XY—Ancient Origins

Status: Released (August 2015)

Uncover Ancient Secrets in XY—Ancient Origins

Powerful forces awoke on August 12, 2015, with the launch of XY—Ancient Origins . This expansion introduced Hoopa-EX and its amazing "Scoundrel Ring" ability, which allowed players to search their deck for three Pokémon-EX, instantly setting up their bench. XY—Ancient Origins also featured shiny versions of the Primal Legendary Pokémon—Primal Kyogre, Primal Groudon, and Mega Rayquaza—with updated "Ancient Traits" that gave them even more dominance on the battlefield.

Forest of Giant Plants and Vileplume

For competitive players, XY—Ancient Origins is remembered for enabling one of the most oppressive "Item Lock" decks in history. The stadium "Forest of Giant Plants" allowed Grass Pokémon to evolve on the turn they were played, letting players evolve Oddish into Vileplume on the very first turn. Vileplume's ability prevented both players from using Item cards, completely shutting down many strategies before they even began. With other powerful cards like Giratina-EX and the disruptive "Hex Maniac" supporter, XY—Ancient Origins left a lasting legacy on the game's meta.