Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Murkrow, Paldean Fates, pokemon, pokemon cards

Pokémon TCG Japan's Shiny Treasure Ex: Shiny Murkrow

Sableye's Shiny form, which has interesting lore, is depicted on a card along with Shiny Murkrow in Pokémon TCG Japan's Shiny Treasure ex.

At the end of every calendar year, the Pokémon TCG Japan releases what is called a "high class" set. These sets are characterized by featuring mostly reprinted cards in the main numbered section of the set, allowing those who may have missed important cards from previous sets that year to catch up. These sets are also known for featuring a large number of Secret Rares, which are generally all-new cards. These high-class sets are usually the most anticipated sets of the year for fans of the Japanese Pokémon TCG. English fans are often keyed in as well because these are sometimes the source material for our "special" expansions. In other cases, they are integrated into main expansions or sometimes never released in English. Examples in the past are GX Ultra Shiny, which was adapted into Hidden Fates, Tag Team GX All-Stars, which was never adapted, Shiny Star V, which was adapted into Shining Fates, VMAX Climax, which was adapted into the Trainer Gallery subsets in main-line Sword & Shield-era sets, and VSTAR Universe which was adapted into Crown Zenith. Now, the Pokémon TCG Japan has released its next high-class set: Shiny Treasure ex. This expansion is like GX Ultra Shiny and Shiny Star V, in that its expansive Secret Rare section will focus on Shiny Pokémon. Like those previous sets, it features "Baby" Shinies (a popular fan phrase for non-Full Art Shiny cards) and Full Art ex Shinies. It has already been confirmed that the English-language Pokémon TCG will adapt this high-class Japanese set into an early 2024 special expansion titled Scarlet & Violet – Paldean Fates. Today, let's take a look at some more Shiny Pokémon from Shiny Treasure ex.

Johto's Murkrow and Hoenn's Sableye both get Baby Shiny cards in this set. Surprisingly, neither has been featured on Shiny cards before. I say surprisingly, because both of them have memorable and colorful Shiny forms, which have been fan favorites across all games in which they appear. The normally black Murkrow is purple in its Shiny form. Sableye's Shiny actually ties into its lore. Sableye, purple in its standard form, becomes gold in its Shiny form. This is a reference to its jewel-focused Dex entries, which say:

Sableye digs the ground with sharpened claws to find rocks that it eats. Substances in the eaten rocks crystallize and rise up to the Pokémon's body surface.

It digs branching holes in caves using its sharp claws in search of food—raw gems. A Sableye lurks in darkness and is seen only rarely.

It hides in the darkness of caves. Its diet of gems has transformed its eyes into gemstones.

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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