Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket players dove into the lush landscapes of the Paldea region Thursday as the highly anticipated Paldean Wonders expansion officially launched, introducing 131 new cards including powerful EX variants and immersive art that has sparked a frenzy of pack openings and social media shares.

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The expansion, set code B2a, went live at 6 a.m. UTC on Feb. 26, 2026 — equivalent to 5 p.m. PST on Feb. 25 — bringing Pokémon first discovered in Paldea to the mobile digital collectible card game developed by Creatures Inc. and DeNA Co. Official Pokémon announcements hailed it as a journey through "Paldea's lush landscape," featuring magical Terastal evolutions and starter Pokémon like Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly.

Among the chase cards are five new EX Pokémon: Meowscarada ex, Gholdengo ex (with a shimmery design), Armarouge ex, Bellibolt ex and Chien-Pao ex. These high-rarity pulls, often in two-star or three-star rainbow rare variants, have dominated X posts and YouTube openings since launch. Players like @PokeGirlLauren shared rainbow versions of Meowscarada ex, Armarouge ex, Bellibolt ex and Gholdengo ex, while @The_BryanD celebrated "favorite pulls" from gifted packs. An immersive Arven card, depicting the Paldea character in a dynamic scene, also emerged as a top want, with @PokeGirlLauren posting a triple-star version.

Rarest pulls include one-star Art Rares like Fuecoco, Greavard, Gimmighoul, Paldean Wooper, Orthworm and Maushold, alongside two-star rares and special rainbow arts. Gold-themed cards boast the lowest pull rates, making them highly sought after, though exact probabilities mirror prior sets: roughly 0.4% for top shinies and escalating for commons. Many higher-rarity cards reuse artwork from the physical Pokémon TCG, a point of discussion among collectors.

Early meta analysis highlights Chien-Pao ex paired with Baxcalibur for sniping opponent Pokémon, countered effectively by Gholdengo ex exploiting weaknesses. Meowscarada ex bolsters Grass decks with Solar Beam damage, while Armarouge ex shines in Fire but struggles against new Water types. Bellibolt ex synergizes with Genetic Apex Magneton setups. New solo battles against Paldean Wonders decks are now available in-game to test these strategies.

The launch coincides with a suite of events to keep players engaged. The Paldean Orders Emblem Event runs late February through early March, rewarding versus mode wins with exclusive profile emblems and items. A Bonus Week in early March offers pack and trade hourglasses plus accessories for daily logins. Mid-to-late March brings the Charcadet Drop Event — solo battle victories yield Promo Pack B Series Vol. 5 cards, including an exclusive Art Rare Charcadet — and a Pawmi & Paldean Clodsire Wonder Pick event unlocking Arven-themed cosmetics and promo exchange tickets.

Twelve themed collections and four secret missions provide free rewards like 36 Wonder Hourglasses, 12 Pack Hourglasses and 10 Shop Tickets each. Missions include "Coin Collecting" (Gimmighoul Art Rare, Gholdengo ex), "Paldean Wonders Museum 1" (six Art Rares) and "Museum 2" (five EX cards). New player covers featuring Sprigatito evolutions and Paldean Pokémon debut Feb. 28 at 10 p.m. PST.

Social media erupted with openings within hours. @PLDHnet announced the pack's arrival, noting over 90 cards including Gimmighoul ex and Arven immersive. @UniteVids detailed secret missions, while @DecypherSh865 shared a Bellibolt ex rainbow and shiny Tinkatuff. @LoganCoffe43786 bragged about a Meowscarada ex pull, and @ShAaron315 posted the full set showcase.

Pokémon TCG Pocket, which grossed $685 million in 2025 — second only to Love and Deepspace among gacha titles — continues its dominance with 47.2 million downloads. The free-to-play app, available on iOS and Android, emphasizes collecting, trading and versus battles with simplified rules.

The Pokémon Company Group stated, "We hope you're excited to take on your own pocket-sized independent study and expand your collection with Paldean Wonders!" As players grind missions and chase rainbows, the expansion promises to reshape the competitive meta through April.

For more, visit pokemon.com or download Pokémon TCG Pocket. Events and trading are live now.