The Shiny Treasure ex set for the Pokemon Trading Card Game is now out in Japan and – despite most of the standard numbered cards in the set being reprints – it’s bringing a very exciting new subset back to the game: Shiny Pokemon!
You might hear talk of players getting excited about Shiny and Baby Shiny Pokemon – but what are they exactly?
Let’s take a look!
What Are Shiny Pokemon?
Before we get into discussing Baby Shiny Pokemon, first things first – what are Shiny Pokemon in general?
Shiny Pokemon were first introduced way back in the second generation Pokemon video games, Pokemon Gold and Silver – and have appeared ever since!
They’ve reached new levels of popularity thanks to their inclusion in mobile game phenomenon, Pokemon Go, however.
Shiny Pokemon are coloured differently to their normal forms – and there’s a sparkly effect around them as well, making them easy to spot.
They’ve been seen in the Pokemon TCG before – most recently, Radiant Pokemon are Shiny Pokemon under a different name, for example – but Shiny Treasure ex brings together the biggest number of them, with lots of alternate art variants featuring Shiny Pokemon too!
What Are Baby Shinies?
Baby Shiny is the unofficial term for a specific type of Shiny card that was introduced in the Hidden Fates Pokemon set.
Perhaps due to the name, players often – understandably – believe that Baby Shiny cards only feature ‘baby’ versions of Pokemon, such as Pichu or Mime Jr.
However, that’s not the case; a Baby Shiny card is one which features a Shiny Pokemon in the standard sized illustration box design.
That is to say, it looks to all intents and purposes like a ‘normal’, non-full art Pokemon card, except the illustration features a Shiny Pokemon and pattern.
The pattern itself apes the sparkling effect that you’ll see when encountering a Shiny Pokemon in one of the video games – and the Pokemon itself will be coloured differently to its standard form, given that it’s the Shiny variant.
The effect and foil treatment is slightly different depending on the set the card is from, but Baby Shiny cards are easily identifiable given the colour and style of the card.
Are There Full Art Shiny Cards in the Pokemon TCG?
Yes! In fact, several have just arrived in Japan, as part of the Shiny Treasure ex set.
Check out our Shiny Treasure card list to see each card in the set – with 170 Secret Rares, many of them either Baby Shiny or Full Art Shiny Pokemon, there’s lots to discover!
Many of these cards are likely – but not confirmed – to make an appearance in the upcoming Paldean Fates set, so you’ll soon have the opportunity to add lots of Baby Shiny – and other types of Shiny – Pokemon to your Pokemon TCG collection.
There’s even Illustration Rare Shiny Pokemon, as you can see from the image above – no doubt when they make their way out of Japan in upcoming sets, their unusual colour schemes and spectacular card treatments will make these cards highly sought after!
