Pokémon TCG Japan’s Dark Phantasma Preview: Gastly Line

The next Pokémon TCG sex arriving in Japan has been revealed. Dark Phantasma will be released on May 13th, 2022. This set will continue the focus on the Hisui region that debuted earlier this year in Nintendo Switch game Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Like the previous three sets (Battle Region, Time Gazer, and Space Juggler), Dark Phantasma will feature cards with certain Hisuian species for the very first time. This Zoroark-themed set will also continue the VSTAR mechanic introduced this year and will also see more Radiant Pokémon cards (formerly thought to be called “Sparkling” cards) that depict species in their Shiny form with a unique reverse holo patter. These sets, along with the upcoming Japanese sets Lost Abyss and Incandescent Arcana, will likely be the basis of the next English-language set, Sword & Shield – Lost Origin, coming in Summer 2022. Today, let’s take a look at the set’s Gastly line.

Gastly gets its best card in a while from artist Tika Matsuno, who perfectly captures the prankster spirit of this Pokémon as it does what anyone would consider being a blast: throwing around a bunch of toys and making a mess. Then, we switch to truly creepy vibes from this more 3D rendering of Haunter by Kouki Saitou, who places this long-tongued evolved Ghost-type in the middle of what could be a dark ritual. Finally, we get a holographic Gengar swinging from a chandelier and daring us to snitch on him with artwork from Narumi Sato. I remember Sato’s lovely work from a few recent cards including the Sandaconda V Alt Art, Glaceon V Alt Art, and the Purrloin from Brilliant Stars.

Japanese sets often give us early ideas of what the English-language sets may include, so be sure to keep an eye on our coverage. You can stay tuned for previews of Dark Phantasma cards as well as updates on everything Pokémon TCG right here at Bleeding Cool.