Diamond & Pearl
Set Details
New Pokémon, New Adventures!
The next generation of Pokémon has arrived! In Diamond & Pearl, you’ll explore the never-before-seen Sinnoh region and catch brand-new Pokémon for the very first time. New gameplay, including the exciting Level Up that makes your Pokémon more powerful… new attacks… even a new look—the Pokémon TCG: Diamond & Pearl expansion will take every Trainer to the next level!
The Diamond & Pearl Pokémon set arrived in English on May 23 2007 (Japan: November 30 2006 as the twin Diamond Collection and Pearl Collection) and marked the first main expansion of the brand‑new Diamond & Pearl Series. Its 130‑card lineup introduced Sinnoh’s starters, regional favorites, and headline legends Dialga and Palkia, while also debuting a sleek card frame that displayed Level, Pokédex data, and refreshed typography. Booster packs grew to 10 cards each, reflecting the game’s expanding scope and giving collectors an extra Common slot every time they cracked a pack.
Gameplay innovations were just as sweeping. Diamond & Pearl unveiled Pokémon LV.X—“Level‑Up” evolutions that sit on top of their previous Stage, inherit all attacks and Powers, and add formidable new ones of their own. Darkness‑ and Metal‑type basic Energy became widely available for the first time, ending the four‑per‑deck limit that had constrained those types since Neo Genesis. The set also shifted Poison‑type Pokémon from the Grass color to Psychic, introduced attacks that require no Energy, and separated Trainer, Supporter, and Stadium cards into distinct classes—small tweaks that dramatically changed deck pacing and first‑turn decisions.
Collectors still find plenty of quirks to love. Diamond & Pearl is the only base set where Unown are treated as completely separate Pokémon—each letter occupies its own spot in the numbering sequence. Reverse‑holo cards shimmer across the entire surface except the artwork window, a style that makes LV.X foiling pop against the silver frame. Early prints of the holo Empoleon LV.X show a faint misaligned sparkle layer, creating a minor but sought‑after variant. And because the set launched alongside major rule updates, it became the go‑to reference deck for competitive judges during the 2007 Battle Road season, cementing the Diamond & Pearl Pokémon set as both a gameplay milestone and a collector cornerstone.
Diamond & Pearl Set Cards
