Phantom Gate (XY4, 2014): English Equivalent Phantom Forces
By Dexhaul Team · October 19, 2026 · 6 min read
Japanese Phantom Gate (XY4) released September 13, 2014 and became English Phantom Forces on November 5, 2014, a gap of 53 days. Japanese collectors had exclusive access to Mega Gengar EX for nearly eight weeks before the English launch.
The sets share a Ghost-type theme and the same chase cards, but the English version contains 31 more base cards than the Japanese original. If you are building a Japanese set or chasing specific card numbers, that difference affects which version you buy and how you cross-reference pulls.
DexHaul is independent and unofficial, with no affiliation to The Pokémon Company or any of the sellers listed here. All product data reflects availability observed on October 19, 2026.
Set at a Glance
Release dates and card counts are confirmed via Limitless TCG (XY4) and Serebii's Phantom Forces database.
| Feature | JP Phantom Gate | EN Phantom Forces |
|---|---|---|
| Set code (Limitless) | XY4 | XY (Phantom Forces) |
| Release date | September 13, 2014 | November 5, 2014 |
| JP lead time | 53 days | |
| Base card count | 88 | 119 |
| Secret rares | 9 | 3 |
| Total cards | 97 | 122 |
| Theme | Ghost and Psychic types, Kalos legends | Same theme; additional Trainer and Energy cards |
| Set language | Japanese | English |
| Pack size (JP) | 5 cards | N/A (EN packs: 10 cards) |
The Japanese pack size of 5 cards was standard for the early XY era. English packs moved to 10 cards, meaning direct per-pull comparisons between JP and EN packs require adjusting for pack size, not just total card count.
On this page 5 sections
What Is Different in the Box
The English Phantom Forces has 31 more base cards than Japanese Phantom Gate. That expansion comes from the way XY-era English sets were assembled: Wild Blaze (XY2), like other early XY sets, also ran 26 more cards in English than in Japanese, a pattern built into the publishing structure of the era.
XY-era English sets drew cards from multiple concurrent Japanese releases, then supplemented with additional Trainer cards and alternate-art prints not present in the original Japanese production run. Every card in Phantom Gate has an English equivalent in Phantom Forces. Not every Phantom Forces card traces back to Phantom Gate.
| Item | JP Phantom Gate | EN Phantom Forces |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon cards | ~60 base | ~75 base (estimated) |
| Trainer cards | ~23 base | ~38 base |
| Energy cards | 5 base | 6 base |
| Secret rare Pokémon | 6 (Full Art EX + others) | 3 (gold border) |
| Secret rare Trainers | 3 (Full Art) | 0 |
Japanese XY4 packs 9 secret rares to Phantom Forces' 3. The JP set puts most of its premium slots into Full Art Trainer SRs: AZ, Xerosic, and other key NPCs from Pokémon X/Y. Those Trainer full arts are numbered above 088 in Japanese but appear at standard high-number positions (above 100) in the English set.
Card-Number Crosswalk: Key Pulls
Card numbers differ between the Japanese and English versions of every Phantom Forces pull. The table below covers the most-searched cards, with JP numbers from seller listings confirmed against the Limitless XY4 database and EN numbers from Serebii's Phantom Forces set list.
| Card | JP Number (XY4) | EN Number (Phantom Forces) | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gengar EX Full Art | 090/088 | 114/119 | Full Art SR / Full Art |
| M Gengar EX | Included in XY4 | 35/119 (regular), 121/119 (secret) | Holo Rare / Secret Rare |
| AZ (Trainer) | 093/088 | 117/119 | Full Art SR / Full Art |
| Xerosic (Trainer) | 094/088 | 119/119 | Full Art SR / Full Art |
| Dialga EX | Included in XY4 | 62/119 (regular) | Holo Rare EX |
The AZ card deserves particular attention. AZ is a named NPC exclusive to Pokémon X and Y: an ancient king with a 6,000-year-old Floette, and a character who has not appeared in a main-series game since 2013. His JP full-art SR (093/088) was the first international appearance of AZ outside the games, released two months before the English full art (117/119). Both are full-art Trainer cards but carry different card numbers, different frame styles reflecting their separate production runs, and have been collected independently by XY completionists ever since.
That distinction matters if you are building a Japanese-only collection or comparing slabs side by side. A PSA or CGC graded Phantom Gate AZ (093/088) is a different item from a graded Phantom Forces AZ (117/119).
Japanese or English: Which to Buy
Price per pack
Original first-edition Japanese Phantom Gate packs trade at ¥48,000 or higher observed on October 19, 2026, reflecting their age and scarcity as 2014 vintage product. Reprint packs reach ¥60,000. English Phantom Forces booster packs from the same era list from $175.00 to $249.00 USD from independent sellers, with sealed booster display boxes observed at $76.83. The JP booster is more expensive per unit in both yen and dollar terms at current secondary-market prices.
Play legality
Phantom Forces is not Standard-legal in 2026. Both the Japanese and English versions are played in Expanded format at organized events, though local rulings vary: check with your regional organizer before bringing Japanese cards to an official Expanded event. Casual and kitchen-table play accepts either language without restriction.
Language barrier
Phantom Gate cards are printed entirely in Japanese. Card effects and names require a translation reference for non-Japanese readers. Collectors building display sets often find the Japanese artwork appealing even without reading the text, but players who use these cards at events must be able to verify card effects for opponents, which the Japanese language can complicate.
Grading
PSA and CGC both accept and grade Japanese Phantom Gate cards. The JP population is smaller than the English equivalent for most cards, which can affect label rarity and resale interest depending on the card. The AZ and Xerosic full-art SRs have dedicated collector audiences on both the JP and EN sides: graded examples of the JP 093/088 AZ and the EN 117/119 AZ are priced and traded separately, so they do not directly compete in the same market.
For most buyers, the same choice applies across the XY era: buy Japanese if you specifically want the JP card numbers and smaller population counts; buy English if you prefer the familiar language and the larger card selection per set.
FAQ
What is the English equivalent of Japanese Phantom Gate XY4?
English Phantom Forces, released November 5, 2014. Japanese Phantom Gate (XY4) released September 13, 2014, giving Japanese collectors a 53-day lead. Both sets feature Mega Gengar EX as the headline pull.
How many cards are in Japanese Phantom Gate?
97 total: 88 normal cards plus 9 secret rares. The secret rares include Full Art EX and Full Art Trainer cards numbered above the base set total (090/088 through at least 097/088). Serebii lists the English Phantom Forces at 122 cards (119 normal, 3 secret).
Is the AZ card the same in Japanese and English?
The character is the same but the card is not. The Japanese AZ is numbered 093/088 (above the base set total, a Full Art SR in XY4). The English version is 117/119 in Phantom Forces. They have different card numbers, different production runs, and are collected and graded separately.
Are Japanese Phantom Gate cards tournament-legal?
Phantom Gate is not Standard-legal. In Expanded, Japanese-language cards are permitted at some organized events but policies vary by region: confirm with your local organizer before bringing JP cards to official play.
Where does Phantom Gate fit in the XY series?
It is the fourth XY-era set on Limitless TCG. The XY Japanese series runs from Wild Blaze (XY2) through the BREAKthrough-era sets. Other sets in the same era include Wild Blaze (XY2), the Japanese source of English Flashfire, and Rage of the Broken Sky (XY9), the Japanese source of English BREAKthrough.
Browse Pokémon Japanese import cards and English XY-era sets from independent shops on the DexHaul Japanese cards collection.
Catch 'em all
More Phantom Forces and Phantom Gate finds from independent shops.