Pokémon Scarlet: From Switch Game to 258 Amazing TCG Cards
How the Nintendo Switch game set in Paldea led to the Scarlet & Violet card era: game basics, the base set, Japanese Scarlet ex and key sets.
In this guide 8 sections
Pokémon Scarlet gave Nintendo Switch owners a whole new region to explore, and it also reshaped the trading card game. Released alongside Pokémon Violet on 18 November 2022, it introduced the Paldea region and its mascot legend Koraidon, and within months those same characters were fronting a new era of cards. This guide covers both sides: the game itself, then the sets it inspired.
Pokémon Scarlet at a glance
- Release date: 18 November 2022, worldwide and alongside Pokémon Violet.
- Platform: Nintendo Switch.
- Developer: Game Freak.
- Setting: the open-world Paldea region.
- Legendary: Koraidon in Pokémon Scarlet, Miraidon in Pokémon Violet.
- School and professor: Naranja Academy and Professor Sada in Pokémon Scarlet; Uva Academy and Professor Turo in Pokémon Violet.
- Multiplayer: up to four players can explore Paldea together, locally or online.
What makes the game stand out
Paldea mixes lakes, high peaks, wastelands and rugged mountain ranges, and you are free to roam it in the order you choose. Instead of following one fixed route, Pokémon Scarlet lets you move back and forth between three main stories: Victory Road, Path of Legends and Starfall Street. You start by choosing Sprigatito, Fuecoco or Quaxly as your first partner.
Two ideas define the game. The first is Koraidon, the legendary you ride to get around the region, which makes it feel like a travelling companion rather than a trophy. The second is the Terastal phenomenon, found only in Paldea, which makes Pokémon shine like gemstones. Both ideas carried straight over to the card game, as you will see below.
Pokémon Scarlet or Pokémon Violet?
The two versions share a region and story structure, but each has its own legendary, academy and professor. In Pokémon Scarlet you study at Naranja Academy under Professor Sada, while Violet swaps in Uva Academy and Professor Turo. Both professors appear in the Scarlet & Violet card set as Professor’s Research Supporters (189/198 and 190/198), with full-art versions at 240/198 and 241/198.
The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero
The paid expansion for Pokémon Scarlet came in two parts. The Teal Mask arrived on 13 September 2023 and is set in Kitakami, a rural land of rice paddies and apple orchards. The Indigo Disk followed on 14 December 2023 and takes you to Blueberry Academy, a sister school in the Unova region.
How Pokémon Scarlet launched a new card era
The English Scarlet & Violet base set arrived on 31 March 2023 with 258 cards: 198 in the main set plus 60 secret rares. It combined the Japanese Scarlet ex and Violet ex expansions with three ex Starter Sets, and it changed more than the artwork.
- Pokémon ex returned with a lower-case “ex”. When one is Knocked Out, the opponent takes two Prize cards.
- Tera Pokémon ex brought the Terastal phenomenon to the table. Arcanine ex and Gyarados ex were the first, and a Tera Pokémon ex takes no attack damage while it sits on your Bench.
- A new look: the familiar yellow borders on English cards gave way to grey ones, and expansion symbols were replaced by set and language codes.
- Rule tweaks: Pokémon Tools became their own Trainer category instead of a kind of Item.
Koraidon ex and Miraidon ex headlined the set, joined by Gardevoir ex, Great Tusk ex, Iron Treads ex, Magnezone ex and others. The base set belongs to the first year of the series, whose cards carry the G regulation mark, so the whole set rotated out of the Standard format on 10 April 2026. The cards remain fine for casual play and are as collectable as ever.
Chase cards from the base set
Beyond the main 198, the set has 24 illustration rares, 20 ultra rares, 10 special illustration rares and six gold hyper rares. Koraidon ex leads the way with a special illustration rare (247/198) by Ryota Murayama and a gold hyper rare (254/198), mirrored by Miraidon ex at 244/198 and 253/198. The Supporter special illustration rares of Arven, Jacq, Miriam and Penny bring the game’s school characters to life.
The illustration rares (199/198 to 222/198) are a treat for anyone who has wandered Paldea in Pokémon Scarlet. They give everyday Paldean creatures such as Pawmot, Dondozo, Fidough, Greavard and Kingambit full-scene artwork, and because they sit outside the main numbering, they make a satisfying mini-collection on their own.
Japanese Scarlet ex and Violet ex
In Japan the era began on 20 January 2023 with two separate expansions, Scarlet ex (SV1S) and Violet ex (SV1V). Each card shows its pack code in the lower-left corner, and every pack holds five cards. The pair features Koraidon ex and Miraidon ex alongside Great Tusk ex, Iron Treads ex, Gardevoir ex and the first Terastal ex cards.
If Pokémon Scarlet was your version, the Japanese Scarlet ex SV1S Booster Box is the natural match, while the Japanese Violet ex SV1V Booster Box completes the pair. If you are weighing English against Japanese cards for the first time, our beginner’s guide to the TCG explains the differences in pack size and playability.
Key sets of the Scarlet & Violet era
The base set was only the start. Over the following two-plus years the series grew through a long run of main and special sets. A few milestones worth knowing:
- Paldea Evolved (9 June 2023) added the final evolutions of the Paldean starters as Pokémon ex.
- Obsidian Flames (11 August 2023) debuted type-shifted Tera Pokémon ex, led by a Darkness-type Charizard ex.
- 151 (22 September 2023) revisited the original Kanto Pokédex; read our 151 set guide for the details.
- Temporal Forces (22 March 2024) brought back ACE SPEC cards.
- Stellar Crown (13 September 2024) introduced Stellar Tera Pokémon ex, led by Terapagos ex.
- Prismatic Evolutions (17 January 2025) celebrated Eevee and its eight Evolutions.
- Black Bolt and White Flare (18 July 2025) brought every Unova Pokémon back across a split pair of sets, before the Mega Evolution series took over on 26 September 2025.
Choosing a box from the first set
If you want the English cards that started it all, the Scarlet & Violet Booster Box holds 36 packs, each with 10 cards and a Basic Energy. It suits group openings and anyone chasing the Koraidon ex and Miraidon ex secret rares.
The Scarlet & Violet Elite Trainer Box is the better pick for a fan of Pokémon Scarlet who also wants to play. Alongside nine booster packs it includes a full-art Koraidon or Miraidon promo, sleeves, Energy cards, dice and a storage box. You can confirm the game details on Nintendo’s Pokémon Scarlet page and browse the Japanese release on the official Pokémon Card Game site.
Shop the range
Whether you started your Paldea journey with Koraidon or Miraidon, these boxes capture the moment Pokémon Scarlet turned into cardboard. Pick the English set for play and set building, or the Japanese packs for a pair of Koraidon and Miraidon boxes on the shelf.
Pokémon Scarlet FAQs
When was Pokémon Scarlet released?
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet launched worldwide on Nintendo Switch on 18 November 2022.
What is the difference between Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet?
Pokémon Scarlet features Koraidon, Naranja Academy and Professor Sada, while Violet has Miraidon, Uva Academy and Professor Turo.
Which card set is based on Pokémon Scarlet?
The English Scarlet & Violet base set (31 March 2023, 258 cards), built from the Japanese Scarlet ex and Violet ex expansions.
Are Scarlet & Violet base set cards still legal in Standard?
No. The whole set rotated out of the Standard format on 10 April 2026, but the cards are still fine for casual games.
What is a Tera Pokémon ex?
A card inspired by the Terastal phenomenon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. It takes no attack damage while it is on your Bench.
