Penny Arcade just put up a comic strip that relates to the Eye of Judgement.  While, I still think it's a cool implementation, I have my reservations, especially for the [now] $500 price tag.  But, if you're still wondering about the validity of the physical cards, Tycho goes into more detail:
"Online play, if you're curious, involves registering a ( Read more... )

I read this thorugh my reader  ( I really need to get that 3-column format working ), and it's a great story about kids and how they compete in Pokemon tourneys.  I had no idea.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/2007/07/23/#22209

Scroll down to Gabe's post