In case you missed it, a new era is dawning for the Pokémon TCG. The long-running card game has finally stepped away from the Scarlet and Violet block of expansions and moved into a new era dubbed ‘Mega Evolution’. Not only that, but preorders have already begun for the next set in this new block, Phantasmal Flames.
And, while this upcoming expansion brings all the usual stuff like Elite Trainer Boxes, booster packs, and bundles, IGN is lucky enough to reveal a first look at two cards from Phantasmal Flames. They’ve each featured in Japan’s Inferno X set already, but this is the first look at Togedemaru, and its stunning Special Illustration Rare, in English. Let’s take a look.
Exclusive Phantasmal Flames English Card Reveal
The first card here has the adorable ‘Roly-Poly’ Pokémon walking atop a neon sign. Togemaru is a Metal type, weak to fire and resistant to grass, and it has a single damage-dealing attack in Gnaw that’ll cost you one Metal energy,
It can also use any type of energy card to use Find a Friend, letting you find any Pokémon from your deck and put it into your hand.
The second version is a full-art card, which is even cuter. This shows one Togedemaru snuggled up, sleeping with another behind, either waiting to pounce playfully or just keeping a watchful eye for intruders.
It’s bright, and I love the detail of the light shining through. Again, we may have seen these cards in Japanese already, but they really are very wholesome even now, and it’s great to get a first proper look at some new cards incoming with Phantasmal Flames when it launches on November 14 this year.
Tracker of all things crashing and climbing in the Pokémon single card market for IGN, Christian Wait, also shared his thoughts on Phantasmal Flames’ Togedemaru cards with me, saying:
“Togedemaru is an often overlooked pseudo-Pikachu for generation VII, which is why Illustration Rares are such a cool proposition in Pokémon TCG. This IR proves how amazing these full art cards are at showcasing Pokémon that often get overlooked. The simple and colorful IRs always get a spot in my binder, and I think this will be a popular card.”
“In terms of having Togedemaru in a deck, playing this early and drawing out the Pokémon you need and getting them on your bench is going to be very handy for decks that require a bit of setup like Mega Venusaur ex from Mega Evolutions base set. Although I think I’d cry a little inside seeing an Illustration Rare being played instead of the standard common card.”
I also spoke with fellow Pokémon TCG entusiast, Ben Williams, who was recently digging into the most valuable Mega Evolution cards you can find in boosters right now.
He said this about the English card reveals: “I love it. As someone who’s excited for Mega Charizard ex X, this Togedemaru card’s easily my #2. Not only is the ‘Find a Friend’ ability’s incredibly useful for all kinds of decks, but the adorable artwork on that Special Illustration Rare’s to die for.”
High praise indeed! What do you think of the new cards? Let us know in the comments below. For more on Pokémon TCG, consider checking out the full release schedule for the rest of 2025.
Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife’s dismay.
This article contains contributions by Robert Anderson, Ben Williams, and Christian Wait.
