Why Was Kadabra Banned From The Pokemon TCG?
It's hard to believe we've been playing the Pokemon Trading Card Game since 1996, but if you're a fan of one particular card, you might've noticed it's been MIA for quite some time.
From haggling over your first shiny Charizard on the playground to those who are still collecting the modern sets, most of us likely had a binder full of Pokemon at some point. The problem is, you probably didn't have a Kadabra.
Why Was Kadabra Removed From The Pokemon TCG?
According to PokeBeach, Kadabra is coming back to the Pokemon TCG after 20 years of being out of action. In 2000, illusionist Uri Geller sued The Pokemon Company due to Kadabra's likeness to his name and appearance.
Geller is remembered for his enthusiastic act of being spoons, and with this being part of Kadabra's card, it was an easy comparison to pull. More than this, Geller maintained that Kadabra's name being "Yungerer" in Japanese is also an amalgamation of his names.
In particular, Geller had a problem with the Team Rocket Kadabra card that made "Evil Yungerer" its focus. Although the case never went anywhere, The Pokemon Company removed Kadabra from card sets and phased it out of the anime.
Now, a new card set is coming in June 2023, which will include all 151 original 'Mon returned to their former TCG glory. The last time Kadabra appeared was in 2003's Skyridge set.
Uri Geller Aplogises For Kadabra's Removal
Geller has discussed the Kadabra situation with Kotaku, admitting that he now thinks he made a mistake. It's likely that Kadabra was based on Geller, with Abra being "Casey" in Japan and Alakazam being "Foodin" (seemingly after psychic Edgar Cayce and escape artist Harry Houdini).
"Throughout the years, I became a grandfather. Our granddaughters live in Los Angeles…and you know, talking to them about the card, and seeing them play with the toys, I said, 'What on Earth did I do?!'" said Geller.
"I realized that it was a mistake. You know, it was a tribute to Uri Geller! So I decided to write to the chairman of Pokémon and tell him that I’m releasing them from the ban." He's now more than a little excited to have the card back.
Geller says he has plans to have various Kadabra cards graded and put in plexiglass, with him planning to display them in his museum in Jaffa, Israel. There's apparently a local expert helping him source rare cards.
With Kadabra restored to its former glory, Geller now sees the creation as a tribute to him instead of a mockery that deserved to be banned for 20 years.
