Path to the Peak: Get to Know the 2023 Animation

Hello to all. I am Rodrigo, bringing news about Pokémon TCG, in general. And, in the last few days (since 11/08/2023), The Pokémon Company released a children's animation during the previews for the Yokohama World Championship, called Path to the Peak (from the original Japanese: POKÉMON PATH TO THE PEAK 頂へのきずな Pokémon Path to the Peak: Bonds to the Peak) -- which has the allusion to the card of the same name which is played in the current Standard format, in the Sword/Shield: Chilling Reign set, which was probably a tribute. We have in it a story about a young girl who finds an old box from her parents, with Pokémon cards, and she starts taking interesting in the game, and learning.

The franchise has, so far, two episodes, with 10 minutes each, which touch on our nostalgia through the knowledge of the cards we know.

The protagonist is Ava, a child who moved with her parents to another town, and needs to adjust to her new life. When she enrolls at school, she tries to fit in many extracurricular clubs to test out her personal taste, until she finds a special club dedicated to the Pokémon TCG game, and remembers that there is an old toolbox in her home with her dad's old Pokémon cards, who pushes her to use them, and briefly mentors her.

She finds Joshua, the club's "president", and sparks up a friendship with him, gains notoriety among her colleagues, until Ava meets other competitors around, starts delving deep in regional tournaments and goes beyond, to Worlds.

Episodes in English

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episodes in Japanese

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

In the cartoon, the story is really similar to Pokémon TCG Online's stories, in which there was a game club and the rivals which interacted with you had their own thematic decks.

Cards Shown in the Cartoon

Ava’s Cards

Ava’s Scyther ex: Scyther ex RS 102, from Ruby/Sapphire: Base Set.

Ava’s Oddish: this card doesn't exist yet (could this be a future spoiler?)

Ava’s Gloom: Gloom LOR 2, from Sword/Shield: Lost Origin.

Ava’s Oddish: this card doesn't exist yet (could this be a future spoiler?)

Ava’s hand: has the cards Copycat EVS 222, Galar Mine RCL 160, Absol TEU 88 and Defiance Band sv1 169.

Ava’s hand: has the cards Bounsweet CRE 13 (Sword/Shield: Chilling Reign) and a Spoink with an ability (the card has Scarlet/Violet's template, but it doesn't exist yet).

Joshua’s Cards

Joshua’s Pikachu: Pikachu HP 78, from Ruby/Sapphire: Holon Phantons.

Joshua’s hand: has the cards Jolteon ex DS 109 (Ruby/Sapphire: Delta Species), Dragonite δ DS 3 (Ruby/Sapphire: Delta Species) and Eevee DS 69 (Ruby/Sapphire: Delta Species).

Joshua with spoilers?: apparently these are the 3 ultra rares which we haven't seen so far - Falinks ex, Mismagius ex, Darkrai ex.

Celestine’s Cards

Celestine’s hand: has a Mismagius ex (which doesn't exist yet - possible spoiler), with Trevenant FST 17 (Sword/Shield: Fusion Strike) and Duskull BRS 60 (Sword/Shield: Brilliant Stars).

Celestine’s Panic Mask: Panic Mask LOR 165.

During the third episode

Ava's opponent - Comfey (Lost Box): from Comfey LOR 79.

Ava's Tropius: from Tropius sv1 7.

Ava's Darkrai ex: there is currently no such letter in real life (which could be a possible spoiler perhaps?)

Joshua's cards for trade: Jolteon ex DS 109 (from Ruby/Sapphire: Delta Species), Pikachu sv2 62 (from Scarlet/Violet: Paldea Evolved), Charizard BS 4 (from Base Set from 1999 - WotC), Meganium ex UF 106 (from Ruby/Sapphire: Unseen Forces), Chaos Gym G2 102 (from Gym Challenge - WotC); Dialga LV.X PR-DPP DP17 (from Diamond/Pearl: Black Star Promo), Butterfree RCL 3 (from Sword/Shield: Rebel Clash) and Dusknoir PLB 104 (de Black/White: Plasma Blast).

Celestine's cards for trade: except for Mismagius ex that does not exist so far (considering perhaps as a possible spoiler for the future), let's go to the cards that do exist, which are -- Misdreavus sv2 87 (from Scarlet/Violet: Paldea Evolved), Shuppet sv1 87 (from Scarlet/Violet: Base Set), Dusknoir PLB 104 (from Black/White: Plasma Blast), Dusclops BRS 61 (from Sword/Shield: Brilliant Stars), Meowth NVI 102 (from Black/White: Noble Victories), Sableye LOR 70 (from Sword/Shield: Lost Origin) and Duskull BRS 60 (from Sword/Shield: Brilliant Stars).

Edgar Troy's Iono: from Iono sv2 185.

Edgar Troy's hand: contains a Falinks ex (that doesn't exist yet - possible spoiler), with Iono sv2 185, Defiance Band sv1 169, Lucario sv1 114 (from Scarlet/Violet: Base Set), Riolu sv1 113 (from Scarlet/Violet: Base Set), Drilbur FST 147 (from Sword/Shield: Fusion Strike) and a Groudon with an ability that does not yet exist in real life (which could come as a future spoiler, perhaps?).

During the fourth episode

Ava's Mother Hand: Vileplume ex HL 100 from (Ruby/Sapphire: Hidden Legends), Jirachi DX 9 from (Ruby/Sapphire: Deoxys) and Professor Elm's Training Method UF 89 (Ruby/Sapphire: Unseen Forces).

Ava's Mother Rival: Pikachu ★ HP 104 from (Ruby/Sapphire: Holon Phantoms).

Ava's Hand & Edgar Troy's Hand:

- By Ava we have:

1) Oddish (there are no records of this letter so far -- a possible spoiler in the future?)

2) Tropius sv1 7 (Scarlet/Violet: Base Set)

3) Roselia SSH 3 (Sword/Shield: Base Set)

4) Calamitous Wasteland sv2 175 (Scarlet/Violet: Paldea Evolved)

- By Edgar Troys we have:

1) Falinks ex

2) Groudon

(These letters do not yet exist and again enter the question of "possible spoilers for the future").

Falinks ex

Groudon

Edgar Troy's Field: Machop LOR 86 e Hariyama LOR 98 (both from Sword/Shield: Lost Origin).

Edgar Troy's Nemona: Nemona sv1 180 (Scarlet/Violet: Base Set).

Ava's "Misterious Stadium": this card does not exist in the system, but you can see that the description of the card is "Jungle". Is this letter one more example for the near future of new cards?

Now it's up to you: what did you think of the cartoon? Were you able to find more references in these two episodes? Did you like this cartoon or not? Tell me in the comment section!

See you!