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

Pokémon TCG Japan's Shiny Treasure Ex: Shiny Natu

Johto's Natu and its evolution Xatu appear in their Shiny forms in the Pokémon TCG for the very first time in 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 more Shiny Pokémon ex from Shiny Treasure ex.

You know Leonhart is going to have a lot to say about this one.

Natu and Xatu have been around since the days of Gold & Silver, which introduced Johto, but we have never seen their Shiny forms depicted in the Pokémon TCG. Now, their Shiny forms are truly just a slightly more yellow version of their normal green, so they're likely no one's true favorite. However, there is something just so fun about seeing sets like this gives older species their time to shine.

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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