Fans of Pokémon will know that Japan’s release schedule for the Pokémon Trading Card Game (or TCG) sets is very different to what we see in the West (their card backs are different too, with a gold coloured border and a very different Pokéball design on the back of Japanese cards). It’s also the case that Japanese sets are where new cards are revealed and printed before being translated into English, so if you do keep up with what’s emerging in Japan as sets are released, you’ll get a very good idea of what to expect from upcoming English language sets!
Sets are released more frequently in Japan too, with a more accelerated schedule and, often, smaller sets of cards. When they make their way out of Japan, English language sets tend to be made up of cards from more than one set, and sometimes cards are omitted, only to be included in different sets further down the line.
Given that we do know what the next sets are for the Pokémon TCG in Japan, let’s take a look at what’s on the way, when they’re due to arrive and what we know about each one. Without any further ado, let’s check out all upcoming Japanese Pokémon TCG sets!
Terastal Festival – December 6th, 2024
We have very little information on Terastal Festival at this stage.
Yet we do know that this set, which releases on December 6th, 2024, will feature Eevee and its evolutions; from the image we’ve seen (thanks Pokebeach!), and the details that have emerged regarding the accessories that will launch alongside this set (all featuring Eevee), we can also make a very educated guess that we’re going to see Tera Pokémon ex versions of Eevee’s various forms too!
That alone is enough to whet our appetite for this set, though we’ll have to wait until 2025 for these cards to make their way out of Japan into English language sets. Of course, once the Japanese cards are revealed, we’ll make sure to showcase them on Card Gamer.
Battle Partners – 24th January, 2025
Beyond the fact that Battle Partners will see the return of Pokémon owned by specific trainers, with an example being ‘Misty’s Psyduck’, shown above, little is yet known about the first Pokémon TCG set scheduled for release in Japan.
Though we have seen Trainers alongside their Pokemon represented in card art, it’s been a very long time since we had them referenced within the card names themselves, so this could be an exciting, returning feature, especially if contemporary twists are added, similar to the way that Ace Spec cards have returned and have been modernised in the Scarlet & Violet era.
The Glory of Team Rocket – February, 2025
It’s also been a long time since Team Rocket, the antagonists in early Pokémon games and the long-running villains in the original Pokémon animated series, have made their presence truly felt in the Pokémon TCG.
The set scheduled for a February 2025 release in Japan all but confirms that they’re coming back in a big way, however, and it seems that we might even see the return of Pokémon belonging to Team Rocket, such as the Team Rocket’s Meowth card shown above.
With the ‘owned’ Pokémon that we’re expecting to see making a comeback in Battle Partners, having Team Rocket-owned Pokémon arriving, just a month later in Japan, would not only be a massive hit of nostalgia for old school Pokémon fans, but it’d make an awful lot of sense to have these two classic, long dormant Pokémon types returning together.
We’ll keep on adding to this list as further details are revealed for Japanese sets, and you can be sure that we’ll also add card lists for each set as and when card images are shown too. Watch this space!
