Pokémon TCG Pocket Pulls Ho-Oh & Lugia Art After Tracing Uproar
Fan art, corporate oversight, and legendary birds collide in the latest clash over creative credit.
Here’s the TL;DR…
Artwork yanked: The new Ho-Oh EX and Lugia EX immersive art cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Wisdom of Sea & Sky set vanished after accusations they were traced from fan artist lanjiujiu’s 2021 illustrations.
Immediate fix: Players now see blank placeholders in-game; The Pokémon Company apologized and promised replacement art.
Bigger picture: Payment-processor rules, past plagiarism scares, and vigilant fans mean IP scrutiny is at an all-time high for digital card releases.
How the Tracing Allegations Hatched
Chinese artist lanjiujiu posted side-by-side comparisons on X showing uncanny similarities between his 2021 Ho-Oh fan piece and Pokémon TCG Pocket’s newly datamined card art. Within hours, The Pokémon Company conceded “incorrect reference materials” had been supplied to illustrator Sie Nanahara, and the suspect cards were scrubbed from search and gameplay.
The current fix? Open TCG Pocket now and you’ll find two ominous blank slots where the birds once perched—a first for the mobile title.
The Wisdom of Sea & Sky Expansion Takes a Hit
The Ho-Oh/Lugia duo was meant to headline the July 30 launch of TCG Pocket’s latest set, billed as an ocean-and-sky celebration. Dataminers had already splashed the images across socials, fueling hype—until the plagiarism claim clipped those wings. While the rest of the set released on schedule, fans eager for radiant legendary birds are stuck waiting for redrawn art.
Fan Art vs. Corporate IP: Who Owns the Nest?
Fan vigilance: Community sleuths have become the de-facto watchdogs of Pokémon art integrity, a trend Bulbagarden highlighted after 2020’s Sword & Shield plagiarism flap.
Corporate tightrope: TPCi must court fan creativity yet police infringement. Their rapid takedown earned lanjiujiu’s public thanks—but blank cards left many players miffed.
Repeat lesson: As digital TCGs grow, every sprite, texture, and trading-card foil faces microscopes—one traced line can spiral into global headlines.
Industry Ripples: Why This Matters Beyond Ho-Oh
Reputation stakes: Pokémon TCG Pocket rides on trust; duplicate art threatens both brand prestige and collector confidence.
Precedent set: Swift removal shows zero tolerance for suspect references—expect stricter vetting for future illustrators.
Creator awareness: Artists now see how quickly allegations can gain traction; transparent credit and contracts are no longer optional luxuries.
Sources
The Verge, “Pokémon TCG Pocket takes down Ho-Oh card artwork after accusations of plagiarism,” July 30 2025
VGC, “Pokémon Company removes two TCG Pocket card designs and ‘deeply apologises’ following claims of plagiarism,” July 30 2025
Bulbagarden, “Pokémon TCG Pocket addresses community concerns over traced art with Ho-Oh EX and Lugia EX cards,” July 30 2025
News compiled and edited by Derek Gibbs and Steven Bubbles on July 30 2025. Follow us on ClownfishTV.com for more gaming, pop-culture, and tech news, and consider subscribing for only $5 per month to unlock exclusive podcasts and other content.