Mega-Evolved Pokémon are making their return to the Pokémon Trading Card Game as Mega Evolution Pokémon ex in the upcoming Mega Evolution expansion, but that’s not the only throwback fans can look forward to. Today, we’re showcasing a few cards that call back to classic artwork, a powerful effect, and a fun interaction that’s over 20 years old. Look forward to these cards as they shake things up among plenty of new effects and artwork when Mega Evolution arrives on September 26, 2025.

Forest of Vitality allows each player to evolve  Pokémon into  Pokémon on the turn they enter play, with the exception that it has no effect on each player’s first turn. What if we told you this was like an even more powerful effect from the past? Look no further than the Stadium card Forest of Giant Plants from the XY—Ancient Origins expansion.

This Stadium card allowed each player to evolve  Pokémon on the turn they entered play, with no additional stipulations. Forest of Giant Plants was pivotal in a variety of decks, including Decidueye-GX and Vespiquen, but most famously enabled one of the most powerful Item lock cards of all time: Vileplume. The player going first could search out all their Pokémon, evolve them, and immediately prevent both players from using Item cards for the rest of the game.

It was a mainstay of the Standard format and consistently made its way into top decks before being banned in the Expanded format. One key difference between Forest of Vitality and Forest of Giant Plants is that the new card doesn’t allow players to immediately evolve  Pokémon on their first turn, but the other key difference is that it stipulates that those  Pokémon can only immediately evolve into other  Pokémon. Forest of Giant Plants allowed players to take advantage of  Pokémon that evolved into different types in the Expanded format—most notably Nuzleaf evolving into the Darkness-type Shiftry from Black & White—Next Destinies. If everything went right for the player battling with Shiftry, they could win the game before their opponent even had their first turn! We don’t know about you, but we’re thankful for Forest of Vitality.

Let’s take a step back from an old competitive topic and step into…Pikachu’s shadow? Marshadow is known to be able to conceal itself in any shadow, but we weren’t going to miss this throwback artwork. Illustrator 0313 appears to have provided us with another perspective of a Marshadow they portrayed in the Sun & Moon—Cosmic Eclipse expansion. It’s been almost six years since the release of that original Marshadow card, but it hasn’t lost any of its mischievous energy as it creeps directly behind Pikachu in 0313’s latest rendition.

Pokémon TCG illustrator osare has provided us with an amazing artwork featuring the Electric-type specialist from the Kanto region, Lt. Surge. osare’s style and shading makes everything appear round, shiny, and just a tad whimsical, and is lifting our spirits the same way Lt. Surge is lifting those dumbbells.

What’s also whimsical about this card is its effect: Ask your opponent if each player may take a Prize card. If yes, each player takes a Prize card. If no, you draw 4 cards. It’s a unique effect that usually doesn’t appear in the Pokémon TCG, but the key word is “usually.” The effect of Lt. Surge’s Bargain is remarkably similar to that of Lt. Surge’s Treaty from the Gym Heroes expansion. The game has changed a lot in almost 30 years, though, so if your opponent said “no,” then you only drew one card after offering your treaty. We look forward to bargaining in the new age of the Pokémon TCG!

You’ll find these and over 180 other cards when the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution expansion releases on September 26, 2025.