With the release of the latest set of the Pokemon Trading Card Game a few short weeks away, fans cannot wait to discover what new cards it will include. But since information gets around quickly on the internet, comprehensive information about the set is already available.
Thanks to a post by PokeBeach, we now know what is included in the new Evolving Skies set. This information is thanks to some hobby stores in certain areas selling Build & Battle boxes, a special promo release meant to preview the set before its official release.
The card list for Evolving Skies is very comprehensive. Including new energy cards, there are 237 new cards in total. These include new VMAX Pokemon like Trevenant, Rayquaza, and Duraladon as well as new trainer support cards like Zinnia's Resolve.
Cards Cut From Pokemon TCG Evolving Skies
But the card list for this Pokemon set includes something else: a list of cards that were cut. Overall, 90 cards were cut from the English release. These include various Trainer cards like Shawna, various holo and Battle Style cards, and even brand new versions of Eeveelutions like Vaporean, Espion, Jolteon, and Flareon. According to the post, this is more a case of adaptation and production. Sometimes, usually for economic or marketing reasons, a Japanese set release for the card game doesn't always line up with the English release. When this happens, several Japanese sets are combined to better fit the model released in English. For example, Evolving Skies is a combination of two Japanese sets: Eevee Heroes and Sky Stream & Towering Perfection. But because of this combining and mixing of different sets, a set number of cards have to be cut to ensure that a certain standard of production and market demand is met.
These "shifted" releases started happening with the release of Chilling Reign. It was one of the biggest SWSH sets at 198 cards. That is a lot of cards to localize, and move overseas from a logistical standpoint. To compensate for this trouble, large numbers of cards had to be cut and reintroduced gradually across future sets. Chilling Reigns had 55 cards removed. Those exact same 55 cards are being added to Evolving Skies. If that trend continues, the 90 cards cut from this upcoming set will appear in the next upcoming set, Fusion Strike this November.
The Evolving Skies set for the Pokemon Trading Card Game will be available in all retail stores on August 27th.
