Orphaned card

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An orphaned card is a card that has little or no practical use due to restrictions placed on the pool of legal cards by the tournament format. These are often Evolution cards whose Basic Pokémon or Stage 1 Pokémon are not available, though occasionally Trainer cards will fall into this category as well.

Name	Reason	TCG Set
Venusaur	The only Bulbasaur and Ivysaur at the time went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. Until Bulbasaur was reprinted in Legendary Collection, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales.	Wizards Black Star Promos
No Removal Gym	The only Energy Removal and Super Energy Removal cards went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format.	Gym Heroes
Pidgeot	The only Pidgey and Pidgeotto at the time went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. Until these were reprinted in Legendary Collection, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales.	Southern Islands
Ivysaur	The only Bulbasaur at the time went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. Until Bulbasaur was reprinted in Legendary Collection, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales.	Southern Islands
Exeggutor	The only Exeggcute at the time went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. Until another Exeggcute was printed in Neo Destiny, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales.	Southern Islands
Tentacruel	The only Tentacool at the time went out of rotation in the 2001-02 Modified format. Until Tentacool was reprinted in Legendary Collection, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales.	Southern Islands
Dark Crobat	The only Dark Golbat at the time went out of rotation in the 2002-03 Modified format. Until Pokémon Breeder was reprinted in Legendary Collection, it could only be indirectly played with Brock's Ninetales.	Neo Destiny
Rocket's Persian ex	The only Rocket's Meowth card went out of rotation in the 2006-07 Modified format.	EX Unseen Forces
Porygon-Z LV.X Porygon-Z	The latest Porygon and Porygon2 cards went out of rotation in the 2010-11 Modified format. This format later included a new Porygon card, making these cards no longer orphaned.	Majestic Dawn DP Black Star Promos
First Ticket	The rule change which took place on November 8th, 2013, made it so that the player who goes first is decided before cards are drawn.	Dragon Vault
Ampharos	The latest Mareep and Flaaffy cards went out of rotation in the 2015-16 Standard format, where it could only be indirectly played with Cradily.	BW Black Star Promos
Heliolisk	The latest Helioptile cards went out of rotation in the 2016-17 Standard format.	XY Black Star Promos
Blissey	The latest Chansey card went out of rotation in the 2016-17 Standard format. This format later included a new Chansey card, making this card no longer orphaned.	XY Black Star Promos
M Blaziken-EX	The only Blaziken-EX card went out of rotation in the 2017-18 Standard format. It could only be indirectly played with Ho-Oh-GX when Burning Shadows was released.	XY Black Star Promos
M Swampert-EX	The only Swampert-EX card went out of rotation in the 2017-18 Standard format.	XY Black Star Promos
M Gengar-EX	This card was released outside Japan when there was no Gengar-EX in the Standard format.	XY Black Star Promos
Crobat BREAK	The latest Crobat card went out of rotation during the 2016-17 Standard format. This format later included a new Crobat card, making this card no longer orphaned.	XY Black Star Promos
Lucario Spirit Link	This card was released when there was no Lucario-EX in the Standard format.	XY Black Star Promos
Hydreigon	The latest Deino and Zweilous cards went out of rotation in the 2019-20 Standard format. Another Deino was later printed in Darkness Ablaze, but there were no sanctioned tournaments to use these cards together.	Dragon Majesty
Electrocharger	Electropower went out of rotation in the 2020-21 Standard format.	Team Up
Machamp	The latest Machop and Machoke cards went out of rotation in the 2019-20 Standard format. It remained orphaned in the 2020-21 Format until another Machop was printed in Champion's Path.	Detective Pikachu
Typhlosion	The latest Cyndaquil and Quilava cards went out of rotation in the 2020-21 Standard format. It could only be indirectly played with Chandelure.	SM Black Star Promos
Greninja	The last Froakie and Frogadier cards were out of rotation by the time of this card's printing in the 2021-23 Standard format. Until a new Froakie was printed in Obsidian Flames, it could only be indirectly played with Orbeetle or Vaporeon VMAX.	SWSH Black Star Promos