recent demand for Pokemon TCG releases, fans shouldn’t delay on trying to get it.