Update: 29/07/25 at 10:16 am BST. More evidence has emerged that the image on the TCG Pocket card was copied from existing fan art.
Unfortunately, plagiarism has, and always will be, a problem within media. We saw a high-profile example of it earlier this year whenBungie was forced to cancel Marathon marketingdue to copied art, but games likeMarvel Snap,The First Descendant, andCall of Dutyhave all faced accusations over the last few years.
The latest accusations are pretty damning, though. Ahead of the release ofPokemon Trading Card Game Pocket’sJohto-focused Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion, one artist has suggested thatThe Pokemon Companyand DeNA copied their artwork for the brand-new Ho-Oh ex immersive rare.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket Faces Plagiarism Allegations Following Ho-Oh ex Immersive Rare Reveak
Three and a half years ago, in December 2021, Chinese artist Lanjiujiusharedsome Pokemon Gold and Silver-inspired artwork they’d created on social media. The art featured Ho-Oh front and center, with a range of other Flying-type Pokemon introduced in the first two generations, including Kanto’s legendary birds, flying alongside it.
This art is now the center of plagiarism accusations, with TCG Pocket’s Wisdom of Sea and Sky expansion releasing a Ho-Oh ex card that looks strikingly similar.
The new card features Ho-Oh at an angle exactly the same as Lanjiujiu’s art, with its head propped up and its wings in a very distinctive curved shape. When the artist noticed the new card, they simplyposted italongside their artwork, accompanied by a series of question marks.
Lanjiujiu’s puzzled post was viewed almost a million times in the first two hours, with many quick to decry foul play. “Yeah, this looks like blatant plagiarism. I’m not sure how the law works, I’m certain I’ve read somewhere that since Pokémon owns the rights to all Pokémon as their IP, they can do what they want, even if it’s your art,“saidone Twitter user.
Yeah, this looks like blatant plagiarism.
Update: More evidence has emerged on social media.
Twitter user Lewtwoshared a videothat indicates that the Pokemon TCG Pocket Ho-Oh ex was almost certainly traced from Lanjiujiu’s art.
Italso came to lightthat Lanjiujiu’s art was used for an unofficial Pokemon figure, which could have been where the card’s artist first saw the image of Ho-Oh.
It is worth noting that the angle of Ho-Oh isn’t too dissimilar from itsofficial Pokemon render.
Ironically, these accusations come asNintendo and Pokemon are in the midst of a legal battlewithPalworldcreator Pocketpair,which accuses the company of “Patent Infringement”. It claims the company copied some of Pokemon’s core mechanics, such as using balls to catch creatures.
TheGamer has reached out to Pokemon and DeNA for comment.
