List of Pokémon Trading Card Game sets facts for kids

This is a list of all the different card sets released for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. This fun collectible card game first came out in Japan in 1996. By April 2022, there were 98 card sets released in English and 91 in Japan, including special collections. As of September 2017, there were 6,959 cards in Japanese sets and 9,110 cards in English sets. Over 23.6 billion cards have been shipped around the world!

The card sets are usually split into two main groups. One group is for cards made by Wizards of the Coast. The other group is for cards made after Nintendo took over the Pokémon franchise.

First Generation Card Sets

These are the very first sets of Pokémon cards that came out!

Early English Cards

The 1998 Pokémon Demo Game Pack was one of the first ways English-speaking fans got to see Pokémon cards. It helped introduce the game in the United States. This pack had 24 special "shadowless" cards from the Base Set and a rulebook.

Pokémon Base Set

The Pokémon Base Set was the very first set of cards for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. It came out in Japan on October 20, 1996, and in the United States on January 9, 1999. This set is unique because it doesn't have a special symbol like later sets. It was also one of the few sets to include all the basic Energy cards. It even introduced the first special Energy card, Double Colorless Energy!

Early versions of these cards look a bit different. They are brighter, use a thinner font, and don't have a shadow around the picture. Collectors call these "shadowless" cards. Since fewer of these were printed, they are rarer than the regular cards.

Jungle Set

Jungle was the second set of cards, released on June 16, 1999. In English, this set started a trend: many rare cards came in both shiny (holo) and non-shiny versions. This basically doubled the number of rare cards you could find! The symbol for this set looks like a Vileplume. Some rare "holo" cards from this set were accidentally printed without the Jungle symbol, making them special!

Fossil Set

Fossil was the third set, released on October 10, 1999. This set had 62 cards and was known for being the first time Ditto appeared in the Pokémon TCG.

Base Set 2

Base Set 2 was the fourth set, released only in English on February 24, 2000. It was a collection of popular cards from earlier sets. This set had 130 cards, and its symbol is a Pokéball with the number 2 on it.

Team Rocket Set

Team Rocket was the fifth set, released on April 24, 2000. It's named after the bad guys from the Pokémon video games and TV show. The set's symbol is the famous 'R' logo of Team Rocket.

This set introduced "Dark Pokémon." These Pokémon were shown as being controlled by Team Rocket. The set also had a special "secret" rare card, Dark Raichu, which was the first of its kind!

Gym Heroes Set

Gym Heroes was the sixth set, released on August 14, 2000. It had 132 cards. Its symbol looks like an amphitheater. This set focused on the first four Gym Leaders from the video games: Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge, and Erika.

This set also introduced "Owner's Pokémon." These were Pokémon that belonged to specific Gym Leaders. For example, Brock's Onix would need to evolve from a "Brock's Geodude." This was a new idea, but it meant you couldn't mix and match cards from different sets as easily.

Gym Heroes also brought in "Stadium cards." These are special Trainer cards that stay in play and affect both players. They are different from other cards because they aren't attached to a Pokémon.

Gym Challenge Set

Gym Challenge was the seventh set, released on October 16, 2000. It also had 132 cards. Its symbol is an amphitheater, but it's the opposite color of the Gym Heroes symbol. This set focused on the other four Gym Leaders: Sabrina, Koga, Blaine, and Giovanni.

Second Generation Card Sets

These sets introduced Pokémon from the Johto region!

Neo Genesis Set

Neo Genesis was the eighth set, released in December 2000. It had 111 cards. Its symbol is two stars. "Neo" means "new" and "Genesis" means "beginning." This set was the first to feature second-generation Pokémon from the Johto region. It also added two new Pokémon types: Darkness and Metal, along with their own special Energy cards.

The look of the cards changed with this set to be more like the Japanese versions. The HP (Hit Points) number became smaller and black.

Neo Discovery Set

Neo Discovery was the ninth set, released in June 2001. It had 75 cards. Its symbol looks like a Mayan temple. This set introduced many more second-generation Pokémon like Smeargle and Wobbuffet.

This set also brought in some of the Unown Pokémon. Each Unown card had a special effect related to the letter it represented.

Southern Islands Set

Southern Islands is a special set of cards. It was released in America after Neo Discovery. This set's symbol is a palm tree.

It's often thought of as the tenth set, but it was a special collection sold as a complete box, not in booster packs. This small set only had 18 cards. If you arranged all the cards correctly, their pictures would form one big image!

Neo Revelation Set

Neo Revelation was the eleventh set, released in October 2001. It had 64 cards. Its symbol shows Suicune, Entei, and Raikou leaving the Burned Tower.

With this set, there was at least one card for every single Pokémon up to number 251, including the rare Celebi. This set also introduced "Shining Pokémon." These were very strong Basic Pokémon, but you could only have one of each kind in your deck.

Neo Destiny Set

Neo Destiny was the twelfth set, released in February 2002. It had 105 cards. Its symbol is a dark blue sparkle over a light sparkle. This set focused on "Dark" and "Light" Pokémon, like Light Arcanine and Dark Tyranitar.

Legendary Collection

The Legendary Collection was the thirteenth set, released in May 2002. It had 110 cards. The set's symbol is a medal.

This set was a follow-up to Base Set 2. It was made up entirely of cards reprinted from the first four sets: Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket. This was done so these older cards could still be used in official tournaments.

Expedition Base Set

Expedition Base Set was the fourteenth set, released in September 2002. Its symbol is a Poké Ball that looks like a small "e". This set had 165 cards.

It was the first set to work with the Nintendo e-Reader. You could scan special codes on the cards to see patterns, hear sounds, or other fun things. This set also introduced "Supporter cards," which are a type of Trainer card that is very important in competitive play today.

Aquapolis Set

Aquapolis was the fifteenth set, released in January 2003. It had 186 cards. Its symbol is a skyline inside a water droplet.

This set also used the Nintendo e-Reader a lot. You could scan codes from several cards to play mini-games. Aquapolis also brought in "Technical Machines" (TMs) as cards.

This set was also the first to use the "Crystal Type" Poké-power. This power allowed a Pokémon to change its type for a turn by attaching a basic energy card.

Skyridge Set

Skyridge was the sixteenth set, released on May 12, 2003. Its symbol is two mountains with a halo around the taller one. This was the last set published by Wizards of the Coast and had 182 cards.

Skyridge continued the mini-games feature with the Nintendo e-Reader. It was also the second and last set to have Pokémon with the "Crystal Type" Poké-power. Cards like Crystal Charizard and Crystal Ho-oh are very valuable from this set.

The Pokémon Company Takes Over

In July 2003, The Pokémon Company took over from Wizards of the Coast as the publisher of the cards. The first set they released was EX Ruby and Sapphire.

Third Generation Card Sets

All the Third Generation sets have "EX" in their names. This is because they introduced special "Pokémon-EX" cards.

EX Ruby and Sapphire

EX Ruby and Sapphire was the seventeenth set, released on June 18, 2003. It had 109 cards. Its symbol is a jewel. It was named after the video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.

This set introduced third-generation Pokémon. The card layout changed again to match the Japanese cards, and this style is still used today. This set also brought in "Pokémon-ex" cards. These Pokémon were stronger than normal, but if your opponent knocked one out, they would take two Prize cards instead of one.

EX Sandstorm

EX Sandstorm was the eighteenth set, released on September 18, 2003. It had 100 cards. Its symbol is two fossils. The name "Sandstorm" comes from how you find these fossils in the video games.

This set continued to introduce third-generation Pokémon, especially desert-themed ones. It also brought back the Mysterious Fossil card.

EX Dragon

EX Dragon was the nineteenth set, released in November 2003. It had 100 cards plus 3 secret rare cards. The set's symbol is a weapon's crosshair. This set focused on "Dragon" type Pokémon, which were colorless but needed two or more types of Energy to attack.

EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua

EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua was the twentieth set, released in March 2004. It had 95 cards and was the last set to work with the e-Reader. Its symbol is a slanted "X".

This set introduced Team Magma Pokémon and Team Aqua Pokémon, based on the bad guys from the video games. It also brought in "Dual-type Pokémon," which had two different types.

EX Hidden Legends

EX Hidden Legends was the twenty-first set, released in June 2004. It had 101 cards. Its symbol is a trapezoid with small dots inside a hexagon. The "Hidden Legends" part refers to the Legendary Pokémon Regirock, Regice, and Registeel.

EX Fire Red and Leaf Green

EX Fire Red and Leaf Green was the twenty-second set, released in September 2004. Its symbol is a black Pokéball. It came out around the same time as the Nintendo video games Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green.

EX Team Rocket Returns

EX Team Rocket Returns was the twenty-third set, released in November 2004. It had 111 cards. The set symbol is the red Team Rocket 'R' emblem. This set was a follow-up to the original Team Rocket set.

This set also introduced "Gold Star" shiny Pokémon, also called "Pokémon Star." These were special, shiny versions of Pokémon, and you could only have one Pokémon Star card in your deck.

EX Deoxys

EX Deoxys was the twenty-fourth set, released in February 2005. It had 107 cards. The set's symbol is a shooting star. It's named after the Pokémon Deoxys and also featured Rayquaza, both from the movie Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys.

EX Emerald

EX Emerald was the twenty-fifth set, released in May 2005. It had 106 cards. Its symbol is a gemstone, like an emerald. This set included some Japanese promo cards that had never been released outside Japan before.

EX Unseen Forces

EX Unseen Forces was the twenty-sixth set, released in August 2005. It had 115 cards, plus 2 secret cards and 28 Unown cards. The set's symbol is a black silhouette of Ho-Oh's wing over a white silhouette of Lugia's wing. This set was based on the Johto region from the Pokémon Gold and Silver games. It had more Pokémon-ex cards than any other set at the time.

EX Delta Species

EX Delta Species was the twenty-seventh set, released in October 2005. It had 113 cards. Its symbol is Holon Tower.

This set introduced "Delta Species" Pokémon. These Pokémon had unusual types. For example, Tyranitar is usually a Dark or Fighting type, but in this set, it was a Metal/Fire type! It also introduced "Holon's Pokémon," which could be used as either Pokémon or Energy cards.

EX Legend Maker

EX Legend Maker was the twenty-eighth set, released in February 2006. It had 92 cards. Its symbol is a stylized forest. It was named "Legend Maker" because it included Mew.

EX Holon Phantoms

EX Holon Phantoms was the twenty-ninth set, released in May 2006. It had 110 cards. Its symbol is the Holon symbol with three triangles. This set brought back Delta Species Pokémon.

EX Crystal Guardians

EX Crystal Guardians was the thirtieth set, released in July 2006. Its symbol is a sliver of a crystal. This set included 100 cards.

EX Dragon Frontiers

EX Dragon Frontiers was the thirty-first set, released in November 2006. It had 101 cards. Its symbol is two black mountains on a white background. This set was based on islands where Dragon Pokémon lived. It was the last set to feature Delta Species Pokémon.

EX Power Keepers

EX Power Keepers was the thirty-second set, released in February 2007. Its symbol is a road leading to a vanishing horizon. It had 108 cards.

This set was loosely based on the Hoenn Elite Four from the video games. It also included reprints of cards from older sets and was the last set of the third generation.

Fourth Generation Card Sets

These sets are named after the Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver video games.

Diamond and Pearl Base Set

Diamond and Pearl Base Set was the thirty-third set, released in May 2007. It had 130 cards. Its symbol is a circle in an upside-down pentagon. This was the first set in English to include fourth-generation Pokémon from the Diamond and Pearl video games.

New rules were added with this set. One big change was the introduction of "Pokémon LV.X." These cards could "Level Up" an Active Pokémon, giving it new powers while keeping its old ones. This set also introduced Basic Dark and Steel Energy cards.

Diamond and Pearl – Mysterious Treasures

Diamond and Pearl – Mysterious Treasures was the thirty-fourth set, released in August 2007. Its symbol is a shiny jewel. This set introduced the Sinnoh Legendary trio: Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. It also brought in "Pokémon with Item" cards, which had special effects like held items. This set had 124 cards.

Diamond and Pearl – Secret Wonders

Diamond and Pearl – Secret Wonders was the thirty-fifth set, released in November 2007. Its symbol is a whirlpool. This set also included "Pokémon with Item" cards and had 132 cards.

Diamond and Pearl – Great Encounters

Diamond and Pearl – Great Encounters was the thirty-sixth set, released in February 2008. It had 106 cards. Its symbol is a triskelion inside a hexagon. This set introduced Darkrai, a Legendary Pokémon.

Diamond and Pearl – Majestic Dawn

Diamond and Pearl – Majestic Dawn was the thirty-seventh set, released in May 2008. Its symbol is a rising sun. It was the smallest Diamond and Pearl set with 100 cards. This set introduced Leafeon and Glaceon, new evolutions of Eevee.

Diamond and Pearl – Legends Awakened

Diamond and Pearl – Legends Awakened was the thirty-eighth set, released in August 2008. This set brought back Technical Machines (TMs) to the game. It had 146 cards, making it one of the largest sets at the time.

Diamond and Pearl – Stormfront

Diamond and Pearl – Stormfront was the thirty-ninth set, released in November 2008. Its symbol is a circle with a lightning bolt. It had 100 cards. This set brought back "shiny Pokémon" (Pokémon with alternate colors) and reprinted three "classic" cards from the very first sets.

Platinum Base Set

Platinum Base Set was the fortieth set, released in the United States on February 11, 2009. It introduced the Pokémon Shaymin and a new type of Pokémon called "Pokémon G," which were part of a new mechanic called "Pokémon SP."

This set also introduced the "Lost Zone." This is like a second discard pile, but you can't get cards back from it! Platinum had 127 cards in total.

Platinum – Rising Rivals

Platinum – Rising Rivals was the forty-first set, released in the US on May 16, 2009. It had 114 cards. This set introduced "Gym Leader's Pokémon" (Pokémon GL) and "Elite Four's Pokémon" (Pokémon E4), which were new types of Pokémon SP. It also included special hidden rare cards that were remakes of original cards.

Platinum – Supreme Victors

Platinum – Supreme Victors was the forty-second set, released in the United States on August 19, 2009. It had 147 cards. Its symbol is two connected upside-down triangles. This set included "Frontier Brain Pokémon" (Pokémon FB) and "Champion's Pokémon" (Pokémon C).

Platinum – Arceus

Platinum – Arceus was the forty-third set, released in North America on November 4, 2009. It had 99 cards.

This set was the first to feature the Pokémon Arceus. All Arceus cards had a special rule: you could have any number of Arceus cards in your deck, not just the usual four! This set also continued the "Shining" Pokémon from the Platinum series.

HeartGold & SoulSilver

HeartGold & SoulSilver was based on the Pokémon video games of the same name. This set had over 123 cards. It introduced new "Pokémon Prime" cards, which were stronger than usual and showed a close-up of the Pokémon's face.

This set also featured "Pokémon LEGEND" cards. These were special Pokémon made up of two separate cards that you had to play together! It also included an Alph Lithograph card, which let you look at your opponent's hand.

HS–Unleashed

HS–Unleashed was the second set based on the HeartGold and SoulSilver games. The set had 95 cards. It was the first set to feature "dual-Legend" cards, which had two Pokémon on the same two-card LEGEND. If these Pokémon were knocked out, your opponent would take two Prize cards.

HS–Undaunted

HS–Undaunted was the third set based on the HeartGold and SoulSilver games. The set had 90 cards. It continued the trend of dual-Legend cards.

HS–Triumphant

HS–Triumphant was the fourth set based on the HeartGold and SoulSilver games. The set had 102 cards. It also continued the trend of dual-Legend cards.

Call of Legends

Call of Legends was a special English-only set of reprinted and new cards. It had 95 cards. This set was released as a "filler" set between the HeartGold & SoulSilver series and the next generation of Pokémon video games. It included reprints and some cards that were previously only released in Japan. It also featured shiny versions of Legendary Pokémon.

Fifth Generation Card Sets

All the Fifth Generation sets have "Black and White" in their names, based on the Pokémon Black and White video games.

Set No.	Name	Release date	Details
1	Black and White	April 6, 2011	This was the first set based on the Pokémon Black and White games. It had 115 cards and introduced 69 new Pokémon. It also brought in "full card art" versions of Reshiram and Zekrom. Starting with this set, all non-Pokémon and non-Energy cards were called "Trainer" cards, divided into Item, Supporter, and Stadium types.
2	Emerging Powers	August 31, 2011	This set had 98 cards and introduced 31 new Pokémon. It featured the popular "Pokémon Catcher" Item card, which let you switch your opponent's Active Pokémon.
3	Noble Victories	November 16, 2011	This set introduced the last Pokémon from the 5th generation (except for event-exclusive ones). It featured the Victory Pokémon Victini and new Fossil Pokémon. It also included full art cards of Pokémon and the first full art Trainer card, N.
4	Next Destinies	February 8, 2012	This set brought back Pokémon from earlier generations and introduced a new type of card: "Pokémon-EX." These were powerful Pokémon, and the set included several, like Mewtwo-EX. It also had "Secret Rare" cards that were shiny reprints of cards from previous sets.
5	Dark Explorers	May 9, 2012	This set continued to bring back older Pokémon and Pokémon-EX cards. It also had three more "Secret Rare" shiny reprints.
6	Dragons Exalted	August 15, 2012	This set introduced the Dragon Pokémon type to the Trading Card Game. It also brought in new Dragon type EXs like Rayquaza-EX. It included four "Secret Rare" shiny reprints.
7	Boundaries Crossed	November 2012	This was the first set based on the games Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. It introduced Black and White Kyurem, Meloetta, and Keldeo. It also brought back "ACE SPEC" cards. You could only have one ACE SPEC card in your entire deck! It also had four "Secret Rare" shiny reprints and three new full-art Supporter cards.
8	Plasma Storm	February 2013	This set continued to bring back older Pokémon and Pokémon-EX cards. ACE SPEC cards also returned. This set focused on Team Plasma, a villainous team from the Unova Region.
9	Plasma Freeze	May 2013	This was the second Team Plasma set. It featured Thundurus-EX, Tornadus-EX, and Deoxys-EX. A new ACE SPEC card was added.
10	Plasma Blast	August 2013	This was the third Team Plasma set. New Pokémon-EX cards included Genesect-EX and Dialga-EX. It was the first set to have only 11 Pokémon-EX cards. It also had a new full-art Supporter card, Iris.
11	Legendary Treasures	November 2013	This was the eleventh and final set of the Pokémon Black and White series. It had 115 cards plus 25 "Radiant Collection" cards. It included ten returning Pokémon-EX and two new ones. The "Radiant Collection" cards had a special shiny coating. This set was the only one with actual golden Pokémon cards, like Golden Reshiram and Golden Zekrom.

Sixth Generation Card Sets

The sixth generation sets have "XY" in their names, based on the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games.

Set No.	Name	Release date	Details
1	XY	February 5, 2014	This set featured the three starter Pokémon from the Kalos Region: Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. It introduced Fairy-type cards and their basic Energy, which was the first new type added since the Dragon-type in 2012.
2	Flashfire	May 7, 2014	This set introduced 15 new Trainer cards, five new Pokémon-EX, and three new Mega Evolutions.
3	Furious Fists	August 13, 2014	It introduced 10 new Trainer cards, two new Mega Evolutions, and five new Pokémon-EX.
4	Phantom Forces	November 5, 2014	This set brought 122 new cards, including a new mechanic called "Spirit Link." This allowed Mega Pokémon to evolve without ending your turn. It also introduced six new Pokémon-EX and two new Mega Evolutions. A card called "Lysandre's Trump Card" was later banned from tournaments.
5	Primal Clash	February 4, 2015	This set brought 164 new cards and introduced "Primal Reversions" with Primal Kyogre-EX and Primal Groudon-EX, just like in the Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire games. It also added twelve new Pokémon-EX.
6	Roaring Skies	May 6, 2015	It included 110 new cards and 11 new Pokémon-EX, including 4 new Mega Evolution Pokémon.
7	Ancient Origins	August 12, 2015	This set brought 100 new cards and featured the Djinn-based Pokémon, Hoopa. It also introduced 14 new Pokémon-EX, including three Secret Full Art Pokémon-EX cards of Primal Groudon-EX, Primal Kyogre-EX, and Mega Rayquaza-EX, all in their shiny forms.
8	BREAKthrough	November 4, 2015	This set brought 164 new cards and introduced a new type of Evolution called "BREAK." BREAK cards give a Pokémon an extra Attack or Ability while keeping its old ones. This set also started the legal block for official Pokémon TCG tournaments in 2018.
9	BREAKpoint	February 3, 2016	It continued to introduce Pokémon BREAK cards, like Greninja and Luxray. It also featured Full Art Trainer cards of Misty and Skyla.
10	Fates Collide	May 2, 2016	Lugia and Delphox were featured as Pokémon BREAK cards, and Alakazam and Genesect as Pokémon-EX.
11	Steam Siege	August 3, 2016	This was the last set to use the card style from "Black & White" to "XY." It featured the Mythical Pokémon Volcanion and Magearna. It contained six new Pokémon-EX and seven new Pokémon BREAK. It also brought back "dual types," which hadn't been seen since the HS—Triumphant set.
12	Evolutions	November 2, 2016	This set marked the end of the Pokémon TCG—XY series. The cards were like reprints of the original Base Set cards, but also included some new Pokémon-EX and Trainer cards.

Generations

Generations was an extra set in the X and Y series. This set featured many reprints from both recent and older sets, including the First and Second Generations. It also included Pokémon-EX and Pokémon BREAK cards with a style similar to the First Generation Sets.

Seventh Generation Card Sets

The seventh generation sets have Sun & Moon in their name, based on the Pokémon Sun and Moon video games.

Set No.	Name	Release date	Details
1	Sun & Moon	February 3, 2017	This set introduced the new "Pokémon-GX" cards and the new Alolan variants of Pokémon. It focused on the main Legendary Pokémon from the Pokémon Sun and Moon video games: Solgaleo and Lunala. It also introduced new Full Art Secret Rare Trainer cards and new Secret Rare basic Energy cards.
2	Guardians Rising	May 5, 2017	This set provided more Alolan Pokémon cards and more Pokémon-GX cards, including the Guardian deities like Tapu Koko-GX.
3	Burning Shadows	August 4, 2017	This set introduced more Alolan Pokémon cards and Pokémon-GX cards, such as Ho-Oh-GX and Necrozma-GX. It also featured Full Art Secret Rare Trainer cards of the Trial Captains and Team Skull members.
4	Crimson Invasion	November 3, 2017	This set introduced the new Ultra Beasts as Pokémon-GX cards, like Nihilego-GX and Buzzwole-GX.
5	Ultra Prism	February 2, 2018	This was the first English set to feature "Prism Star" cards. You could only have one of each Prism Star card in your deck, and they went to the Lost Zone when discarded.
6	Forbidden Light	May 4, 2018	This set contained over 130 cards, including 8 new Pokémon-GX and 5 new Prism Star cards.
7	Celestial Storm	August 3, 2018	This set contained over 160 cards, including 3 Prism Star cards and 11 new Pokémon-GX cards.
8	Lost Thunder	November 2, 2018	This set contained over 210 cards, including 7 Prism Star cards and 13 new Pokémon-GX cards.
9	Team Up	February 1, 2019	This set introduced "Tag Team Pokémon-GX" cards, which featured two Pokémon working together on one card. It had over 180 cards.
10	Unbroken Bonds	May 3, 2019	This set contained over 214 cards, including 7 Tag Team Pokémon-GX cards.
11	Unified Minds	August 2, 2019	This set contained over 236 cards, including 8 Tag Team Pokémon-GX cards and two new special energy cards.
12	Cosmic Eclipse	November 1, 2019	This was the twelfth and final set from the Sun & Moon series. It contained 271 cards, making it the largest set ever released at the time. It included 9 Tag Team Pokémon-GX cards and the first "Tag Team Supporters."

Sun & Moon – Shining Legends was an extra set in the Sun & Moon series. It was released on October 6, 2017. This set brought back the "Shining" mechanics from the Second Generation sets, featuring Legendary Pokémon.

Sun & Moon – Dragon Majesty was an expansion set released on September 7, 2018. Its booster packs were sold in special collection boxes. The set featured over 70 cards, including 6 Pokémon-GX cards.

Sun & Moon – Detective Pikachu was a mini set released on March 29, 2019. Its booster packs were sold in special collection boxes. The set featured 18 cards with artwork and attacks based on the Pokémon: Detective Pikachu movie.

Sun & Moon – Hidden Fates was a special set released on August 23, 2019. It featured a Tag Team Pokémon GX trio card with Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos. Over 75 Pokémon were featured in their shiny forms, including Charizard-GX and Mewtwo-GX. The set had over 150 cards.

Eighth Generation Card Sets

These new cards were released along with the Pokémon Sword and Shield video games. The English version came out on February 7, 2020.

Set No.	Name	Release date	Details
1	Sword & Shield	February 7, 2020	This was the first set of the new series with over 200 cards. It introduced new "Pokémon-V" cards (which replaced Pokémon-GX) and "Pokémon-VMAX" cards (based on the "Gigantamax" forms). It also brought in new Galarian variants of Pokémon. It focused on the main Legendary Pokémon from the Pokémon Sword and Shield video games: Zacian and Zamazenta.
2	Rebel Clash	May 1, 2020	This second set had over 190 cards, including 15 new Pokémon V and seven Pokémon VMAX cards.
3	Darkness Ablaze	August 14, 2020	This third set had over 189 cards, including 14 new Pokémon V and 7 Pokémon VMAX cards.
4	Vivid Voltage	November 13, 2020	This fourth set had over 185 cards, including 11 new Pokémon V and 6 new Pokémon VMAX cards. This set also introduced "Amazing Pokémon" cards.
5	Battle Styles	March 19, 2021	This fifth set had over 160 cards. It introduced a new mechanic called “Battle Styles,” which included "Single Strike" and "Rapid Strike" styles. Single Strike focused on strength, while Rapid Strike focused on chance.
6	Chilling Reign	June 18, 2021	This sixth set had 198 cards plus 35 secret rare cards, for a total of 233 cards.
7	Evolving Skies	August 27, 2021	This seventh set had 203 cards plus 34 secret rare cards, for a total of 237 cards.
8	Fusion Strike	November 12, 2021	This eighth set had 264 cards plus 20 secret rare cards, for a total of 284 cards. It introduced "Fusion Strike," a new Battle Style.
9	Brilliant Stars	February 25, 2022	This ninth set had 172 cards, plus 14 secret rare cards, for a total of 186 numbered cards. It also included 30 cards from the "Trainer Gallery" subset. It introduced the new "VSTAR" mechanic.
10	Astral Radiance	May 27, 2022	This tenth set had over 180 cards. It also included 30 cards from the "Trainer Gallery" subset. It introduced the new "Radiant" cards.
11	Lost Origin	September 09, 2022	This eleventh set had over 190 cards. It also included 30 cards from the "Trainer Gallery" subset.
12	Silver Tempest	November 11, 2022	This twelfth set had 195 cards plus 20 secret rare cards, for a total of 215 cards. It was the final main set of the Sword & Shield Series.

Champion's Path was the first extra set in the Sword & Shield series. It was released on September 25, 2020. Champion's Path contained over 70 cards, including 15 Pokémon V cards and three Pokémon VMAX cards.

Shining Fates was the second extra set in the Sword & Shield series. This set was released on March 8, 2021. Shining Fates contained over 190 cards, including more than 30 Pokémon V and VMAX cards, and over 100 shiny Pokémon. It was very popular, especially for the shiny Charizard VMAX card.

Celebrations was the third extra set in the Sword & Shield series, released October 8, 2021. This set celebrated the 25th anniversary of Pokémon! It featured many Legendary Pokémon and V and VMAX versions of Surfing and Flying Pikachu. It had 25 new cards and 25 reprints of cards from past series.

Pokémon GO was the fourth extra set in the Sword & Shield series, released on July 1, 2022. This set was based on the popular mobile game of the same name. It contained 78 cards in the main set, including 3 Radiant Pokémon and various Pokémon V, VMAX, and VSTAR cards.

Crown Zenith was the fifth and final extra set of Sword & Shield, released on January 20, 2023. It contained 240 cards, with 70 of them being special art rares in a subset called the "Galarian Gallery."

Ninth Generation Card Sets

With the release of the Scarlet and Violet Pokémon games, The Pokémon Company started releasing card sets from the Scarlet and Violet series. The English set, Scarlet and Violet, came out on March 31, 2023. This series brought some big changes, like Pokémon Tool cards becoming their own Trainer card group, new card rarities, and silver card borders.

Set No.	Name	Release date	Details
1	Scarlet & Violet	March 31, 2023	Scarlet and Violet was the first set in this series. It had 198 cards (before secret rares) and brought back "Pokémon ex" cards. It also added "Tera Pokémon ex," which couldn't be attacked while on the Bench. It mainly featured Pokémon from the Ninth Generation games.
2	Scarlet & Violet: Paldea Evolved	June 6, 2023	Scarlet & Violet: Paldea Evolved had over 190 cards. It mainly featured ex cards of the 9th Generation starter Pokémon and the Ruinous Quartet, a group of four new legendary Pokémon.
3	Scarlet & Violet: Obsidian Flames	August 11, 2023	Scarlet & Violet: Obsidian Flames is the third set in the Scarlet & Violet series. It mainly features Pokémon ex with the Terastal ability. This set also focused heavily on Charizard, even including a dark-type version of the famous Pokémon.
4	Scarlet & Violet: Paradox Rift	November 3, 2023	Scarlet & Violet: Paradox Rift is the fourth set in the Scarlet & Violet series. It mainly features "Ancient" and "Future" variants of Pokémon and Trainer cards. Ancient Pokémon often have strong attacks, while Future Pokémon have attacks and Abilities with extra effects for clever strategies.
5	Scarlet & Violet: Temporal Forces	March 22, 2024	Scarlet & Violet: Temporal Forces is the fifth set in the Scarlet & Violet series. It continues the idea of Ancient and Future Pokémon and Trainer cards. "ACE SPEC" cards, which were first seen in 2012, also made a return in this set.

151, released on September 22, 2023, was the first extra set in the Scarlet & Violet series. This set focused on the first 151 Pokémon and notably introduced the first Kadabra card since the Skyridge set.

Paldean Fates, released on January 26, 2024, is the second extra set in the Scarlet and Violet era. It's the third "Fates" set, following Shining Fates and Hidden Fates. It contains over 240 cards, with more than 100 of them being shiny Pokémon. It continues the theme of Ancient and Future cards and brings back shiny Pokémon.

Special Prerelease Cards

Prerelease cards are special versions of cards from a new set. They have a shiny stamp of the set's logo on the bottom right corner of the picture. These cards are given out at special events before the full set is released.

Wizards of the Coast first made Prerelease cards when the game was new. They were given to players in early test leagues. Later, Pokémon USA continued these events. In the United States, Prerelease events happen over two weekends before a new set officially comes out.

There were only four official Prerelease cards made by Wizards of the Coast: Clefable from Jungle, Aerodactyl from Fossil, Dark Gyarados from Team Rocket, and Misty's Seadra from Gym Heroes. However, by mistake, some Base Set Raichu cards were also stamped with "PRERELEASE." These "Prerelease Raichu" cards are very rare and special!

Promotional Cards

Throughout the Pokémon Trading Card Game's history, many special "promotional cards" have been released. These cards have a five-pointed black star with the word "PROMO" on it instead of a set symbol.

The very first group of promo cards had 53 different cards. One of the most famous is "Birthday Pikachu," known for being unique and hard to find. Another promo set, "Best of Game," included shiny reprints of popular cards. Many promo cards were given out at tournaments or through mail-in offers.

There have also been "box toppers," which are special cards found at the top of booster boxes. "Jumbo" cards, which are about four times the size of a regular card, have also been released, but you can't use them in games.

Under Nintendo's publishing, many more promo sets have been released, often given out in special two-card booster packs for winning tournaments.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Expansiones del Juego de cartas coleccionables Pokémon para niños