If you search for Pokemon Battle Academy, you will find two different products with one name: an English-language box released through pokemon.com, and the Japanese ポケモンカードゲーム スカーレット&バイオレット バトルアカデミー released on Friday, March 8, 2024. They are not the same box, they do not hold the same decks, and only one of them is a Japanese product. This guide sets the two side by side from the official pages, then compares the Japanese beginner box with the single-deck Japanese Starter Set ex line, which is what most buyers actually end up choosing between.
We sell Japanese sealed product from Tokyo, so the Japanese starter sets we currently list are in the last section. Official list prices in the tables are the manufacturer’s prices and are labelled as such; our own store prices are separate, each one linked to its product page. USD figures convert at ¥154/USD and are approximate.
- Same name, different boxes: the English Battle Academy (2020, 2022, 2024) holds 3 decks and a game board. The Japanese バトルアカデミー (March 8, 2024) holds 4 decks and a playmat, and lists no game board.
- Starter Set ex is one deck per box: the Japanese Starter Set ex line is a single 60-card deck, and the official pages for the current MEGA line say two or more decks are needed to play a match. Our Starter Set ex Zorua & Zoroark ex is one of those decks.
- No Japanese official product page lists a code card, while all three English Battle Academy pages do.
One Name, Two Different Products
The English Battle Academy line began in 2020 on pokemon.com. The Japanese side did not have a バトルアカデミー in 2020 or in 2022. Its beginner boxes before 2024 were the ファミリーポケモンカードゲーム products: a Sun & Moon edition released on Friday, March 15, 2019 at an official ¥1,980 plus tax with three 60-card decks, and a Sword & Shield edition released on Friday, July 9, 2021 at an official ¥2,398 with three 60-card decks. The Japanese バトルアカデミー of March 8, 2024 is the line’s successor in that Japanese family, and it shares only its name with the English box.
That matters for a simple practical reason. If you read an English review of Battle Academy and then order the Japanese box, the contents you expect (three decks, a game board, a code card) are not the contents listed on the Japanese official page (four decks, a playmat, no board or code card listed). The tables below keep the two apart.
Where Bulbapedia is the only source for a detail, it is marked as reported.
The English Battle Academy: Three Editions
pokemon.com lists three Battle Academy editions. All three hold three 60-card decks and share the same kind of kit: tutorial guides, a two-player game board, deck boxes, a rulebook, a metallic coin, damage counters and a code card.
| Edition | Launch on pokemon.com | Decks (3 × 60 cards) | Code card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Academy (2020) | Friday, July 31, 2020 (Bulbapedia reports a Target-exclusive start on June 21, 2020) | Charizard-GX, Raichu-GX, Mewtwo-GX | PTCGO |
| Battle Academy (2022) | Friday, March 25, 2022 | Cinderace V, Pikachu V, Eevee V (the Eevee deck includes 2 Galarian Obstagoon promos) | PTCGO or Live |
| Battle Academy (2024) | Friday, June 21, 2024 | Armarouge ex, Pikachu ex, Darkrai ex, plus promos (4 Mareep, 3 Flaaffy, 2 Ampharos, 4 Pawniard, 3 Bisharp, 2 Kingambit, 1 Miraidon, 6 Picnicker) | TCG Live |
The official 2020 page describes the box for someone who wants to learn to play or who wants a family game night. The 2024 edition has a further point worth noting: its three decks (Armarouge ex, Pikachu ex, Darkrai ex) are different Pokémon from the four decks in the Japanese 2024 box, even though both launched in the first half of 2024, about three and a half months apart. A collector who wants a particular deck should check the Pokémon names, not the box title.
No retail price for the English editions is in our sources, so the table has no price column. The store sections below cover Japanese products only.
The Japanese バトルアカデミー (2024)
The official page for ポケモンカードゲーム スカーレット&バイオレット バトルアカデミー gives the Friday, March 8, 2024 release date and an official price of ¥3,290. The box holds four decks of 60 cards each. The page describes the box as for people who have not played before and says that one box is enough to play with friends or family right away. The same page calls the いつでもどこでも版 (anywhere-anytime edition) the essence of the Battle Academy, a lighter way to start.
| Item | バトルアカデミー (full box) | いつでもどこでも バトルアカデミー |
|---|---|---|
| Official price | ¥3,290 | ¥1,360 |
| Decks | 4 × 60 cards: ピカチュウex (lightning and psychic), ニャオハex (grass and fire), ゲッコウガex (water and darkness), ルカリオex (fighting and metal) | 2 × 60 cards: ニャオハex and ピカチュウex; all cards are normal (non-holo) |
| Kit | Pokémon coin, damage counter and condition-marker sheet, 4 deck bands, playmat, 2 first-time guides (booklet and video versions), step-up guide, damage counter case, storage box, 3 card dividers | Pokémon coin, damage counter and marker sheet, 2 half playmats, damage counter bag |
| Fixed or random | Fixed | Fixed |
| Code card | Not listed | Not listed |
Two further details come from the official news. The anywhere-anytime edition was lent to participants at the ポケカデビューしよう！バトルアカデミー体験会 (“Start playing Pokémon cards! Battle Academy experience event”) from May 12, 2024, according to the official announcement. And the Japanese official pages list no code card for any product in this family, which is an absence on the page, not an official statement that none exists.
The four decks pair eight types: lightning with psychic, grass with fire, water with darkness, and fighting with metal. A beginner who opens the box finds four different decks to try before deciding which type they like. The official page also links a deck list for each of the four decks.
English 2024 vs Japanese 2024, Side by Side
The two 2024 products are the closest pair, because they launched within months of each other. This table uses only the official pages for each.
| Item | English Battle Academy (2024) | Japanese バトルアカデミー (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | Friday, June 21, 2024 | Friday, March 8, 2024 |
| Decks | 3: Armarouge ex, Pikachu ex, Darkrai ex | 4: ピカチュウex, ニャオハex, ゲッコウガex, ルカリオex |
| Game board | Yes, two-player board | Not listed |
| Playmat | Not listed | Yes, 1 |
| Code card | Yes (TCG Live) | Not listed |
| Promos | Yes (Mareep, Flaaffy, Ampharos, Pawniard, Bisharp, Kingambit, Miraidon, Picnicker) | Not listed |
| Harga | Not stated in our sources | ¥3,290 (official price) |
The only deck that appears in both is the Pikachu ex deck, and the two Pikachu ex decks are not stated to share a list. The sources compared here do not say whether the card lists match, so we do not claim they do.
Our best Japanese sets for beginners guide covers the broader choice of sets, and our how to play Pokémon cards guide covers the rules themselves.
Japanese Starter Set ex: One Deck Per Box
The スターターセットex line is the other main Japanese beginner product. Each box is one fixed 60-card deck with a coin, a playmat and a guide, which is a different shape from the four-deck Battle Academy box. The line has been released several times:
| Product (official page) | Release | Official price | Featured Pokémon |
|---|---|---|---|
| スターターセットex (3 decks) | Fri, Jan 20, 2023 | ¥1,800 each | ニャオハ&ルカリオex / ホゲータ&デンリュウex / クワッス&ミミッキュex |
| スターターセットex ピカチュウex&パーモット | Fri, Mar 24, 2023 | ¥1,800 | ピカチュウex, パーモット, コリンク |
| スターターセット テラスタイプ：ステラ (2 decks) | Fri, Aug 30, 2024 | ¥1,800 each | ニンフィアex / ソウブレイズex |
| スターターセットMEGA (2 decks) | Fri, Sep 5, 2025 | ¥1,800 each | メガゲンガーex / メガディアンシーex |
| MEGA スターターセットex (3 decks) | Fri, Jul 31, 2026 | ¥1,800 each | イーブイex / ゾロア&ゾロアークex / ニャオハ&マスカーニャex |
The most recent row is the MEGA スターターセットex of Friday, July 31, 2026. Its three decks are named after Eevee ex, Zorua and Zoroark ex, and Sprigatito and Meowscarada ex. The official page lists a paper damage counter sheet, a Pokémon coin, a playmat, a player’s guide and a play instruction booklet in every box. The product names we list in the store (Starter Set ex Eevee ex, Starter Set ex Zorua & Zoroark ex, Starter Set ex Sprigatito & Meowscarada ex) match those three Pokémon pairings.
What is in each MEGA deck
The official page names the key cards of each deck. The Eevee ex deck is built around イーブイex (lightning type, with the attacks もってくる and ブレイブダッシュ), パーモット and a full-art イーブイ. The Zoroark ex deck is built around ゾロアークex (darkness type, with ライオットビート), レパルダス and a full-art ゾロア. The Meowscarada ex deck is built around マスカーニャex (grass type, with マジカルバレット for 120), オリーヴァ and a full-art ニャオハ. デリバード appears in all three, and the page notes that the decks include some reprints.
The two-deck rule
The official MEGA スターターセットex page says 「対戦には2つ以上のデッキが必要です。」, which we render as “you need two or more decks to play a match.” The MEGA スタートデッキ100 バトルコレクション page carries the same sentence. So one Starter Set ex box lets one person own a deck; a match between two people needs a second deck, whether that is a second Starter Set ex, a friend’s deck or one of the other single-deck products. The four-deck Battle Academy was designed around exactly this problem, and the official page says one box lets you play at once with friends or family.
For a deeper comparison of the earlier Starter Set ex decks, see our Starter Set ex comparison guide.
Which Beginner Box Fits Which Buyer
This table maps what each product format offers, using only the official statements above. It does not rank the products.
| If you want… | Format that matches | What the official page says |
|---|---|---|
| Two players to start from one purchase | Japanese バトルアカデミー (4 decks) | One box is enough to play with friends or family right away; official price ¥3,290 |
| A cheaper way to begin with two decks | Japanese いつでもどこでも バトルアカデミー | 2 decks (ニャオハex, ピカチュウex), half playmats; official price ¥1,360 |
| One deck built around a single Pokémon | Japanese Starter Set ex | One fixed 60-card deck; needs a second deck for a match |
| The English rulebook and tutorial kit | English Battle Academy | Tutorial guides, game board, rulebook, code card (listed on pokemon.com) |
| A random deck from a larger lineup | MEGA Start Deck 100 Battle Collection | 1 deck from 100 types, always containing two or more Pokémon ex; official price ¥891 |
The official /about/ page for beginners describes the difference between booster packs and ready-made decks. Booster packs are for people who want cards first and hold a few random cards; ready-made decks (構築デッキ) are for people who want to try a battle quickly and hold a 60-card deck. All the products in this guide are in the second group.
One more sentence from the official Starter Set ex page is relevant to a first purchase: the promo pack in the 2023 Starter Set ex boxes can be swapped into the 60-card deck to customize it. The page treats that as the first step of deck modification. If you want to go further, our guide to building a Pokémon deck covers the official rules, and our starter deck buying guide takes the decision further.
A Note on the バトルスタートデッキ Filing
On October 29, 2026 fan sites reported a Japanese trademark filing for 「バトルスタートデッキ」 (working English translation: Battle Start Deck; no official English name exists), which some of those sites read as a possible beginner-deck product; nothing is announced. Our Battle Start Deck guide explains what is confirmed and what is not, and the ex★ 2027 round-up covers the other three reported names.
Where to Buy Japanese Starter Sets
We do not currently list the Japanese バトルアカデミー among our starter products; sourcing requests for it go through Pesan Cepat. What we currently list in the single-deck line is the Starter Set ex Zorua & Zoroark ex, currently listed at ¥1,584 (~$10) and the Starter Set ex Sprigatito & Meowscarada ex, currently listed at ¥1,796 (~$12). Starter Set ex Eevee ex has no listed price on October 29, 2026, so sourcing requests for it also go through Quick Order. Those figures are our store prices; the official price of each deck is ¥1,800.
For the random-deck line, the MEGA Start Deck 100 Battle Collection is currently listed at ¥1,097 (~$7), and the same product is also listed as a White Box version at ¥38,570 (~$250). Our regular vs White Box guide explains the difference, and the Start Deck 100 Battle Collection guide covers the line itself. For a larger deck-based product, the 30th CELEBRATION Premium Deck Set Espeon & Umbreon is currently listed at ¥17,999 (~$117).
Our card list hub shows the cards inside released sets with official images, if you want to check a specific card from one of these decks.
Pertanyaan yang Sering Diajukan
Is the English Battle Academy the same as the Japanese Battle Academy?
No. They share only the name. The English 2024 box has 3 decks (Armarouge ex, Pikachu ex, Darkrai ex), a game board and a code card. The Japanese バトルアカデミー of March 8, 2024 has 4 decks (ピカチュウex, ニャオハex, ゲッコウガex, ルカリオex) and a playmat, and lists no board or code card.
How many decks are in the Japanese Battle Academy box?
Four 60-card decks, at an official price of 3,290 yen. The anywhere-anytime edition has two decks (ニャオハex and ピカチュウex) at an official 1,360 yen.
Do I need two Starter Set ex boxes to play a match?
You need two or more decks to play a match. The official MEGA スターターセットex page says so in the sentence 対戦には2つ以上のデッキが必要です。, and each box holds one deck.
Does the Japanese Battle Academy include a code card?
No Japanese official page lists a code card for it. All three English Battle Academy editions list one on pokemon.com.
What does the Japanese Starter Set ex contain?
One fixed 60-card deck, damage counters and markers, a Pokémon coin, a playmat and a player’s guide, with a play instruction booklet in the MEGA line. The official price of each deck is 1,800 yen.
Which Japanese starter products does Samurai Sword Tokyo currently list?
We currently list the Starter Set ex Zorua & Zoroark ex, the Starter Set ex Sprigatito & Meowscarada ex and the MEGA Start Deck 100 Battle Collection. The product pages show the current prices.
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