The Pokémon Company highlights spooky Pokémon TCG cards from the Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield series

Fans of fright, admirers of apparitions, and devotees of disguise are in for a treat with a curated assortment of cards from the Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield Series. This unlucky selection of 13 cards features petrifying Pokémon, spooky scenery, and amazing artwork. Whether you prefer cute and kitschy or haunting and horrific, these cards offer something to enjoy for everyone who loves Halloween. Pull up a chair, put on some music from Lavender Town, and dare to be scared.

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“It was a dark and stormy night” is a classic opening to scary stories—and for good reason. While Mawile is already an ominous figure, you can easily imagine the flashes of lightning in artist Akira Egawa’s cleverly rendered stormy setting. In addition to boasting stunning artwork, this card features a Pokémon you wouldn’t want to discover lurking beneath your bed late at night.

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Phantump might not seem as intimidating as its evolved form, Trevenant. But artist sui’s Phantump emits a hypnotic, unearthly glow that evokes a spectral chill. While Phantump’s expression is far from unfriendly, it looks more than capable of escorting Trainers into a ghostly plane of existence from which they’d never return…

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A frolic through the forest on a moonlit night is the perfect Halloween activity—unless the forest in question is swarming with Drifloon. Illustrator Miki Kudo’s Clefable doesn’t appear to be overly concerned about the presence of a Pokémon known for helping children vanish, but any Trainer who stumbled across this scene certainly should be.

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There’s nothing inherently scary about a trash heap, but Akira Egawa’s second entry on our list of the Trash Heap Pokémon, Garbodor, is giving off some seriously menacing vibes. With the angle and size of its placement, it appears to loom over the viewer. And the drama of the card’s background from the vividly toxic ground rendered in jewel tones to the degree of texture on Garbodor, the sky above, and the ground below, make it difficult to tear your eyes away—even if you want to.

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Despite its relatively small size and no evidence of horns or claws, Mimikyu is one of those Pokémon that you don’t really want to meet alone in the woods on a dark evening. And that’s exactly where artist Ryota Murayama places the Disguise Pokémon. An abundance of colorful lens flares somewhat softens the effect, and it could be reasonably argued that this card walks the line between autumnal wonderland and Halloween horror—but it does so beautifully.

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Tomokazu Komiya’s Shedinja is certainly memorable and quite disturbing in its own way. Rendered in Komiya’s characteristic primitivist style, the Shed Pokémon seems to glance down pitilessly at the viewer against a vibrant backdrop of color and shape. The detail that catapults this artwork from inexplicably unnerving to unforgettably terrifying is the lifeless human figure sprawled in the background. How it got there is a mystery, but Shedinja’s Life Squeeze attack could certainly have played a role.

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Maybe it’s the growths protruding from its shoulders like wings. Maybe it’s artist Kazuma Koda’s grayscale color palette. Either way, Dusclops has the stature and energy of a grim reaper eager to wreak righteous havoc on everything it encounters. Given that Dusclops’s body is said to resemble a black hole capable of absorbing anything but releasing nothing, havoc does seem inevitable.

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Artist Anesaki Dynamic’s Lycanroc is like a classic monster movie come to life. From the Wolf Pokémon’s angry red eyes to the full moon behind it seemingly spurring Lycanroc’s violent tendencies, looking at this card long enough will have the viewer hearing howls in the distance. Add in the colorful slash of keen claws and flash of equally sharp teeth, and Lycanroc definitely deserves a place in the Pokémon TCG hall of horrors.

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It might sound strange to describe an image of Murkrow, the Darkness Pokémon, perched on a gravestone as dreamy. And yet, in artist Aya Kusube’s deft hands, the soft, lavender background and Murkrow’s curious expression paint a gothic but not unwelcoming picture. With soft flares of light from the stars and beautifully elaborate patterns on the gravestones, it’s actually tempting to pass an autumnal evening in such a wonderous, otherworldly setting.

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No Pokémon TCG Halloween collection would be complete without the Shadow Pokémon. And while the Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield Series boasts many different Gengar, Aya Kusube’s version is so detailed, right down to the nuances of its red tongue, that it’s undeniably memorable. The simplicity of the card’s design juxtaposed with the illustrative details like the texture of Gengar’s tongue give the card the uncomfortable appearance of being both part of a children’s tale and a horror story at the same time.

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While the majority of these spooky Pokémon TCG cards are situated in a rural setting far from civilization, artist Teeziro is here to remind everyone that the city can offer up plenty of scares too. Umbreon V reigns over moonlit streets as a host of horned creatures seem to cower in fear. While Umbreon V’s Mean Look attack could explain the other Pokémon’s seemingly frozen state, it’s also worth noting that the Moonlight Pokémon has a strong affinity for, well, moonlight, and could just be enjoying its favorite time of night.

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We know what you’re thinking: Another Gengar? That’s just how iconic the Shadow Pokémon is as a representative of spooky Pokémon. And, to be fair, this is Gengar VMAX, so it’s even more terrifying. In its ordinary size, Gengar is more than capable of wreaking havoc and terror, but Gigantamax Gengar laying waste to a village’s worth of trees and berries is something else entirely. The illustration’s vibrant funhouse quality does nothing to lessen the impact either. Illustrator sowsow has Gengar’s tongue splayed out like a red river leading, fatally and unavoidably, to its monstrous gaping maw.

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Warden Lian might be responsible for the care of the Hisui region’s Noble Pokémon Kleavor, but that doesn’t make Kleavor any less intimidating. As the Axe Pokémon stomps through the Obsidian Fieldlands, Lian’s crouched position hiding behind a rock brings to mind countless horror movies where the protagonists attempt to elude a larger, threatening creature. Illustrator Souichirou Gunjima captured a detailed scene, and while the setting itself might appear non-threatening, it’s difficult not to hold your breath along with Lian in the hope that he escapes unscathed.

Looking for more Pokémon Halloween content? Check out the spooky Pokémon quiz, creepy Pokédex entries, and free Pokémon pumpkin stencils.