Game Freak Trademark Could Hint at New Pokemon Release

A new Game Freak trademark may indicate that a new Pokemon TCG release is on the way. This Pokemon TCG release may be an expansion based around Rayquaza, which has fans of the Gen 3 Pokemon excited.

While not every trademark filed necessarily gets utilized, prior trademark filings from Game Freak have sometimes revealed upcoming sets for the tabletop game. For example, in September 2024, trademarks were discovered for Black Bolt and White Flare, which ended up becoming a new expansion of cards, which released in Japan in June of 2025, with an English-language release following afterward.

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By Bruna Telles

Now, a new trademark leak indicates that a Rayquaza-themed expansion could be on its way to players. As spotted by PokeBeach, the new trademark is for "Storm Emerald," and was filed by Game Freak. Very little is known about the plans for this title outside of its name, but there's already been a great deal of speculation based upon prior trademarks made for the Pokemon franchise. The trademark was filed under some of the same classifications as prior Pokemon TCG trademarks, further cementing the likelihood of it being utilized for a future expansion. Rayquaza is believed to be the theme due to the name, especially with Rayquaza having been the featured Pokemon in Pokemon Emerald.

When Could Storm Emerald Release for Pokemon TCG?

At this time, there's no official release date or confirmation of the set directly from official Pokemon channels. However, one can speculate based upon how trademarks for the franchise have been handled in the past. Several similar Pokemon TCG trademarks have previously been filed about six months prior to their names being used to launch new sets. If that's the case, players may be able to expect Storm Emerald to launch sometime at the end of 2025, likely November or December. However, that is the expected release window for the Japanese version of the set. English-language equivalent Pokemon TCG releases tend to launch some time after that, so players may not want to hold their breath for this expansion just yet.

Pokemon TCG releases are looking stacked for the remainder of the year, so players have plenty else to look forward to. The English version of Black Bolt and White Flare will reportedly be arriving starting in July. Meanwhile, Japan will be seeing several new launches, including Inferno X, as well as Pokemon TCG Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia sets, which will mark the end of an era for Pokemon TCG.

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