The Pokémon Company made several exciting announcements at the 2024 Pokémon World Championships, including the highly anticipated return of classic Pokémon TCG mechanics in 2025.
Nostalgia Strikes: Trainer's Pokémon and Team Rocket Cards Return to the TCG
Official Release Date Still Under Wraps
Get ready for the comeback of "Trainer’s Pokémon" cards! The announcement, accompanied by a teaser trailer featuring trainers like Marnie, Lillie, and N, also hinted at a possible Team Rocket resurgence. The trailer showcased Lillie’s Clefairy ex, Marnie’s Grimmsnarl ex, N’s Zoroark ex, and N’s Reshiram, sparking excitement among longtime fans.
These Trainer’s Pokémon cards, a beloved feature of the early TCG, uniquely represent Pokémon belonging to specific trainers, often boasting special abilities and artwork.
The teaser further fueled speculation with a glimpse of Mewtwo alongside the iconic Team Rocket symbol. This suggests a potential Team Rocket-themed expansion, possibly even the return of Dark Pokémon—another popular early mechanic associated with Team Rocket and their "edgier" Pokémon variants. Rumors of a Japanese retailer listing and a trademark filing ("The Glory of Team Rocket") add weight to these speculations.Paradise Dragona Set Debuts at World Championships
The 2024 World Championships also unveiled the first cards from the upcoming Paradise Dragona set. PokeBeach reported showcasing Latias, Latios, Exeggcute, and Alolan Exeggutor ex. This Japanese Dragon-type focused subset is slated for an English release as part of the Surging Sparks set in November 2024.
Meanwhile, the current Kitikami chapter concludes with the release of the Shrouded Fable expansion this month, boasting 99 cards (64 main cards and 35 secret rare cards), according to the Pokémon TCG blog. As we eagerly await more details on the 2025 releases, the TCG scene is buzzing with anticipation.
