Pokémon TCG Temporal Forces: card reveal for Turtwig, Grotle, and Torterra

Feast your eyes on these three upcoming cards

Temporal Forces is an upcoming Pokémon TCG booster set and will provide yet another expansion of the already massive card pool available for the game. Launching on March 22, 2024, the set brings ACE SPEC cards back to the game – a feature that has been absent for quite some time.

With the Temporal Forces release date creeping ever closer, GLHF has been given the opportunity to exclusively reveal three cards you can hope to find in the upcoming booster set. Based on the mythology around tortoises or turtles that carry whole worlds on the backs of their shells, you’ve known and loved this particular evolutionary line since its introduction as a Gen 4 starter pick.

Pokémon TCG Paldean Fates: Turtwig 010/162

The Pokémon Company

Naturally, we’ll begin where the family line starts – with Turtwig. This Grass-type is a little on the delicate side when it comes to health, only sporting 80 HP. It’s going to be a challenge keeping it alive long enough to evolve it. Fortunately, it comes with a useful ability that should help with that: Being a tortoise, Turtwig comes with Solid Shell, an ability that reduces the damage it takes from attacks by 20. However, due to it being inspired by a rather slow-moving animal, Turtwig has a pretty high retreat cost of three – so you’re kind of committed once you send it out.

In terms of offense, Turtwig requires one Grass and two Colorless Energy to use Leafage, which deals 30 damage.

Pokémon TCG Paldean Fates: Grotle 011/162

The Pokémon Company

Grotle is the middle child of the family and we know those always have it tough – hence Grotle has no ability to speak of. Since it grew up a bunch, its retreat cost went up by one to a total of four, though this growth at least comes with more health, which is at 120 HP.

Though it does not have an ability, Grotle can choose from two attacks: Cut and Ramming Shell. Cut is a cheap move, requiring only one Grass Energy to deal 20 damage. Ramming Shell costs one Grass and two Colorless Energy, dealing 50 damage and reducing the incoming damage of the next attack that hits Grotle by 20, incorporating Turtwig’s Solid Shell in a roundabout way.

Pokémon TCG Paldean Fates: Torterra EX 012/162

The Pokémon Company

This is the big one, of course. Literally. Torterra EX is chonky, keeping the retreat cost of four and sporting a proud 340 HP – definitely worth the trouble of keeping Turtwig and Grotle alive to reach this evolution.

Just like Grotle, Torterra is denied an ability, but gets to choose between two attacks. First, there is Forest March. It costs one Grass Energy and deals 30 damage for each Grass-type currently on the field – this counts your own Pokémon as well as your opponent’s, so it can be a potent strike, though it’s highly dependent on the situation on the table.

If you need a move that deals a massive amount of damage regardless of the scenario on the field, there is always Torterra’s second attack: Jungle Hammer. Requiring one Grass and two Colorless Energy, it deals 150 damage to the target. That’s not all, though: Along with dealing damage to your opponent’s Pokémon, this move heals Torterra for 50 HP, sustaining it through tough fights.

The most expensive Pokémon cards in history