Platinum
Set Details
New Worlds, New Battles!
The Pokémon TCG: Platinum expansion puts you in the middle of the action when you face challenges no Trainer has ever encountered before! From incredible Pokémon LV.X like Giratina to the mysterious new Lost Zone, from the newly discovered Pokémon Shaymin to the villainous Team Galactic, you’ll discover worlds you never knew existed and fight battles you never knew were possible. The Pokémon TCG: Platinum is your first step into the next great Pokémon TCG adventure!
Released on 11 February 2009 in English (Galactic’s Conquest hit Japan on 10 October 2008), the Platinum Pokémon set kicked off a new era with a 127‑card core list plus three secret rares. The expansion mirrors the Pokémon Platinum video game, showcasing Giratina Origin Forme, Shaymin’s dual Formes, Dialga G, and Palkia G. Booster wraps feature Giratina, Dialga, Palkia, and Shaymin, while twin theme decks—Rebellion (Garchomp ) and Flourish (Mamoswine )—set the stage for Sinnoh’s looming clash with Team Galactic.
A brand‑new class: Pokémon SP
Platinum introduced Pokémon SP, Basic Pokémon aligned with an owner—here, the villains of Team Galactic. These cards sport a yellow‑to‑gray gradient border, the “G” tag after the name, and a tiny head‑shot of Cyrus’s lieutenants in the artwork corner. Because every SP counts as Basic, heavy‑hitters like Dialga G LV.X (Time Crystal lock) and Palkia G LV.X (Lost Cyclone bench-warp) could hit the board in a single turn, instantly warping deck tempo. The set also unveiled the Lost Zone, a “beyond‑the‑graveyard” area that permanently removes cards from play—first seen on Giratina (Let Loose) and the stadium Lost World precursor, Broken Time‑Space.
Competitive shake‑ups and collector gems
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Crobat G’s Flash Bite became a staple ping engine, pairing with Poké Turn for reusable damage counters.
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Power Spray, unique to SP decks, let Cyrus’s goons cancel an opponent’s Poké‑Power mid‑turn—an unprecedented control trick that defined 2009 tournaments.
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Shaymin LV.X appears in both Land Forme (Thankfulness heal) and Sky Forme (Revenge Seed sweeper), giving grass‑based decks flexible finishers.
Hidden beyond the checklist are three nostalgic secret rares: Electabuzz (130/127), Hitmonchan (131/127), and Surfing Pikachu (132/127), each re‑illustrated by their original Base‑Set artists but wrapped in modern foil. Early “Sneak‑Peek” tins landed a month ahead of release, seeding alternate‑art Dialga G LV.X and Palkia G LV.X that now act as provenance markers for first‑wave prints. Tilt any reverse‑holo SP card: the team‑logo watermark glints through the foil layer—a subtle detail many players never noticed in 2009. Between its tempo‑warping SP mechanic, the debut of the Lost Zone, and a trio of retro secret rares, the Platinum Pokémon set still feels as fresh and disruptive as the day Team Galactic first crashed the party.
Platinum Set Cards
