When Pokémon Meets 'American Psycho': A Playful Twist in the Pokémon TCG Universe

The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) has taken a whimsical turn by recreating a memorable scene from the film "American Psycho". In August, Pokémon introduced new cards inspired by the Paradox forms in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

The expansion, known as "Paradox Rift" in Pokémon TCG, boasts variant cards for Ancient and Future Pokémon, including names like Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant. Additionally, this expansion introduces Ancient Trainer and Future Trainer cards, designed to bolster specific Pokémon card types. In total, "Paradox Rift" encompasses more than 180 base Pokémon cards, complemented by over 80 Secret cards. Both the physical and digital versions of this Pokémon TCG expansion are set to debut this November.

As part of a promotional campaign for "Paradox Rift," the official Pokémon YouTube channel released a quirky parody of the American Psycho business card scene to unveil the different card variants associated with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's trainer, Larry. The 44-second video amusingly portrays Marshtomp in the role of Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale), showcasing the standard Larry card, followed by Quagsire revealing the Larry card's parallel foil variant. In a playful twist, Slowpoke takes on the role of Paul Allen (played by Jared Leto) and presents the ultra-rare Larry card, much to the apparent consternation of Marshtomp.

The comical Pokémon TCG video cleverly references the memorable American Psycho scene, in which Bateman and his colleagues engage in a ludicrously intense comparison of business cards. What makes the scene iconic is that to the viewer, the cards appear virtually identical, yet the businessmen fervently argue that one card is superior to the rest. The scene culminates with Bateman in a state of shock and defeat over Allen's card. By emphasizing the varying finishes of the Larry cards and using Pokémon plush toys to recreate the scene, Pokémon TCG injects its own playful twist into this classic moment.

The Pokémon parody of "American Psycho" left many fans both entertained and somewhat surprised, given that "American Psycho" isn't exactly a family-friendly film. Some lauded the marketing team's creativity and execution, suggesting that they deserved recognition for the inventive and enjoyable video. Pokémon has been on a roll with endearing and humorous content on its social media platforms, although it's not without a few blunders, such as unintentionally uploading a racy Pokémon video on its TikTok page.

In addition to "Paradox Rift," Pokémon also recently ventured into a collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum, resulting in a limited-edition "Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat" promo card. This collaboration aligns with the renowned museum in Amsterdam and coincides with a themed exhibit running until 2024.