One of LEGO's Most Anticipated Sets of the Year Hit With a Delay

LEGO’s partnership with Pokemon kicked off in earnest earlier this year with three incredible sets. That first offering ran the gamut from the expected Pikachu centerpiece to a massive, $650 set that included Venusaur, Blastoise, and Charizard all posed together. But while the brick-built LEGO Pokemon sets are sure to be the focus for a lot of this collaboration, there is another, arguably more-anticipated set that is on the way. Unfortunately, though, it looks like LEGO fans will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on it.

According to a new rumor, the highly anticipated LEGO Pokeball set has seen a delay due to production reasons. The LEGO Pokeball set is said to be a brick-built Pokeball that opens up to reveal a diorama of some sort. Originally, the set was supposed to be released at some point this summer, if rumors are to be believed, but it will now be released in October instead.

Although there are plenty of LEGO Pokemon sets still rumored to be released in the next few months, most of those are part of the second wave that will support the Smart Play system. These sets will feature light and sound effects, made possible through the use of the Smart Brick. What made this now-delayed set so highly anticipated is its use of molded figures instead of brick-built Pokemon characters.

Molded figures and minifigures are what most people traditionally associate with the “characters” in a LEGO set. These are usually of a similar size (save for larger characters like the Hulk in The Avengers Tower), and their designs are more specific and detailed without being overly blocky or geometric. Where a brick-built Venusaur starts to blend into the grass-type Pocket Monster at a distance, the closer you get, the more you start to see those individual pieces. A minifigure or molded figure would retain the shape of the Pokemon right from the get-go.

What Minifigures Does the LEGO Pokeball Set Include?

While we don’t know much about the LEGO Pokeball set, it is currently the only one that is rumored to include minifigures or molded figures. We don’t know how many molded Pokemon might be included in the set, but a leak a month ago offered an early image of an Eevee molded figure. It’s probably also safe to assume that a molded Pikachu is part of the set, but besides that, any other inclusions are anyone’s guess. Maybe Ash or Red if it's a Pokemon battle, but that's just a guess.

I would hope that there are a good number of LEGO Pokemon minifigures included with the set, since it is rumored to retail for $250. At the same time, LEGO has been skimping on the minifigures a bit lately – just look at how few minifigures are excluded with the massive and pricey LEGO Minas Tirith Lord of the Rings set compared to something like the Rivendell set from a few years back.

It’s the LEGO Pokemon minifigures that will make this set so highly coveted, and now having to wait until October is deflating for those who had been following the rumors. The good news, though, is that there are plenty of LEGO Pokemon sets still supposedly releasing within the next few months. There are those Smart Play sets, which include everything from a Scorbunny Evolution set to a Mewtwo Lab set. And if you’re not a fan of the Smart Play system, there are also some non-Smart Play LEGO Pokemon sets on the way in addition to the three that were released earlier this year.

Much like Minecraft and Mario before it, Pokemon is going to be a huge partnership for LEGO, and 2026 is only the beginning. It’s disappointing that we have to wait a little longer to see how these minifigures will look, but before you know it, there will be regular set releases that are so frequent that your wallet starts to feel a lot lighter.