Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Greninja, pokemon, Pokemon TCG, Sparkling Pokémon, Star Birth

Pokémon TCG Japan's Battle Legion Preview: Sparkling Greninja

Next month, the Pokémon TCG will release a special Japanese set titled Battle Legion. Though details are currently still coming out on Battle Legion, some theorize that this may be the basis for the English-language special set due in June 2022. Battle Legion has been confirmed to feature the return of Shinies with a new card type: Sparkling Pokémon. It will also continue the VSTAR mechanic that debuted in January's Star Birth. Today, let's take a look at a new card type coming in Battle Legion: Sparkling Pokémon. So far, two have been revealed. We'll begin here with Greninja.

Shiny Pokémon have appeared in the Pokémon TCG in many different forms. Shining cards featured the creature itself rendered in textured foil, which launched in vintage Neo sets and returned for the special Shining Legends set in 2017. Other sets in the past during the Platinum era saw a subset of Shiny cards released over multiple sets which used a reverse holo pattern without any foil or texture on the art box. Other sets used the Pokémon Star card format, which were normally holo but also appeared in non-holo form for cards such as the iconic POP Series Umbreon. Other sets such as Call of Legends and some Black & White era sets inserted holographic cards featuring Shinies in the Secret Rare section. 2019's Hidden Fates special set introduced the current standard for Shinies, which includes Baby Shinies (a standard card with an art box and text border which is rendered in etched foil on the creature and background, which depicts the Shiny burst when encountering a Shiny in the games) and Full Arts (this includes GXs in Hidden Fates and Vs/VMAXs in Shining Fates).

Now, Sparkling Pokémon seem to blend the textured, foil creature of Shining cards as well as the reverse holo aesthetic from the Platinum era, except the pattern seems to be a more detailed, cross-hatch. I can't wait to see this one in person!

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 Battle Legion cards as well as updates on everything Pokémon TCG right here at Bleeding Cool.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!