Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Pokémon tarot reading?
A Pokémon tarot reading interprets a spread of five Pokémon TCG cards the way a tarot reader interprets tarot cards. Each Pokémon's type, lore, and energy is read as a symbol, and the five cards together form a personalized reading about your chosen timeframe — a day, week, month, or year — and intention, such as love, work, or wealth.
How does PokéTarot identify my cards?
When you scan your physical Pokémon TCG cards with your camera, PokéTarot uses AI vision (Anthropic's Claude) to recognize each card. The reading itself is then generated from the identified Pokémon. Your card photos are used only to identify the cards and are never stored.
Is PokéTarot free?
Yes. PokéTarot is completely free to use — tarot readings, PokéAura discovery, and the Gym Leader generator all run in your browser with no account, no downloads, and no payment.
Do I need physical Pokémon cards to get a reading?
No. If you don't have physical cards handy, choose Draw instead of Scan and PokéTarot will pull a random five-card spread from the Pokémon TCG Pocket deck for you.
What is a PokéAura?
Your PokéAura is the Pokémon whose energy most closely matches your own. You answer a short series of personality questions, and PokéTarot matches you with an aura Pokémon, an aura type (such as Fire or Psychic), and the traits you share. Results are shareable with a unique link.
What does the Gym Leader generator create?
The Gym Leader generator builds a complete Pokémon gym persona from your answers: a leader title, gym name and type, a badge, a battle philosophy, a signature strategy, a team of six Pokémon, and an optional custom retro trainer sprite.
Can I share my reading, aura, or gym with friends?
Yes. Every tarot reading, PokéAura result, and Gym Leader persona gets a unique shareable link with a preview image, so friends can view your result without creating anything themselves.
Are Pokémon tarot readings real fortune telling?
PokéTarot is for entertainment. Readings are AI-generated interpretations inspired by tarot traditions and Pokémon lore — enjoy them as playful reflection, not as advice or prediction.
Is PokéTarot affiliated with Nintendo or The Pokémon Company?
No. PokéTarot is an unofficial fan project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, Game Freak, or The Pokémon Company. Pokémon and Pokémon character names are trademarks of their respective owners.
Does PokéTarot store my photos or personal data?
Card photos are used only to identify your cards during a scan and are never persisted. Only the generated reading text is saved so your shareable link works. There are no accounts and no sign-up.