Posted in: Card Games, Games, Pokémon TCG, Tabletop | Tagged: Crown Zenith, pokemon, pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG, Sword & Shield

The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Crown Zenith Part 73: Irida Illustration

Irida and the Pearl Clan feature on this Special Illustration Rare from Pokémon TCG: Crown Zenith which mirrors Adaman's Diamond Clan card.

The Sword & Shield era of the Pokémon TCG has come to an end. Three years of expansions dedicated to the region of Galar, with some love for Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl's revitalization of Sinnoh and Pokémon Legends: Arceus's introduction of the ancient region of Hisui, have led to this moment. Crown Zenith, a special set celebrating the Sword & Shield era, was released on January 20th, 2023. It was primarily an adaptation of Japan's VSTAR Universe set and also featured a collection of cards that were cut from other English-language sets and more. Like other special sets, including Champion's Path, Shining Fates, Celebrations, and Pokémon GO, Crown Zenith packs were found in specially branded products like Premium Collections and Elite Trainer Boxes rather than booster boxes. This set featured the Galarian Gallery subset, which introduced Illustration Rares and Special Illustration Rares, originally called "Art Rares," to the hobby, which set the standard for the following Sword & Shield era, which used these card types as their primary Secret Rares. In today's installment of this Crown Zenith spotlight, let's take a look at more cards from the Galarian Gallery subset.

Irida gets a Special Illustration Rare in Crown Zenith which, like the Adaman SIR, includes multiple characters. The artwork showsIrida with the entire Pearl Clan from Pokémon Legends: Arceus, mirroring Adaman's which shows him with the entire Diamond Clan. TCG legend Naoki Saito illustrates this evocative Trainer Card which is no surprise considering Saito's history with Full Art Trainers. Saito has been contributing since the days of HeartGold SoulSilver, and some of their most notable Full Art Trainers include the infamous Here Comes Team Rocket Promo from the XY era, which sadly never made it to English, Wicke from Sun & Moon – Burning Shadows, the uber-chase card Lillie from Sun & Moon – Ultra Prism, the $1,000+ Sightseer from Japan's Tag-Team GX All-Stars which also never made it to English, and many more. Saito is an expert when it comes to the cards that end up undergoing the "Waifu" tax, but thankfully this card didn't become a $100+ hit by any means due to the availability of Crown Zenith.

Stay tuned for the journey through this special set as we continue to spotlight the cards and artwork of Pokémon TCG: Crown Zenith. Next time, the spotlight continues with the Galarian Gallery subset. You can read more about this iconic trading card game right here at Bleeding Cool.

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