Storm Emeralda is the sixth Japanese set in the Pokémon TCG's Mega Evolution series, released on 31 July 2026. It holds 76 cards in its main set, revolves entirely around Mega Rayquaza ex and the Hoenn region, and introduces a mechanic the game had never used in almost thirty years: Stadium cards played in pairs, whose artworks form a single picture. In English, these cards arrive on 6 November 2026 inside the Delta Reign set.
Mega Rayquaza ex, card 058/076, art by takuyoa. ©2026 Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
What is the Storm Emeralda set?
Storm Emeralda, ストームエメラルダ in Japanese, is the sixth block of the Mega Evolution series launched in 2026. Its official code is M6, and it is the 104th Japanese set since the card game began. It went on sale in Japan on Friday 31 July 2026, two days before this article was published.
The main set holds 76 cards, with higher rarities numbered beyond 076. A Japanese booster holds 5 cards, a booster box holds 30 packs. The artwork and the cast come straight from Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire: Kyogre, Groudon, the twin Gym Leaders Tate and Liza, and of course Hoenn's sky dragon.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Japanese name | ストームエメラルダ (Storm Emeralda) |
| Code | M6, Mega Evolution series |
| Japanese release | 31 July 2026 |
| Main set | 76 cards, plus secret rares |
| Headline card | Mega Rayquaza ex, 280 HP |
| New rule | Paired Stadium cards |
| Booster | 5 cards, box of 30 packs |
| English release | 6 November 2026, inside Delta Reign |
Mega Rayquaza ex, the card that named the set
Mega Rayquaza ex is card 058/076 and carries 280 HP as a Colorless type. Its attack is literally called Storm Emeralda, and it is what gave the whole set its name. It costs one Fire, one Lightning and one Colorless Energy, then deals 50 damage multiplied by the total number of Fire and Lightning Energy attached across all of your Pokémon, bench included.
The reading is straightforward: the damage ceiling depends not on what Rayquaza carries, but on what your whole team carries. This is a late-game card that rewards patient setup rather than a rush.
Its Ability, はしゃのほうこう, triggers once per turn when you put the card onto your Bench from your hand: you look at the top 4 cards of your deck, attach one Basic Energy from among them to this Pokémon, and put the rest back underneath your deck. Its Weakness is Lightning, with Fighting resistance at minus 30 and a Retreat Cost of 2. Like every Mega Evolution ex, it hands the opponent 3 Prize cards when it is knocked out, which remains the real counterweight to these cards.
The special illustration version of Mega Rayquaza ex, the most sought-after card in the set. ©2026 Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
Paired Stadium cards, the set's real novelty
This is the point the announcements skipped over fastest, and it is the only rules novelty in the set. Storm Emeralda introduces Stadium cards that work as a pair: two distinct cards, each carrying half of the same artwork, played side by side and counting as one large Stadium.
The set's example is the Legendary Lava Cave, cards 075/076 and 076/076. Placed together, the two halves form a single magma cavern, illustrated by akagi. Beyond their format, these cards follow the usual Stadium rules: one pair in play, replaced when another Stadium arrives.
Both halves of the Legendary Lava Cave, 075/076 and 076/076, art by akagi. ©2026 Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
Several cards in the set are written to exploit those Stadiums. The Supporter Tate and Liza's Training, number 070/076, draws you 2 cards, then returns to your hand instead of being discarded if a Stadium with Legendary in its name is in play. In other words, the pair is not just scenery: it turns an ordinary Supporter into reusable draw, turn after turn.
Tate and Liza's Training, 070/076, art by Yuu Nishida. ©2026 Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
The three other Mega Evolutions in Storm Emeralda
Rayquaza is not the only one getting a Mega card. The set holds three others, all in ex form.
Mega Golisopod ex, 009/076. ©2026 Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
Mega Golurk ex, 033/076. ©2026 Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
Mega Malamar ex, 048/076. ©2026 Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
Worth noting for Pokémon Legends Z-A players: the Mega Evolutions from that game still appear in the set, which is not limited to the Hoenn cast.
Kyogre, Groudon and the Hoenn legendaries
The third generation's legendary duo is here, as regular cards rather than Primal Reversion forms, something several collectors regretted as soon as the first reveals landed. Raikou ex rounds out the legendary line-up with a first-turn attack.
Kyogre. ©2026 Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
Groudon. ©2026 Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
Raikou ex. ©2026 Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK
When does Storm Emeralda release in English?
There will be no English set carrying that name. Japanese and Western releases do not follow the same split: the Storm Emeralda cards will be spread across the Delta Reign set, due on 6 November 2026 in English and the other European languages.
In practice, an English-speaking player has two options. Either wait until November and buy boosters in their own language, with cards playable at official tournaments. Or import Japanese boosters now, knowing the text will be in Japanese and that Japanese cards are not legal at European tournaments.
Import the Japanese version, or wait for November?
For play, the answer is simple: wait for November. A Japanese card cannot be played at an official tournament in Europe, and three months of waiting costs less than an imported booster box.
For collecting, the trade-off differs. Japanese cards have a reputation for better centring and steadier finishing, which matters for grading. Japanese print runs are also wider, so single cards often cost less than their rarest Western equivalents. On the other hand, set splits change between Japan and the West: nothing guarantees that every Japanese special illustration will show up unchanged in Delta Reign.
If your aim is to display your favourite Pokémon at home rather than to open boosters, a Mega Rayquaza crystal LED Poké Ball sits on a desk for the price of two or three Japanese boosters, and depends on no pull rate. The Rayquaza on a wooden base keeps the dragon's classic form. The rest of the luminous Poké Ball collection covers 21 Pokémon, all at 29.99 euros.
What to remember
Storm Emeralda is a transitional set: it paves the way for November's Western release and mostly serves as a showcase for Mega Rayquaza ex. Its real contribution to the game is not a card but a mechanic, the paired Stadiums, which stands a good chance of returning in the coming blocks. For an English-speaking collector, the date to note is 6 November 2026, with Delta Reign.
