Triplet Beat (SV1a) English Equivalent: Paldea Evolved (2023)
By Dexhaul Team · October 8, 2026 · 6 min read
Japanese Triplet Beat (SV1a) is Paldea Evolved in English.
Released on March 10, 2023, SV1a Triplet Beat was the first expansion of the Scarlet and Violet era in Japan. Its English counterpart, Paldea Evolved (SV02), followed on June 9, 2023. About 84 of the 103 cards in the Japanese set landed in Paldea Evolved, with the remaining roughly 15 appearing in Obsidian Flames (SV03), which released August 11, 2023.
That split matters. If you are hunting a specific Triplet Beat card in English and cannot find it in Paldea Evolved, check Obsidian Flames before assuming it was never printed.
On this page 6 sections
Triplet Beat to Paldea Evolved: set comparison
The two releases share the same card pool but differ significantly in how you open them.
| Triplet Beat (SV1a) | Paldea Evolved (SV02) | |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | March 10, 2023 | June 9, 2023 |
| Region | Japan | English (worldwide) |
| Packs per booster box | 30 packs | 36 packs |
| Cards per pack | 5 cards | 10 cards |
| Cards per box (maximum) | 150 | 360 |
| New cards in set | ~103 | 279 total (cards from multiple JP sources) |
| SV1a cards in this set | All | ~84 of 103 JP cards |
| EN MSRP per pack | N/A | $3.99 USD |
| Observed secondary price, box (October 2026) | $132–$237 USD | $470–$490 USD |
The pack-count gap is the biggest practical difference. A Japanese Triplet Beat box opens 150 cards across 30 five-card packs. An English Paldea Evolved box opens 360 cards across 36 ten-card packs.
You get more than twice the cards per EN box. That volume difference explains much of the EN box's higher secondary price.
What split to Obsidian Flames
English Paldea Evolved holds 279 cards total, sourced from multiple Japanese sets, while Japanese Triplet Beat contributed roughly 84 of its cards. The remaining cards in Paldea Evolved came from other JP SV-era releases.
The roughly 15 Triplet Beat cards that ended up in Obsidian Flames were mostly lower-rarity reprints that aligned better with that set's card pool. The Pokémon Company commonly distributes a single Japanese expansion across two English releases when the timing or card mix does not fit cleanly into one window.
To verify which specific cards from SV1a appear in each English set, the full crosswalk is on Limitless TCG: search SV1a and filter by English print to see every card and its EN set number.
Key cards and their English numbers
Triplet Beat spotlights the three Paldean starter final-evolution ex Pokemon: Meowscarada ex, Skeledirge ex, and Quaquaval ex. All three appear in Paldea Evolved in English.
The highest-demand cards in the set are the Iono alternate arts. In Japanese, SV1a carried multiple Iono rarities. In English, those appear in Paldea Evolved as card 254/193 (Illustration Rare) and 269/193 (Special Illustration Rare).
| Card | JP set (SV1a) | EN set | EN card number | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meowscarada ex | Triplet Beat | Paldea Evolved | In set | Box art spotlight |
| Skeledirge ex | Triplet Beat | Paldea Evolved | In set | Box art spotlight |
| Quaquaval ex | Triplet Beat | Paldea Evolved | In set | Box art spotlight |
| Iono (Illustration Rare) | Triplet Beat | Paldea Evolved | 254/193 | Full art trainer |
| Iono (Special Illustration Rare) | Triplet Beat | Paldea Evolved | 269/193 | Highest rarity EN print |
| ~15 other SV1a cards | Triplet Beat | Obsidian Flames | Varies | Not in Paldea Evolved |
For exact card numbers on every card in the set, the Limitless TCG SV1a index lists each JP card alongside its English print location and number.
Japanese or English: which box to buy
Price per pack
At observed secondary prices in October 2026, a Japanese Triplet Beat box costs roughly $132–$237 USD for 30 packs, putting the per-pack cost at approximately $4.40–$7.90 USD. An English Paldea Evolved box is roughly $470–$490 USD for 36 packs, or around $13–$14 USD per pack. The JP box offers a lower entry cost per pack, though each pack yields only 5 cards vs 10 in the EN version.
Play legality
For official tournament play, you must use English cards unless the event specifically allows Japanese. Triplet Beat cards are legal in the same Standard rotation windows as their Paldea Evolved equivalents, but the Japanese copies are not tournament-legal at most English-language events.
If you play competitively, buy English. If you collect, either format is equally valid.
Language and display
Japanese cards have different card backs (the same black back used across all JP sets) but the same play layout as English cards in the SV era. Japanese text is printed in a slightly different font weight, which some collectors prefer for display. Graders treat both equally.
Grading
PSA, BGS, and CGC all grade Japanese cards. The Japanese card stock in SV1a is generally considered crisp and consistent.
Japanese alternate-art cards, including the Iono Illustration Rare and Special Illustration Rare, are graded frequently and hold strong collector interest. For authentication tips before buying raw singles, check our fake-checking guide.
Where to start if you are new to Japanese TCG imports
If this is your first Japanese import, start with a single booster pack rather than a box. The five-card pack format is a low-cost way to experience the JP card stock and artwork before committing to a full box.
Our Japanese Pokémon TCG buying guide covers pack sizes, shipping considerations, and what to watch for in listings. For the broader SV-era JP release history, the Japanese Pokémon TCG release schedule lists every set from SV1 onward with EN equivalents.
If you are specifically looking for the SV1 base sets (Scarlet ex and Violet ex), those are covered in our separate SV1S/SV1V to English Scarlet and Violet mapping guide. Triplet Beat (SV1a) is an expansion on top of that base set, not a replacement for it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Triplet Beat the same as Paldea Evolved?
Not exactly: about 84 of the 103 Japanese Triplet Beat cards appear in Paldea Evolved, while the remaining roughly 15 cards ended up in Obsidian Flames. The sets share the same spotlight Pokemon and trainer cards, but the English release pools cards from other JP sources too, so Paldea Evolved has 279 total cards vs Triplet Beat's 103.
What is the card number for Iono in Paldea Evolved?
Iono appears three times in Paldea Evolved: as a regular card, as card 254/193 (Illustration Rare full art), and as card 269/193 (Special Illustration Rare). The full art versions came from the Japanese SV1a Triplet Beat alternate-art printings.
How many packs are in a Triplet Beat Japanese booster box?
A Japanese Triplet Beat booster box contains 30 packs, each with 5 cards, giving 150 cards per box. English Paldea Evolved contains 36 packs of 10 cards each, for 360 cards per box.
Are Japanese Triplet Beat cards legal for tournament play?
Japanese cards are generally not legal at English-language official events. If you want to play competitively, use English Paldea Evolved copies. For casual play, the JP and EN cards share identical rules text and are fully playable in either format.
Which cards from Triplet Beat went to Obsidian Flames instead of Paldea Evolved?
The full per-card breakdown is on Limitless TCG's SV1a index: filter by EN print to see each card's destination. The split cards are mostly lower-rarity reprints rather than the high-rarity chase cards collectors seek.
Ready to find Japanese Triplet Beat boxes, Paldea Evolved sealed product, and individual Iono singles in one place Browse Japanese Pokémon TCG cards on DexHaul to compare listings from independent shops, all in your currency. DexHaul is independent and unofficial, not affiliated with The Pokémon Company.
Catch 'em all
More Triplet Beat and Paldea Evolved finds from independent shops.