Pokémon TCG Pocket Leak Teases Long-Awaited Set, Potential Mega Mechanic

Pokémon TCG Pocket releases new sets every month, ranging from massive drops to supplemental packs with specific themes. Now, it looks like a new leak has put a few possibilities for upcoming drops in the wild a bit early, including a Gold and Silver set and the potential introduction of Mega Evolution.

Since launch, Pokémon TCG Pocket has released a new set every month. This trend is set to continue in July, with a reveal for the next group of packs likely to be shown during the July Pokémon Presents stream.

The next Pokémon TCG Pocket set, regardless of the theme, will be released on July 30. The update for the new pack will go live on July 29 in some regions, leading to a slightly earlier release. 

Typically that means a 2am ET launch on the day of. Some of the leaked info does put the A4 as the August set, however, which could be an error on the part of the leaker, or a change in timing for these set release windows.

This update will also introduce the new Trade system, which replaces Trade Tokens with Shinedust as the currency used when trading cards. A new Wishlist feature will also be added, letting players know up to 20 cards you are actively looking to trade for, which are displayed on your My Cards screen.

Out of every leak shared in the last few days, the immediate one to note is that set A4 could be tied to the Johto region. This would likely mean Lugia and Ho-Oh will be the featured Pokémon on the two new packs and the set will be full of Gen 2 representation. 

This info was shared by a number of leakers, with the biggest hints coming from a recent datamine that found Johto-related content in some text for the in-game shop. 

According to the shop data, which was shared by a credible leaker from weibo named CranAYo that has a solid track record from previous datamines, there will be an Espeon and Umbreon bundle of some kind coming soon. That could tie into Eevee Grove, but we still don’t have an Espeon ex or Umbreon ex card in the games yet, and they would make great inclusions for a Johto pack. 

Additionally, one of the other shop items in the data is a a Pichu set of cosmetics, with the leaker saying set A4a in August or September will be Baby Pokémon themed. That means we would get cards based on Pichu, Togepi, Smoochum, and the like to coincide with the Johto set and provide additional support for some strategies in the set.

The far-reaching impact of these leaks stretches all the way to September and October, with one piece of unused shop data slated post-Pichu cosmetics hinting at the arrival of Mega Evolution as a mechanic in TCG Pocket. 

According to CranAYo, Mega Altaria cosmetics are listed in the shop’s data. This would point to a release in or around October relating to Mega Pokémon, likely a new set that will properly introduce the mechanic, though the leaker lists it as A4b, so it could potentially be a smaller pack.

If Pokémon TCG Pocket does end up adding Mega Evolution to the game as a mechanic, it will be the third game to do so in the September and October timeframe. 

Pokémon UNITE has already confirmed more Pokémon capable of Mega Evolving will be added to the game as playable characters as a sort of tie-in to Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which is bringing Mega Pokémon back to the mainline franchise for the first time since Pokémon Let’s Go! Pikachu and Eevee. The Pokémon TCG is also releasing its Mega Evolution set in September, bringing the mechanic into the Scarlet and Violet era through the physical game and TCG Live.

This would be a major step up for Pokémon’s cross-game marketing, which usually only involves the main games, the TCG after a few months, and occasionally Pokémon Go.

It is important to note that even CranAYo is a bit skeptical of this timetable of Johto, Baby Pokémon, and Megas being accurate. On Weibo, they said some translators didn’t accurately add that this involves more guessing than some other datamines and should be taken lightly until we hear more.

There is also an unused rarity in the game’s code that is a two-star rarity of some kind. That might play into an upcoming set that we haven’t heard about yet.

Related Article: Pokémon TCG Pocket Ranked Battle Guide: How it Works and All Rewards

Every new pack in TCG Pocket impacts the meta because new Pokémon cards mean new strategies to unlock using old decks or new ones. 

If we do get Mega Evolution in the game, that is yet another unique mechanic that could shake TCG Pocket to its core, because Mega Pokémon are extremely powerful. We have yet to see them used in a shortened format like Pocket, with its smaller decks and fewer prize cards, so there is a lot of room for the feature to differentiate itself from its main TCG variant, much like Ultra Beasts did earlier this year.