Heat Wave Arena Booster Box - SV9a (Japanese)

The Heat Wave Arena (also known as Hot Wind Arena in Japan) is the ninth Japanese subset of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) in the Scarlet & Violet era, released on March 14, 2025. This set continues the “Trainer’s Pokémon” theme, focusing on cards tied to specific trainers and their iconic Pokémon, reintroduced from the 1998-2000 Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge sets.

Overview of Heat Wave Arena

•  Release Date: March 14, 2025 (Japan); cards included in the English Destined Rivals set, released May 30, 2025.

•  Set Size: 92 cards total, with 63 main set cards and 29 secret rares (12 Art Rares, 9 Secret Rare full arts, 5 Special Art Rares, 3 Ultra Rare gold cards).

•  Theme: Focuses on “Trainer’s Pokémon” for four trainers: Misty (Kanto), Ethan (Johto), Cynthia (Sinnoh), and Arven (Paldea), each with unique Pokémon and synergistic abilities.

•  Booster Box Details: Contains 30 booster packs. Buyers in Japan received a 3-card promo pack (Feraligatr, Pikachu, Toxtricity ex from the 2024 Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest) with booster box purchases, while supplies lasted.

•  Gameplay Context: Designed for Sealed Battles (March 14 to May 31, 2025, at Pokémon Gym locations in Japan), where players build 40-card decks from 15 booster packs, Basic Energy, and a Nemona promo for round-robin tournaments. Winners receive promo cards like Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex, Cynthia’s Garchomp ex, or Arven’s Mabosstiff ex.