Pokémon Trading Card Game players and collectors haven't even had time to get their hands on the Destined Rivalries set yet, and the next series of cards is already preparing for its launch. For the first time since the Prismatic Evolutions expansion (EV8.5) released last February, the Pokémon TCG is getting ready to welcome a new special expansion stamped EV10.5: Black Lightning and White Flame.
This unique series is about to shake up the usual, since the cards will be separated into two distinct parts and therefore spread across two different types of booster packs. The Black Lightning packs will feature the Legendary Pokémon Zekrom, while the White Flame packs will proudly display the Legendary Pokémon Reshiram. And to make matters worse, collectors' nerves are set to be tested, with over 800 different cards to collect for a complete set.
Never-before-seen card variants
How can a Pokémon TCG mid-expansion pack have over 800 cards on its own? By introducing as many variants as possible, that's all. In the Black Lightning and White Flame booster packs, all 156 Pokémon from the Unova region will benefit from “rare art” or “rare special art” cards in addition to their regular designs. But this already impressive number of alternative cards will be supplemented by never-before-seen variants. Each classic card can be derived into a version with a rainbow Pokéball symbol or a rainbow Masterball symbol, a new approach to the Pokéball and Masterball variants experimented with Prismatic Evolutions (and 151 in Japan).
Also counting the usual “reverse” cards, there will therefore be 4 different sets for the common, uncommon and rare cards of Black Lightning and White Flame. Suffice to say that collecting the master set (i.e. one copy of each variant of the expansion) promises to be an endless treasure hunt. The cherry on top of this rarity cake will nevertheless be the introduction of the “Rare Black White” category, which will present certain cards in a monochrome black and white design (or red for the adorable Victini).
A multi-phase release
As always with Pokémon cards: special series, unique release. The Elite Trainer Box, the Unova Binder Collection and Poster Collection boxes, as well as the Unova Mini-Tins will be the first products of the EV10.5 Black Lightning and White Flame expansion, which will be released starting July 18, 2025. A Sticker Collection box will be released a few weeks later, starting August 1. The 6-pack booster packs will be available on shelves on August 22.
This expansion promises great things for collectors and players alike, with identical (or almost identical) reissues of certain cards from the fifth generation era. Players will have to be patient, however, since the “.5” series do not benefit from preview tournaments to discover the cards a few weeks in advance. The Black Lightning and White Flame expansions will, however, make an early appearance on the Pokémon TCG Live application, just one day early, starting on July 17, 2025.
0 Comments