A Kalos-era set built around one of the Mega Evolution era’s defining pulls: Mega Gengar. Phantom Gate landed in Japan on September 13, 2014, right as the XY block leaned all the way into Mega Evolution, and its double-rare Gengar EX remains a collector favorite.
This guide covers what Phantom Gate actually is, walks through its headline Gengar cards, and flags the one number that reference sources still don’t agree on — the set’s total card count. We carry a rotating lineup of graded Phantom Gate and wider XY-era singles shipped out of Tokyo, including the Gengar EX RR chase card itself, so the pricing below reflects our current listings rather than a third-party index.
Phantom Gate (XY4) released in Japan on September 13, 2014, with the Mega Gengar line as its centerpiece. Our current lineup includes a Gengar EX RR [XY4 033/088], PSA 10, currently listed at ¥228,889 and a Florges EX SR 1ED [XY4 092/088], PSA 10, currently listed at ¥26,780.
What Is Phantom Gate (XY4)?
Phantom Gate is the fourth mainline Japanese set of the XY block, released September 13, 2014. Its English equivalent is XY—Phantom Forces, which followed on November 5, 2014 with a larger 122-card checklist — the usual pattern of Japanese sets releasing first and English sets folding in extra cards from surrounding releases.
The set’s identity is built around sixth-generation Pokemon and, above all, Mega Gengar EX as its signature pull. Phantom Gate also introduced the Spirit Link Pokemon Tool, the Pokemon Tool that lets a Pokemon Mega Evolve without ending your turn. Alongside that, the set carries a light Team Flare thread — Team Flare supporters and Gear/Hyper Gear items — running underneath the Mega Evolution focus.
How Many Cards Are Actually In the Set?
Here’s where Phantom Gate gets genuinely confusing to research, and we’re not going to pretend one number is correct when the two most-cited references disagree. Bulbapedia lists the set at 97 cards. LimitlessTCG’s card database, counted by total thumbnails, lists 95. We haven’t been able to resolve which figure is right, so we’re presenting both rather than picking one.
What both sources agree on is the structure underneath that top-line number: the standard numbered checklist runs 001 through 088, which lines up cleanly with every card number referenced in this guide. Everything above 088 falls into the set’s secret-rare tier, and it’s only the exact upper bound of that tier — 097 versus 095 — that the sources don’t match on. More on that range below.
The three samples above show the standard card frame used across Phantom Gate’s numbered checklist — useful context before we get to the two graded XY4 singles we currently list.
The Chase Card: Gengar EX RR 033/088
Gengar EX at 033/088 is Phantom Gate’s headline single. It’s a Double Rare (RR), a 170 HP Psychic-type EX, illustrated by Eske Yoshinob. Directly behind it at 034/088 sits Mega Gengar EX, the evolved form that its paired Mega Evolution, enabled in play by the set’s new Spirit Link Tool — the two cards form the deck’s core Mega Evolution pair, and copies of Phantom Gate’s Gengar EX still turn up in seller listings tagged as first-edition prints of the card.
Phantom Gate and the Japanese 1st Edition Window
Japanese 1st Edition (1ED) print runs ran from 2001 through September 2016, covering a much longer stretch than the short English WOTC 1st Edition window most collectors already know. Phantom Gate’s September 2014 release sits well inside that Japanese run, and copies of its Gengar EX have appeared in the market carrying 1st Edition markings.
If you’re new to how the Japanese 1ED stamp works — what it looks like, which sets carried it, and how it differs from the English version — our Japanese 1st Edition guide covers the full timeline in detail.
Florges EX SR: The Set’s Other Secret-Rare Single
Gengar EX isn’t the only Phantom Gate single worth knowing. Florges EX SR 1ED, at 092/088, is a Secret Rare pull that sits above the set’s normal 001–088 range, and we currently list a graded PSA 10 copy.
Florges EX SR 1ED [XY4 092/088], PSA 10, currently listed at ¥26,780 — a graded, one-of-one copy shipped from Tokyo.
Compared to Gengar EX’s price point, Florges EX is a far more accessible way to own a genuine secret-rare Phantom Gate single, and its 092 number places it right inside the set’s contested upper range covered next.
The Secret Rare Number Range, Explained
With the normal checklist confirmed at 001–088, everything numbered 089 and above is Phantom Gate’s secret tier — the block that holds cards like Florges EX SR at 092/088. Where that tier actually ends depends on which total card count you use: if the set holds 97 cards total, the secret range runs 089–097; if it holds 95, the range runs 089–095. We’re not resolving that discrepancy here, since our sources genuinely disagree, but either way Florges EX at 092 falls comfortably inside the secret band under both counts.
Gengar EX (033/088) and Mega Gengar EX (034/088), by contrast, sit inside the normal numbered range as Double Rares — a separate rarity tier from the secret-numbered Ultra Rares and Secret Rares that start at 089.
Phantom Gate Inside the Wider Mega Gengar Story
Phantom Gate’s 2014 Gengar EX is the starting point for a Mega Gengar lineage that Pokemon has revisited across multiple sets since. For the full history of Gengar across Japanese releases, our Gengar cards guide is the broader reference, and our Mega Gengar value guide tracks pricing across Mega Gengar’s various printings.
If you want a more recent Mega Gengar single alongside your Phantom Gate pickup, we currently list M Gengar EX [CP4 049/131], PSA 10, currently listed at ¥71,585 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) from Premium Champion Pack — a later concept-pack printing of the same Mega Evolution. Our Premium Champion Pack (CP4) guide covers that set in full.
For the broader XY block that Phantom Gate belongs to, see our XY-era Japanese Pokemon guide and our guide to XY-era EX and Mega EX cards, which places Gengar EX and Mega Gengar EX alongside the rest of the block’s Mega Evolution lineup.
Where to Buy Phantom Gate Cards
We list graded Phantom Gate singles as part of our wider PSA 10 inventory, sourced and shipped from Tokyo. Start with the Gengar EX RR chase card if you’re after the set’s headline pull, or the Florges EX SR for a lower-priced secret-rare entry point into the same set.
To browse the full graded catalog rather than a single card, our PSA 10 collection covers every graded single we currently have listed. For a mixed order across singles and sealed product in one cart, use Quick Order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is XY4 Phantom Gate in the Pokemon TCG?
Phantom Gate is the fourth mainline Japanese set of the XY block, released September 13, 2014. It’s centered on Mega Gengar EX and introduced the Spirit Link Pokemon Tool. Its English equivalent is XY—Phantom Forces, released November 5, 2014 with 122 cards.
How many cards are in Phantom Gate (XY4)?
Reference sources disagree: Bulbapedia lists 97 cards, while LimitlessTCG’s database lists 95. Both agree the normal numbered checklist runs 001–088, with the difference falling in the secret-rare range above that.
What is Phantom Gate’s chase card?
Gengar EX, numbered 033/088 and rated RR (Double Rare), is the set’s headline single. Mega Gengar EX at 034/088 is its paired evolution card.
Is Phantom Gate part of the Japanese 1st Edition era?
Yes. Japanese 1st Edition print runs continued from 2001 through September 2016, and Phantom Gate’s September 2014 release falls inside that window. Copies of its Gengar EX have appeared in the market with 1st Edition markings.
Where can I buy Phantom Gate singles today?
We list graded Phantom Gate PSA 10 singles, including Gengar EX RR and Florges EX SR, shipped from Tokyo. See our full PSA 10 collection or use Quick Order for a mixed cart.
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