Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Paldea Evolved, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, Tinkaton

Pokémon TCG Japan: Clay Burst Preview: Tinkaton Special Illustration

Tinkaton gets a Special Illustration Rare ex in the new Pokémon TCG Japan set Clay Burst which will become Scarlet & Violet - Paldea Evolved.

The next two sets of the Scarlet & Violet era are arriving on April 14th in Japan. The two sets, Snow Hazard and Clay Burst, will largely focus on the Treasures of Ruin Legendary group from the region of Paldea introduced in Scarlet & Violet. In this expansion, all four Treasures of Ruin (Chien-Pao, Ting-Lu, Chi-Yu, and Wo-Chien) will receive Pokémon ex. This set follows Pokémon TCG Japan's Scarlet ex and Violet ex and the subset Triplet Beat which were released in early 2023, kicking off the new Paldea-themed series block that will presumably run for the next three years. Snow Hazard and Clay Burst will merge with Triplet Beat as the basis for Scarlet & Violet – Paldea Evolved, the second English-language expansion set of the Generation Nine era, which will release on June 30, 2023. The Pokémon ex mechanic, the main mechanic of this new era, continues in Snow Hazard and Clay Burst, as does the layout of the Secret Rare section, which includes Illustration Rares, Special Illustration Rares, Full Art ex, Full Art Trainers, Special Illustration Rare Trainers, and Gold cards.  Today, let's take a look at another set of Illustration Rares revealed for Clay Burst, which culminates in a Special Illustration Rare ex.

The Tinkatink line all get Illustration Rares in Clay Burst. Tinkatink, the first stage, and its evolution Tinkatuff get standard Illustration Rares. It is Tinkaton, the final stage of the evolutionary line, that gets a Special Illustration Rare ex. Like previous complete lines that culminate in ex SIRs, these cards are thematically linked and tell a visual story. Artist Tika Matsuno illustrates all three, using bright and vibrant colors to bring this Fairy/Steel-type line to life. Matsuno has been with the hobby since Sword & Shield – Darkness Ablaze and is known for the SWSH Black Star Promo Vaporeon V Alt Art, lonely Snom from Shining Fates, and most recently, the Ralts from Scarlet & Violet.

Japanese sets often give us early ideas of what the English-language sets may include, so be sure to keep an eye on our coverage. You can stay tuned for previews of Scarlet & Violet cards as well as updates on everything Pokémon TCG right here at Bleeding Cool.

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