Pokémon TCG Pays Dark Homage to American Psycho Scene

Highlights

The engaging American Psycho parody video from Pokemon TCG features various card variants, adding a unique twist to the iconic business card scene. The unexpected promotion brought delight to fans.

Result:

Paradox Rift, the latest expansion of Pokemon TCG, introduces variant cards of Ancient and Future Pokemon, along with Trainer cards specifically designed to support their respective Pokemon types. The expansion boasts a collection of more than 180 fundamental Pokemon cards and an additional 80 Secret cards, slated for release in November in both physical and digital formats.

Pokemon TCG recently shared a hilarious reimagining of a famous scene from the movie American Psycho. In August of last year, Pokemon launched new cards inspired by the Scarlet and Violet forms of Pokemon.

The Paradox Rift expansion from Pokemon TCG showcases variant cards of Ancient and Future Pokemon, such as Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant, among others. It also includes Trainer cards for both Ancient and Future Trainers, which can aid specific types of Pokemon. In total, Paradox Rift boasts over 180 base Pokemon cards, along with more than 80 Secret cards. Both physical and digital versions of this Pokemon TCG expansion will be available starting November.

As part of the Paradox Rift promotion, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trainer Larry's different card variants were showcased through an American Psycho parody on the official Pokemon YouTube channel. In the 44-second video, Marshtomp portrayed the character of Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) to reveal the regular Larry card, while Quagsire displayed the parallel foil variant of the Larry card. Simultaneously, Slowpoke portrayed Paul Allen's character (Jared Leto), placing the highly sought-after ultra-rare Larry card, which seemed to distress Marshtomp.

The Pokemon TCG video provided a humorous reference to the business card scene in American Psycho, where Bateman and his coworkers compare their calling cards. Despite the cards appearing similar to viewers, the businessmen adamantly argue that one is superior to the others, leading to Bateman's shocked and defeated reaction when seeing Allen's card. Pokemon TCG successfully recreated this iconic scene by highlighting the distinct finishes of their Larry cards and utilizing Pokemon plushies. This parody generated excitement among fans, who appreciated the unexpected connection between Pokemon and a non-family-friendly film. Many praised the marketing team for their ingenuity and entertaining video, while noting that the franchise has had its mishaps, such as accidentally uploading an inappropriate Pokemon video to their TikTok page.

In addition to the Paradox Rift, Pokemon has recently collaborated with the Van Gogh Museum to create a limited-edition promo card called "Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat." This collaboration is part of the museum's ongoing themed exhibit, set to be showcased until 2024, in Amsterdam.