The Pokémon Trading Card Gamemay be gearing up to return to the past if some new trademarks are to be believed. When it comes to the ever-popular tabletop game, The Pokémon Company usually does a decent amount of brand synergy by syncing set releases with recently launched video games, new seasons of the anime, or animated movies. With that in mind, it’s undoubtedly odd that the publisher is seemingly looking back at one of the franchise’s most beloved chapters rather thanpreparing for a future release.
Over on X (formerly Twitter), journalist and insiderJoe Merrickreported thatThe Pokémon Company recently filed trademarks for two products: Black Volt and White Flare.
These both appeared alongside another trademark for something called “Hot Air Arena,” which is likely anotherTrading Card Gameseteven though its name doesn’t match the usual trend. The discovery has set the community ablaze as fans speculate thatthe titles could be a reference to Zekrom and Reshiram, two Legendary Pokémon fromPokémon Black & White.
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What Could Black Volt and White Flare Be?
Don’t Get Those Hopes Too High
Following the deduction that Black Volt and White Flare couldrefer to Zekrom and Reshiram, fans have been inundated with theories thatGame Freak is finally working on the long-awaited remakes ofBlackandWhite. There’s no evidence to support this as even Merrick threw water on the fire by stating that if the trademarks were for a game, they would include the word “Pokémon.” Even if the trademarks are for theTrading Card Game, it’s odd that a set seemingly focused onBlackandWhiteis in the works whenScarletandVioletare the most recent games.
Having said that, the original release date ofBlackandWhitemay be the answer to the conundrum.Both games were released in September 2010, meaning they’ll be celebrating their 15th anniversary in 2025. Since The Pokémon Company tends to trademark set collections between six months and a year before they debut, it could be preparing for acelebratory set dedicated to the video games.
Whether that is the case remains to be seen; a celebratory collection wouldn’t be out of the question, especially if it’s a smaller set dedicated to spotlighting some of Gen 5’s most iconic Pokémon like Zekrom and Reshiram.The Pokémon Trading Card Game is constantly looking to the future, but a glance at what came before can also be fun.
