The Mega Evolution era of the Pokemon Trading Card Game is almost here, and plans are really starting to come into focus. Another new set has seemingly leaked thanks to a trademark listing uncovered in Japan. According to a report from PokeBeach, a set is planned for the region under the name “Storm Emerald.” There have been no additional details at this time, but PokeBeach speculates that the set will put a focus on Mega Rayquaza. Since Rayquaza appeared on the box art for Pokemon Emerald and is closely connected to Mega Evolution lore, that would make a lot of sense.
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The Pokemon TCG recently revealed how Mega Evolution cards will work this time around. Mega Evolutions for Pokemon that don’t evolve will be playable as Basic Pokemon. This means a potential new Mega Rayquaza card would be playable without having to evolve it from its standard form. Meanwhile, Mega Evolutions for Pokemon like Lucario will basically replace that evolution stage; to use Mega Lucario, you would need just a Riolu, and not a regular Lucario card as well.
In Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, it was seemingly established that Rayquaza was the very first Pokemon capable of using Mega Evolution. However, it’s worth noting that this somewhat contradicted plot elements in Pokemon X and Y. Since both games had characters theorizing about events from thousands of years in the past, it’s possible that we simply haven’t gotten a true origin for Mega Evolution in the Pokemon series, and that we could get a real answer later this year with the release of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Regardless of all that, Rayquaza is a very popular Legendary Pokemon, and continues to see a lot of focus decades after its original appearance. For that reason alone, it makes sense as the primary focus of a TCG set.
As of this writing, The Pokemon Company has only officially announced Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia, a pair of sets that will be released in Japan on August 1st. It seems those two sets will be combined into one for release in English in September, though full details won’t be revealed until next month. We also know that Japan has preconstructed decks focused on Mega Diancie and Mega Gengar also launching in September. Trademark leaks seem to have confirmed three other planned sets: Inferno X, Ninja Spinner, and now Storm Emerald. Presumably, at least some of these will be combined together before being released in English.
While none of these Pokemon TCG trademarks offer all that much concrete information, they do give us some interesting hints about The Pokemon Company’s plans for this year. Details about Pokemon Legends: Z-A have been largely kept under wraps over the last few months, and fans are eager to learn more about the game ahead of its release on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 in October. That game will mark the return of the Mega Evolution mechanic to the franchise, but we don’t know exactly how many new Mega Evolutions will appear, or how many will return from past games. With Pokemon like Charizard, Greninja, and now Rayquaza all seemingly playing big roles in the TCG, this could offer some hints about what to expect.
Are you excited about this new focus on Mega Evolutions in the Pokemon TCG? Do you plan on checking out Pokemon Legends: Z-A this year? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
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