With just days to go before Japan’s next big Pokémon TCG expansion hits shelves, fans have been sharing the secret rares from Storm Emeralda across social media — and there’s plenty to get excited about. According to PokeBeach, the main set list was revealed last week, but now the chase cards are finally coming into focus. The set drops in Japan on Friday, 31 July, and these pulls are already generating serious buzz.
The Secret Rares So Far
The reveals span illustration rares, full art supporters, special art rares, and more. Here’s a look at what’s been surfacing from early openings and leaks. The lineup includes illustration rares of fan favourites like Growlithe, Kyogre, Electivire, Enamorous, Groudon, and Azurill, alongside striking art rare versions of Masquerain, Pinchurchin, Altaria, Kecleon, and Inkay.
On the Trainer side, we’re seeing full art versions of supporter cards including Tate & Liza, Zinnia, and what appears to be an Emcee Hype card, plus special items and energy cards in secret rare form.
The ex Pokémon get premium treatments too. Golisopod ex, Heat Rotom ex, Wishiwashi ex, and Raikou ex all feature full art versions, while Mega Golurk ex rounds out the higher-rarity ex cards. The real showstoppers, though, are the special illustration rares — Zinnia, Mega Golisopod ex, Raikou ex, and of course the set’s headline act, Mega Rayquaza ex, all receive gorgeous SIR treatments that collectors will be chasing hard.
That Mega Rayquaza ex SIR is likely to be the card everyone’s hunting for. As the starring Pokémon of the set, it was always going to get the premium treatment, and from early images it doesn’t disappoint.
When Will English Speakers Get These Cards?
According to PokeBeach, all the cards from Storm Emeralda will appear in the English-language set Delta Reign, which releases on 6 November 2026. That’s roughly a three-month wait for Western collectors, which is fairly standard for the Japanese-to-English pipeline.
Storm Emeralda isn’t the only product launching on 31 July in Japan either. Three MEGA Starter Set ex Decks featuring Eevee ex, Zoroark ex, and Meowscarada ex also arrive the same day. Beyond that, PokeBeach outlined a packed schedule for the rest of the year:
- 16 September — Global launch of 30th Celebration, plus two associated Japanese boxes: the “30th Celebration Premium Deck Set Espeon & Umbreon” and the “30th Celebration Futuristic Box” featuring two Pikachu ex.
- 16 October — Nine 30th Celebration Card Sets featuring the 27 Starter Pokémon promos from the “First Partner Collections.”
- 13 November — A Special Deck Set featuring Mega Feraligatr ex, Mega Dragonite ex, and Mega Gengar ex.
- 27 November — Aura Seeker, starring Mega Lucario Z ex.
- Date TBC — MEGA x MEGA Parade, likely Japan’s High Class Pack set for the year.
It’s a stacked second half of 2026, and Storm Emeralda is just the opening act. Keep your eyes peeled this Friday as the full extent of the secret rare lineup becomes clear once Japanese players start cracking packs in earnest.
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