EX Team Rocket Returns (TCG)

EX Team Rocket Returns ロケット団の逆襲 File:SetSymbolEX Team Rocket Returns.png

File:EX07-Logo.png Cards in set English: 111 Japanese: 85 Set number English: 22 Japanese: 25 Release date English: November 8, 2004 Japanese: October 15, 2004 Theme Decks Jessie () James ()

EX Team Rocket Returns (Japanese: ロケット団の逆襲 Team Rocket Strikes Back) is the name given to an Expansion of cards and Theme Decks for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. As with the prior set, EX FireRed & LeafGreen, the TCG took a step back to the first generation and focused on the villainous Team Rocket and Pokémon they had corrupted, much like had been done several years before.

Information

• The English set was released before Breaking Blue Sky (Breaking Blue Sky was before Team Rocket Strikes Back in Japan), as Nintendo wanted EX Deoxys's release to coincide with the release of the movie Destiny Deoxys. This threw the English sets out of sequence with the Japanese sets and caused a difference in the set number gap between the two languages. Because of this, the English set was less than a month behind the release of the Japanese set, which was (at the time) a record release.
• Similar to cards belonging to Team Magma and Team Aqua in EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua, the card layout was visually enhanced for Pokémon belonging to Team Rocket: -
  • Team Rocket Pokémon have a character window with an "explosion" effect.
  • The Pokémon type symbol in the top right corner of the card includes a similar graphic addition.
  • Team Rocket Pokémon display the Team Rocket "R" insignia at the bottom right of the attack box.
• This was the first set to feature "owners'" Pokémon ex. All of them belonged to Team Rocket, and they were all Darkness-types.
• In Japan, Deck Kits once again accompanied this set. They contained a lot of cards that were missing from the main set, and were added when the English version was produced.
• It was originally thought Team Rocket Strikes back would be given the prefix "ADV EX 2" in Japan, but the ADV prefix was rejected in the previous set.
• Rocket's Raikou ex was not included in the main set. It appeared in Japan first as a Battle Road Promotional card and later as an insert with a Team Rocket Strikes Back Special Edition set (which included one Deck Kit and two Booster Packs). The English version featured as the secret box-topper for EX Deoxys.
• This was the first set to feature Pokémon File:Shiningsymbol.gif. Similar in most respects to Shining Pokémon of the previous generation of cards, these cards feature the alternate color version of the Pokémon they portray. The symbol is used to represent the star flash that appears when a shining Pokémon is encountered in the games; the rarity of the cards also reflect the rarity of these Pokémon. Card graphic differences include: -
  • Sections of the Pokémon artwork are outside of the character window, with the head or limbs overlapping the window border.
  • The card type color and character window have a slight yellow tinge.
  • The rarity symbol is gold foil.
• The reverse-holographic design uses the same energy symbol foil pattern as in EX FireRed & LeafGreen.
• For the first time, the reverse-holographics feature the set logo in the bottom right corner of the character window. Also, the reverse-holographic versions of the holographic rares have gold foil name text, as well as the foil rarity symbol. These features were added to avoid confusion with the holographic rares. Every set since has followed this tradition.
• The secret box-topper for this set is Charmeleon. A secret Trainer card, Team Rocket Strikes Back, appeared randomly in booster packs.
• The Prerelease card for this set is Dark Houndoom. Prereleases were held on the weekends of 30th/31st October and 6th/7th November 2004.
• All Dark Pokémon released in this set were previously released as Dark Pokémon in Team Rocket and Neo Destiny with the exception of Marowak, Steelix, and Sandslash.

Theme decks

English Theme Decks

• Jessie
• James

Japanese Half Decks

• Black
• Silver

Card lists

English expansion

No.	Card Name	Type	Rarity
1	Azumarill		H
2	Dark Ampharos		H
3	Dark Crobat		H
4	Dark Electrode		H
5	Dark Houndoom		H
6	Dark Hypno		H
7	Dark Marowak		H
8	Dark Octillery		H
9	Dark Slowking		H
10	Dark Steelix		H
11	Jumpluff		H
12	Kingdra		H
13	Piloswine		H
14	Togetic		H
15	Dark Dragonite
16	Dark Muk
17	Dark Raticate
18	Dark Sandslash
19	Dark Tyranitar
20	Dark Tyranitar
21	Delibird
22	Furret
23	Ledian
24	Magby
25	Misdreavus
26	Quagsire
27	Qwilfish
28	Yanma
29	Dark Arbok
30	Dark Ariados
31	Dark Dragonair
32	Dark Dragonair
33	Dark Flaaffy
34	Dark Golbat
35	Dark Golduck
36	Dark Gyarados
37	Dark Houndoom
38	Dark Magcargo
39	Dark Magneton
40	Dark Pupitar
41	Dark Pupitar
42	Dark Weezing
43	Heracross
44	Magmar
45	Mantine
46	Rocket's Meowth
47	Rocket's Wobbuffet
48	Seadra
49	Skiploom
50	Togepi
51	Cubone
52	Dratini
53	Dratini
54	Drowzee
55	Ekans
56	Grimer
57	Hoppip
58	Horsea
59	Houndour
60	Houndour
61	Koffing
62	Larvitar
63	Larvitar
64	Ledyba
65	Magikarp
66	Magnemite
67	Mareep
68	Marill
69	Onix
70	Psyduck
71	Rattata
72	Rattata
73	Remoraid
74	Sandshrew
75	Sentret
76	Slowpoke
77	Slugma
78	Spinarak
79	Swinub
80	Voltorb
81	Wooper
82	Zubat
83	Copycat	T
84	Pokémon Retriever	T
85	Pow! Hand Extension	T
86	Rocket's Admin.	T
87	Rocket's Hideout	T
88	Rocket's Mission	T
89	Rocket's Poké Ball	T
90	Rocket's Tricky Gym	T
91	Surprise! Time Machine	T
92	Swoop! Teleporter	T
93	Venture Bomb	T
94	Dark Metal Energy	E
95	R Energy	E
96	Rocket's Articuno ex		ex
97	Rocket's Entei ex		ex
98	Rocket's Hitmonchan ex		ex
99	Rocket's Mewtwo ex		ex
100	Rocket's Moltres ex		ex
101	Rocket's Scizor ex		ex
102	Rocket's Scyther ex		ex
103	Rocket's Sneasel ex		ex
104	Rocket's Snorlax ex		ex
105	Rocket's Suicune ex		ex
106	Rocket's Zapdos ex		ex
107	Mudkip		H
108	Torchic		H
109	Treecko		H
110	Charmeleon		H
111	Here Comes Team Rocket!	T	H

Japanese expansion

No.	Card Name	Type	Rarity
1	Ekans
2	Zubat
3	Grimer
4	Koffing
5	Ledyba
6	Ledian		H
7	Hoppip
8	Skiploom
9	Jumpluff		H
10	Yanma
11	Treecko		H
12	Dark Arbok
13	Dark Golbat
14	Dark Muk
15	Dark Weezing		H
16	Dark Crobat		H
17	Magmar
18	Houndour
19	Magby
20	Torchic		H
21	Dark Houndoom		H
22	Horsea
23	Seadra
24	Marill
25	Azumarill		H
26	Wooper
27	Quagsire
28	Qwilfish
29	Remoraid
30	Delibird
31	Mantine
32	Kingdra		H
33	Mudkip		H
34	Dark Octillery		H
35	Voltorb
36	Mareep
37	Dark Electrode		H
38	Dark Flaaffy
39	Dark Ampharos		H
40	Slowpoke
41	Drowzee
42	Misdreavus
43	Dark Hypno		H
44	Dark Slowking		H
45	Sandshrew
46	Onix
47	Cubone
48	Heracross
49	Swinub
50	Piloswine		H
51	Dark Sandslash
52	Dark Marowak		H
53	Rattata
54	Sentret
55	Furret
56	Togepi
57	Togetic		H
58	Dark Raticate
59	Rocket's Meowth
60	Rocket's Hitmonchan ex		ex
61	Rocket's Scyther ex		ex
62	Rocket's Snorlax ex		ex
63	Rocket's Zapdos ex		ex
64	Rocket's Mewtwo ex		ex
65	Rocket's Wobbuffet
66	Rocket's Scizor ex		ex
67	Rocket's Sneasel ex		ex
68	Rocket's Entei ex		ex
69	Rocket's Suicune ex		ex
70	Dark Tyranitar		H
71	Rocket's Celebi		H
72	Dark Steelix		H
73	Pow! Hand Extension	T
74	Swoop! Teleporter	T
75	Surprise! Time Machine	T
76	Venture Bomb	T
77	Pokémon Retriever	T
78	Copycat	T
79	Rocket's Admin.	T
80	Rocket's Mission	T
81	Rocket's Hideout	T
82	Rocket's Tricky Gym	T
83	R Energy	E
84	Dark Metal Energy	E
85	Here Comes Team Rocket!	T	H