Isn't Pokemon GO S10b in Japan, which was turned into a sub set/special set in the US?Heat Wave Arena should not be in our March set. Following the patterns from previous years, only the first main set is featured in our first set. So SV9 should be only Battle Partners. SV10 should be Heat Wave Arena and the Rocket Set. We still have no information if White Flare and Black Bolt are even releasing in June. They seem to be a double set and there are no such thing as a double subset releasing simultaneously in Japan as they would be if they came out after the Rocket set. If they are actually a double main set they would be in our SV11 along with the subset that came before it. So it makes no sense to make the Rocket set be a special set because then SV10 would only be Heat Wave Arena (unless they decide to not give us all the cards from the Generations deck in SV8.5 and instead use them to pad this set).
There is a possibility that the Rocket set could be a second subset in Japan (this has happened before with Celebrations/Vmax Climax). So we would get Battle Partners (SV9), Heat Wave Arena (SV9a), The Glory of Team Rocket (SV9b) and then White Flare (SV10W?) and Black Bolt (SV10B?). So our SV9 would still be only Battle Partners, SV10 would be Heat Wave Arena and White Flare and Black Bolt (with a close release window between Japan and internationally) and then SV10.5 could be the Rocket set.
But if the Rocket set is indeed a main set, I think there is no chance that it will be turned into a special set. I don't think we EVER had an international main set that was based only on a subset,
Also, I think Dragon Majesty in Japan was a main sub set as well, only to be turned into a holiday set in the USHeat Wave Arena should not be in our March set. Following the patterns from previous years, only the first main set is featured in our first set. So SV9 should be only Battle Partners. SV10 should be Heat Wave Arena and the Rocket Set. We still have no information if White Flare and Black Bolt are even releasing in June. They seem to be a double set and there are no such thing as a double subset releasing simultaneously in Japan as they would be if they came out after the Rocket set. If they are actually a double main set they would be in our SV11 along with the subset that came before it. So it makes no sense to make the Rocket set be a special set because then SV10 would only be Heat Wave Arena (unless they decide to not give us all the cards from the Generations deck in SV8.5 and instead use them to pad this set).
There is a possibility that the Rocket set could be a second subset in Japan (this has happened before with Celebrations/Vmax Climax). So we would get Battle Partners (SV9), Heat Wave Arena (SV9a), The Glory of Team Rocket (SV9b) and then White Flare (SV10W?) and Black Bolt (SV10B?). So our SV9 would still be only Battle Partners, SV10 would be Heat Wave Arena and White Flare and Black Bolt (with a close release window between Japan and internationally) and then SV10.5 could be the Rocket set.
But if the Rocket set is indeed a main set, I think there is no chance that it will be turned into a special set. I don't think we EVER had an international main set that was based only on a subset,
So we will get a new special set a month before EUIC and rotation in between EUIC and NAIC attached to nothing. That seems strange and doesn't follow the previous pattern at all.As much as I would want the Rocket set to be a regular set internationally, it just screams "special set". So it most likely will be a subset in Japan, which in turn makes it into a special set in English.
My prediction for the 2025 English releases would be:
SV8.5 - Prismatic Evolution (Jan 17)
SV9 - Battle Partners (March)
SV10 - Heat Wave Arena + the cards from the Marnie and Steven decks (June)
SV10.5 - Team Rocket (August)
SV11 - Black Bolt and White Flare (Nov)
Whoops well I'm just throwing out random months until we see an actual release date for all these sets. But as for the order of the sets, that's more or less what I think the set release order for English will be.So we will get a new special set a month before EUIC and rotation in between EUIC and NAIC attached to nothing. That seems strange and doesn't follow the previous pattern at all.
We do not need another meta viable Charizard. A bad one with good artwork would be perfectly acceptable though.Heat Wave Arena Charizard incoming…hopefully
Do we really need another Charizard?Heat Wave Arena Charizard incoming…hopefully
Personally hope this means Talonflame/Chandelure/Volcarona get some love but to each their ownHeat Wave Arena Charizard incoming…hopefully
Heatran incomingHeat Wave Arena Charizard incoming…hopefully
Not zard againHeat Wave Arena Charizard incoming…hopefully
Alder's Volcarona sounds like the most reasonable guess to me but yeah knowing the tcg practices Im not counting Charizard out at allFour cards have had the move Heat Wave in the TCG and two of them are Volcarona. The others are Ninetales and Talonflame; none of them are Charizard. Take all of this as you will.
Let's go crazy, name it "World Champ Difference" and annually reprint as a promo with the drawing of current Masters World Champ's image.If they do, hopefully they will generalize it. Call it 'Champion's Grit' or something, then we can have Lance, Steven, Gary/Blue, etc with the shuffle draw 6 effects.
That's a pityNo?!