Amethio, Ceruledge, and the Pokémon Anime’s New Chapter

Ceruledge & Amethio Pokémon Wafer Card No. 04, 2023 Holo Rare

A Snapshot of the Pokémon Anime at a Turning Point

In 2023, the Pokémon animated series underwent its biggest change in 26 years. Ash — known in Japan as Satoshi — had been the show’s protagonist since 1997, and in March 2023 his story came to a close. The very next month, a new series launched centered on two fresh protagonists, Liko and Roy, marking a generational shift in how the franchise told its stories. It was in this atmosphere that a wave of merchandise arrived in Japanese convenience stores and toy shops, celebrating new faces and new Pokémon. This card is one of those items.

Manufactured by Bandai under their long-running Pokémon wafer card line, it is an officially licensed collectible carrying the full standard copyright notice: © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK / TV Tokyo / ShoPro / JR Kikaku. That second cluster of names — the anime production credits — confirms that this card was made in the context of the television series, not the mainline video games.

Ceruledge and the Anime-Original Amethio

The card brings together two figures whose connection is central to the new series. Ceruledge is a Fire/Ghost-type Pokémon introduced in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, released in November 2022, and assigned Pokédex number 983. It takes the form of a spectral swordsman wreathed in blue-tinged flames and is a version-exclusive Pokémon available only in Scarlet. From its debut it attracted a wide following, and its role in the new anime expanded that audience further.

Amethio is the trainer depicted alongside Ceruledge — and unlike his partner Pokémon, he has no video game origin at all. He is an anime-original character introduced in the Liko and Roy series: a boy with a striking two-tone black-and-white hairstyle, affiliated with a mysterious organization. In the anime, he is shown using Ceruledge as his partner, which is why the two appear together on this card. As of 2023, Amethio had not been given a card in the mainline Trading Card Game, making anime merchandise like this one of the few physical formats where he exists as a collectible subject.

Japan’s Wafer Card Tradition and What Sets This One Apart

The category these cards belong to is called shokugan — literally “food toy” — a form of Japanese merchandise with roots going back to the 1980s. The concept is straightforward: a small candy or biscuit item sold with a collectible tucked inside, at a price point aimed at younger buyers. Bandai’s Pokémon wafer cards fit squarely within that tradition. Each card is sold with a thin wafer biscuit, yet the numbered series format, the varying rarity tiers, and the draw of completing a full set have always made them attractive to adult collectors as well. Popular releases are known to sell out quickly after hitting shelves.

This card carries the holo rare designation, meaning its surface is finished with a holographic foil treatment that shifts color as the viewing angle changes. The background uses a geometric, faceted pattern that catches light across its entire face — the upper tier of the rarity lineup within a wafer card series. The card is printed entirely in Japanese and was distributed through domestic Japanese retail channels, giving it the character of a home-market release rather than an export product. For international fans, that combination of a widely recognized Pokémon, an anime-exclusive character, and a Japan-only format is precisely what makes items like this worth seeking out.