We now add a true heavyweight to the Geopik collection: Hippowdon. This impressive holographic card is a 1st Edition print from the Tidal Storm set of the XY era. It perfectly captures the power of this Ground-type Pokémon, whose entire biology is a testament to the geological force of sand.
Card Details
- Pokémon Name: Hippowdon (カバルドン)
- Set: Tidal Storm (XY5)
- Year: 2014
- Card Number: 042-070
- Rarity/Edition: Holo Rare (1st Edition)
- Artist: Naoyo Kimura
- National Pokédex No.: 450
Card Text & Attacks
- Type: Fighting
- HP: 130
- Evolves From: Hippopotas
Attack 1:
- Japanese: レジストデザート
- Romaji: Resisuto Dezāto
- English: Resist Desert
- Cost: [Fighting][Colourless][Colourless]
- Damage: 60
- Effect: During your opponent’s next turn, this Pokémon takes no damage or effects from attacks from Pokémon-EX.
Attack 2:
- Japanese: すてみタックル
- Romaji: Sutemi Takkuru
- English: Reckless Tackle
- Cost: [Fighting][Fighting][Colourless][Colourless]
- Damage: 100
- Effect: This Pokémon also does 20 damage to itself.
- Weakness: Grass x2
- Resistance: None
- Retreat Cost: [Colourless][Colourless][Colourless][Colourless]
Pokédex Entry:
- Japanese: 体内に ためた 砂を 体の 穴から 噴き上げて、巨大な 竜巻を 作り 攻撃する。
- Romaji: Tainai ni tameta suna o karada no ana kara fukiagete, kyodai na tatsumaki o tsukuri kōgeki suru.
- English: It blasts sand stored inside its body from its pores to create a huge tornado for attacking.
Collector’s Notes
This Hippowdon is a 1st Edition Holo Rare from the Japanese set Tidal Storm (XY5), released in late 2014 as part of the XY TCG era. For Japanese cards of this period, the “1st Edition” stamp signifies it belongs to the initial print run, making it a more desirable artefact for collectors. The card features a stunning vertical holographic pattern that was characteristic of the XY era, beautifully illuminating the night sky in the background of the artwork.
The illustration by Naoyo Kimura is wonderfully atmospheric. Kimura is known for clean and powerful artwork that often places Pokémon in dramatic environments. Here, Hippowdon is depicted under a full moon, unleashing the sand stored within its body. The dynamic stream of sand and the mysterious red energy streaks in the sky give the scene a sense of immense power and mystery, perfectly fitting for this formidable Pokémon.
Hippowdon is an essential addition to the Geopik collection. It is the “Heavyweight Pokémon,” a pure Ground-type whose entire existence revolves around sand. Its Pokédex entry explicitly describes its ability to create tornadoes from sand, a direct link to aeolian processes—the geological phenomena of wind eroding and transporting sediment. This card is a prime example of environmental geology in the Pokémon world, showcasing a creature that not only lives in a sandy habitat but actively weaponises it.
