New Pokémon Set "Battle Partners" Brings Back a Favourite Gimmick

The upcoming Pokémon TCG set "Battle Partners" has been revealed, releasing in Japan on January 24th (and after that in English speaking regions as is typical). Although details are still fairly limited, we do know that the deck box will feature Iono and that we'll also be receiving parallel releases of "Collection File N" and "Collection File Lillie".

Beyond this, many people have been quick to notice something very exciting. On February 21st, there are two new pre-constructed decks due to release. These are named "Starter Set ex Steven's Beldum & Metagross ex" and "Starter Set ex Marnie's Morpeko & Grimmsnarl ex". It's this that suggests strongly that we might expect this set to be the return of owner's Pokémon.

There was initial speculation that these sets hinted also to the return of Tag Teams, fuelled by the mention of two Pokémon ("Beldum & Metagross") in the title. However this terminology has been used in the past to describe two individual cards within a set so we're not getting too excited about this theory just yet.

Owner's Pokémon sets feature both Pokémon and their trainers - typically popular and loved characters from the anime and/ or games. Think back to the likes of the Gym Challenge, Gym Heroes and EX Rocket Returns sets of the vintage era. These cards have been very popular throughout the years and some fetch a pretty penny today. Blaine's Charizard sells for around £300 for the Unlimited release raw card (even more for 1st Edition) and Misty's Gyarados for around £100 for the Unlimited release raw card.

It's perhaps not a surprising move by The Pokemon Company, who are riding the nostalgia wave hard. "Pokémon 151", released in September 2023, has been a huge hit and we are expecting big things of the Team Rocket set "The Glory of Team Rocket", likely releasing after "Battle Partners". Similarly, trainer gallery cards have been a popular gimmick throughout the Pokémon Sword and Shield era as sub-sets within main series sets. The Starmie V stands out with a near mint raw copy still selling for around £50. An incredibly impressive price for a V, Ultra Rare trainer gallery card.

We're excited. We're very excited. If there's a set that we're saving the pennies for, it's this one. Of course, we'll be stocking it on the site so watch this space for pre-order availability as we get closer to the end of the year.

For now, why not check out some fantastic prices on Scarlet & Violet sealed packs and boxes?

Sources:

Date : https://www.pokedata.io/

Data and images: https://www.tcgplayer.com/