A banned Pokemon card finally returns to the game after 20 long years in exile, all thanks to an illusionist, Uri Geller.
Well, I say “thanks to Uri Geller”, but he’s the exact reason that the Kadabra Pokemon card has been banned worldwide due to the antics of the spoon-bending illusionist trying to sue Nintendo for stealing his likeness.
In case you didn't know, Uri Geller became famous (I guess), in the 1970s for claiming to have supernatural abilities and being able to bend spoons with the power of his mind.
In an interview with Kotaku, Geller revealed that he became aware of Kadabra sometime during the early 2000s when some fans began to call him Yungeller. The magical spoon-bending illusionist was angered and shocked by this revelation.
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However, Geller (no relation to Ross or Rachael), was angered further when he became aware that the Pokemon Kadabra was not only psychic but also wielded a spoon! Though to be fair, Kadabra’s Japanese name is “Yungeller”, so you can certainly see the similarities.
So rather than taking this as a homage, Uri Geller went after Nintendo which resulted in Kadabra cards ceasing to be printed for two decades. However, now realising the error of his ways, Geller gave his blessing for Kadabra cards to be printed and now claims that he’s a “huge Pokemon fan”.
“I was pretty angry at that," said Geller, reliving the moment when a Japanese fan showed him the Kadabra Pokemon card. “No one had even contacted me from Nintendo,” he added. However, Geller now gives Nintendo his full endorsement and has embraced himself into the Pokemon community.
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“I’m a huge Pokémon fan now!” claimed Geller. “I’m now very happy and glad and amazed and mystified. That’s the word, mystified, that I became a part of the Pokemon family.” However, it's worth mentioning that the Kadabra ban was unofficial and Geller never won a lawsuit. I guess, Nintendo just thought a potential legal battle was more hassle than it’s worth.
So now thanks to Uri Geller (or in spite of him), we can now start collecting Kadabra Pokemon cards after 20 long years. That being said, it might be easier said than done acquiring the cards, as we’re sure they’ll be highly sort-after.
In related Pokemon news, a collector was left devastated after US customs totally savaged their sealed and graded copy of Pokemon Yellow for the classic Game Boy.