Summary

  • Dark Pokemon may be coming back to the Pokemon TCG after 20 years, introducing new gameplay mechanics and collectible cards for fans.
  • The return of Dark Pokemon is hinted at in recent trademark filings, sparking speculation among fans eagerly awaiting their comeback.
  • While details are scarce, the potential release of the "Glory of Team Rocket" set could signal the revival of these corrupted Pokemon next year.

According to a new rumor, Dark Pokemon could be coming back to the Pokemon Trading Card Game after over 20 years in an upcoming set. These corrupted variants were introduced to the Pokemon TCG back in 1997 in Japan and 2000 in other countries like the United States as part of the original Team Rocket expansion. Representing Pokemon that were raised improperly by the titular organization, these Dark variants usually had attacks with higher damage levels at the price of lower HP.

While the first wave of Dark Pokemon cards were simple variants of existing Pokemon, later Pokemon TCG expansions would introduce Dark Pokemon that carried the Darkness elemental type in addition to their usual element. However, Dark Pokemon cards were seemingly phased out following the 2004 EX Team Rocket Returns expansion, save for a special-edition Dark Sylveon V card that was released as a SWSH Black Star Promo item in 2021.

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Now it appears that Dark Pokemon could make their long-awaited comeback in a future Pokemon TCG expansion, at least according to a new rumor from Jon Sahagian at the Pokemon TCG news website PokeBeach. According to this report, The Pokemon Company recently filed a trademark in Japan for “The Glory of Team Rocket,” which matches some previous trademarks for Pokemon TCG sets. While there isn’t much else to go on at the moment, the reference to Team Rocket has some fans speculating that Dark Pokemon could be featured in the set when it releases sometime next year.

Dark Pokemon Could Be Returning To Pokemon TCG

Jon Sahagian mentioned another Japanese trademark with possible ties to the Pokemon TCG: “Terastal Festival,” which they believe to be the name of Japan’s annual High Class Pack set that might launch at some point in December. It bears repeating that these claims are all speculation as of this writing, but the timing of these patent filings lines up with how the Pokemon TCG tends to introduce new battle mechanics or gimmicks during the summer’s Pokemon World Championship events.

Should these rumors prove to be accurate, then fans could see the return of Dark Pokemon to the Pokemon TCG next year. In the meantime, the Pokemon TCG recently released Twilight Masquerade, the latest set inspired by Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and along with it a card based on Ogerpon from last year’s The Teal Mask DLC. August 2 will see the launch of Shrouded Fable, another Kitikami region-based set that contains Pecharunt from December’s Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Indigo Disk expansion.

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Pokemon TCG
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Franchise
Pokemon
Original Release Date
October 20, 1996
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Pokemon TCG (Trading Card Game) is a collectible and strategy based card game based on Nintendo's Pokemon franchise. Two players face off against one another, battling one Pokemon at a time and attempting to knock them out to claim one of six prize cards. The cards have also become highly collectible with some in particular selling for thousands of dollars. 

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