Preorders for the upcoming Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet expansions, Black Bolt and White Flare, are starting to roll out at major US retailers ahead of the release next month on July 18.
Walmart has confirmed its listings will go live on June 18 at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET. Amazon and Target are also expected to follow up with wider availability soon, potentially even around the same time, so keep an eye out and bookmark the following links if you’re looking to secure early stock.
Amazon’s listings are up but not live yet, so bookmark each so you’re ready to lock in your preorder ASAP when each set goes live.
You can also see our full list of trusted retailers just below that will likely host preorders between now and release on July 18.
Best Buy is also putting restrictions in place for those looking to preorder, so make sure to check the following on your Best Buy account, as well as every other retailer:
- Make sure you have an account set up and logged in.
- Confirm your location and address for store pickup or shipping.
- Add the item to your cart as soon as you can for account verification and inventory checks.
- Make sure to follow on-screen prompts and not refresh or close your browser window.
- Don’t try and use multiple devices to secure stock, retailers usually track your IP Address (Sometimes bypassing VPNS).
- Complete the purchase as soon as possible when adding to basket.
Where To Preorder: Pokémon TCG Black Bolt
Like previous sets, Black Bolt and White Flare will likely sell out incredibly quickly, so it’ll be a massive task to find the expansions in stock.
I’ll be keeping track on retailers and updating this article as preorders go live, as I’ll be looking to pick up a few sealed boosters myself.
The everything below also be found at The Pokémon Centeralthough its currently out of stock, and its queue system when new stock is added can take a rather long time with no guarantees.
Black Bolt ETB
Black Bolt Binder Collection
Black Bolt Booster Bundle
Black Bolt Tech Sticker Collection
Where To Preorder: Pokémon TCG White Flare
White Flare ETB
White Flare Binder Collection
White Flare Booster Bundle
White Flare Tech Sticker Collection
Release Date: Black Bolt and White Flare
Pokémon TCG’s release schedule is looking chock full over the next few months, alongside the split explansion set Black Bolt and White Flare, there’s also Destined Rivals that recently released at the end of May.
Black Bolt and White Flare will have a staggered release between July 18 – August 22, and you can find all the relevant dates to note down just below.
Available July 18, 2025:
- Scarlet & Violet: Black Bolt or White Flare Elite Trainer Boxeach containing nine booster packs, an illustration rare promo card featuring Thundurus or Tornadus, and gameplay accessories
- Binder Collectionincluding five booster packs and a nine-pocket album featuring Zekrom or Reshiram
- You become poster codlectionwith two booster packs from each expansion, three promo cards featuring Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott, and a full-size double-sided poster
- Are a mini tinincluding one booster pack from each expansion, one art card, and one sticker card
Available August 1, 2025:
- Tech Sticker Collectionwith three booster packs, a promo card featuring Reuniclus or Gothitelle, and a themed sticker sheet
- Unova Victini Illustration Collectionwith four booster packs, a foil promo card featuring Victini, a premium parallel Poké Ball version of Victini, and an oversized foil card
Available August 22, 2025:
- Booster Bundleincluding six booster packs from either Black Bolt or White Flare
Key Features: Black Bolt and White Flare
- Six Pokémon ex
- Eight ultra rare Pokémon and Supporter cards
- One illustration rare or special illustration rare card for each Unova Pokémon
- One special illustration rare Supporter card
A new card style, called Black White rare, will also debut. These cards will feature full artwork in either black or white monochrome, depending on the expansion.
Players will also be able to access Scarlet & Violet: Black Bolt and White Flare digitally starting July 17, 2025, through the Pokémon TCG Live app on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. The digital release allows players to collect and battle with new Unova-region cards and earn in-game login bonuses.
Pokémon TCG: Best Deals Today
Checking these prices against TCG Player secondary market values, a lot of these products aren’t far off the mark. Make no mistake, they’re still way off MSRP, but finding Pokémon products on shelves that haven’t been marked up past the point of anyone caring is a positive.
Still refusing to pay over MSRP for new sets? Well played, I’m proud of you. Here’s some single card highlights for you to shuffle through instead. Spoiler, there’s plenty of deals to be had.
Destined Rivals Singles Are On The Rise (Again)
It’s hard to stick a pin on Destined Rivals single card values right now, and the dips in value seem to match the little bits of stock distributors release to stores.
Looking at the tracking charts for each of these cards, we can see mostly plummets from day one, then either upticks or cards for sale that exceed the original value at launch.
It’s crazy, but we now know how low these cards can go. Sure there’s always attempts at market manipulation, but I wouldn’t buy any cards on the rise right now.
Journey Together Singles Are Settling In Value
Having keeping an eye on the market since launch, Journey Together singles are now more affordable than ever.
Many of these cards have stabilized, with the main chase card – Lillie’s Clefairy ex SIR, settling at around $150.
If you were planning on getting into Journey Together at some point to collect the illustration rares and SIRs, now is a great time to jump in.
Epic Primastic Evolutions Cards That Aren’t Umbreon
There’s so many great cards in this set that aren’t Umbreon ex SIR, all of which are a damn sight more affordable right now.
Because I hate anything popular (Yes, I know I’m a massive fan of the most popular IP on earth), my two favorite cards are Dragapult ex SIR and Roaring Moon ex SIR.
The former is now down to a respectable $125, with the latter holding it’s value well since launch, floating towards the $200 mark. These prices and below are great deals for these cards, so don’t miss out.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
Additional contributions included by Robert Anderson.
