The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket's latest expansion, Space Time Smackdown, released on January 30, has stirred significant controversy among fans due to the artwork on one particular card. The card in question is the Weavile ex 2 Star full art card, which depicts a group of Weavile lurking in the treetops, poised to attack an unsuspecting Swinub. This graphic scene has left many players shocked and heartbroken.

A Reddit post showcasing the artwork, titled "NO! SWINUB LOOK UP!! LOOK UP!!", has garnered nearly 10,000 upvotes, reflecting the community's strong reaction. Comments on the post range from expressions of dismay to reflections on the brutal nature of Pokémon ecology. "Always got to be one card per set that shows Pokémon in the process of straight up killing each other," one user remarked, while another pleaded, "Leave the lil guy alone."

NO ! SWINUB LOOK UP !! LOOK UP !!
byu/RegularTemporary2707 inPTCGP

The discussion also touched on the broader implications of Pokémon's natural world. "The ecology of Pokémon is always so crazy to imagine," a fan noted. "Like these are still animals, some smarter than others. Just they have the ability to fire laser beams."

Amidst the outcry, some fans are clinging to hope, pointing to the full art card of Mamoswine, Swinub's final evolution, as a potential happy ending. The card shows Mamoswine looking upward, seemingly protecting a group of Swinub. "Hey, Mamoswine protected his baby. Don't worry. He most definitely saw those Weaviles," one fan optimistically stated. Another added, "The Mamoswine alt card already looks above. He saw them. He saw..."

Gone, but not forgotten.
byu/AshesMemeFolder inPTCGP

Space Time Smackdown is themed around Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, featuring iconic Pokémon like Weavile, Mamoswine, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. The set contains 207 cards, making it smaller than the previous expansion, Genetic Apex, which had 286 cards. However, Space Time Smackdown boasts a higher percentage of rare cards, with 52 alternate art, Star, and Crown rarity cards compared to Genetic Apex's 60.

Despite the uproar, Creatures Inc. has not yet addressed the controversy surrounding the Weavile ex card. The company's social media and the game itself have primarily focused on promoting Space Time Smackdown. Additionally, Creatures Inc. did not respond to IGN's request for comment on the issue.

In an attempt to appease players, a "Trade Feature Celebration Gift" was distributed, containing 500 Trade Tokens and 120 Trade Hourglasses—enough tokens to trade a single ex Pokémon. However, the developer has remained silent on the fan complaints regarding the controversial card artwork.