Aura Seeker Blastoise Revealed: Bench-Damage Ability, Alt Art Promos and the McDonald's Squirtle
Blastoise from Aura Seeker is revealed: 170 HP and a +30 bench-damage Ability. Plus alt-art Blastoise and Mega Lucario Z ex promos for Hong Kong and Taiwan.
That was fast. One day after Pokémon’s McDonald’s announcement accidentally showed a brand-new Squirtle, Blastoise has been revealed from Japan’s Aura Seeker, and the two cards look like they belong together.
The Blastoise card
Blastoise 016/078, illustrated by Tonji Matsuno. Image: The Pokémon Company, via Bill's Archive.
Blastoise was revealed in Traditional Chinese on October 30, before Japan has shown it, per PokeBeach and Bill’s Archive. From the card itself:
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Card | Blastoise 016/078, Rare |
| Type | Water, Stage 2, 170 HP |
| Ability | Torrential Pump (PokeBeach’s translation): while it’s in play, your Water Pokémon’s attacks do 30 more damage to your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. Doesn’t stack |
| Attack | Heavy Splash: three Water Energy, 140 damage |
| Illustrator | Tonji Matsuno |
Aura Seeker releases in Japan on November 27. The English version is reported as Flowing Fists on February 5, 2027. That name and date come from PokeBeach’s reporting, and Pokémon hasn’t announced them. For the rest of the set, see our Aura Seeker breakdown.
The Squirtle connection
Remember the M27-stamped Squirtle from the McDonald’s 2027 leak? It’s the one card in that set that isn’t a reprint, and its Splatter attack does 10 damage to one of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. PokeBeach thinks it’s Blastoise’s pre-evolution from Aura Seeker. A Squirtle that hits the Bench feeding into a Blastoise that powers up Bench damage is a neat fit.
That’s PokeBeach’s read of the evidence, not a confirmed placement. If it holds, the McDonald’s mistake previewed more than a Happy Meal set. It also likely puts to rest PokeBeach’s earlier guess that Squirtle pointed to a Mega Blastoise ex. Per PokeBeach, the Mega-capable Pokémon newly revealed this week, Blastoise and the Treecko line among them, aren’t expected to get Mega cards in Aura Seeker. The outlet speculates MEGA x MEGA Parade could pick them up, which is a guess, not an announcement.
Alternate art promos for Hong Kong and Taiwan
The two new-art Bonus Set promos. Images: The Pokémon Company, via Bill's Archive.
Two Traditional Chinese Aura Seeker products come with promos, per PokeBeach and Bill’s Archive:
- Aura Seeker Bonus Set: new art for Blastoise (243/M-P) and Mega Lucario Z ex (245/M-P)
- Aura Seeker 10-Pack Plus Set: Aura Seeker-stamped Bellsprout (234/M-P), Treecko (235/M-P) and Grovyle (236/M-P), reprints of set cards Japan hasn’t shown yet
The new art is the collector hook. PokeBeach speculates the alternate-art Mega Lucario Z ex could turn up as an English tin promo next spring, possibly alongside the Eevee ex cut from Delta Reign, and that the alternate-art Blastoise fits as a Flowing Fists prerelease promo. Both are educated guesses. We’ll update when Pokémon announces the English products.
Sources
- PokeBeach - Blastoise and Other Cards from “Aura Seeker” Revealed, New Alternate Art Mega Lucario Z ex! (October 30, 2026; Squirtle theory, Mega and promo speculation)
- Bill’s Archive - Aura Seeker card list and release date (Blastoise card, M-P promo numbers, Flowing Fists date, images)
- Pokémon - Aura Seeker official site (Japanese release date, key art)
