Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Obsidian Flames, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, Ruler of the Black Flame

Pokémon TCG Japan's Ruler Of The Black Flame: Ortega Full Art

Naoki Saito has become the most popular Full Art Trainer artist in the Pokémon TCG & now contributes an Ortega card to the next Japanese set.

We are beginning to get more information and card reveals from the next set of the Scarlet & Violet era. Pokémon TCG Japan will release the Charizard-themed expansion Ruler of the Black Flame on July 28th, and it will include 108 cards, not including Secret Rare cards. This expansion will be the first to feature Tera Pokémon with a Tera type that differs from its standard typing. This will be most prominently seen on the Dark-type Tera Charizard ex but will also show up on the Fire-type Tera Eiscue ex and Electric-type Tera Tyranitar ex. It has already been confirmed that this set will, in part, make up Scarlet & Violet – Obsidian Flames, which will be our English-language Pokémon TCG set for August 2023. It is expected that Ruler of the Black Flame will combine with the cards from the upcoming Japanese ex Starter Decks as well as leftover cards from other Japanese sets this year. Today, let's take a look at look at another Full Art from this set.

The newly revealed Full Art Trainer, Supporter from Ruler of the Black Flame, features Ortega, a new Trainer from the Paldea region. Ortega is the boss of Team Star's Ruchbah Squad and he specializes in Fairy-type Pokémon. His squad includes Azumarill, Wigglytuff, Dachsbun, Revavroom, Klefki, and Hatterene. This pastel-colored Ortega card is illustrated by Naoki Saito, who also draws the standard version of the card in this set. Naoki Saito is a long-time contributor to the Pokémon TCG, with their first credit appearing in HeartGold SoulSilver. The card was the above Growlithe, which established Saito's well-known cute style that matched the character designs perfectly while adding a stylized flair. In recent years, Naoki Saito has become known as the most popular Full Art Trainer artist in the hobby.

Japanese sets often give us early ideas of what the English-language sets may include, so be sure to keep an eye on our coverage. You can stay tuned for previews of Scarlet & Violet cards as well as updates on everything Pokémon TCG right here at Bleeding Cool.

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