While the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) community is still roaring for the release of Ancient Roar [SV4K] and Future Flash [SV4M] on 27 October, the Japanese Pokémon Card Game has dropped another bombshell on trainers: this year’s High-Class Pack has been officially unveiled as “Shiny Treasure ex” [SV4a].

Through an official YouTube video, Shiny Treasure ex has been announced to release on 1 December, along with a teaser of what’s to come in the set.

---

[Update 28 Nov 2023] More Shiny Treasure ex rare cards revealed!

We’re just days away from the official launch of Pokémon Shiny Treasure ex [SV4a], and more and more rare cards are finally surfacing!

Iono SAR & Paldea Friends SAR Revealed!

We’ve been waiting for this one—finally, thanks to early box leakers, we have official confirmation of the Iono SAR 350/190! depicted in a cartoon-like style, Iono’s SAR version will most certainly be one of the biggest rare cards you can find in Pokémon Shiny Treasure ex. Alongside that, another heavy hitter was also discovered—the previously mentioned Paldea Students will also receive a SAR variant, although it’s unclear if the other set of students will also see a SAR uptooling.

Charizard ex SAR 349/190 & Gardevoir ex 348/190 SAR

Taking the same Type-Shifted Tera form as its Ruler of the Black Flame compatriot, the Charizard ex will come in its shiny appearance for Shiny Treasure ex [SV4a]. this will most definitely be one of the most sought-after cards from Shiny Treasure ex once it releases.

Alongside Charizard ex, a majestic Gardevoir ex SAR has also been revealed to be part of the set. The artwork showcases the shiny pokemon gracefully sweeping across an equally beautiful lake. If this is the artwork we’re looking at for Shiny Treasure ex, then we’re in for a treat when the rest of the SARs are revealed.

Trainer Cards

As previously mentioned, the presence of Iono as a regular Supporter card in the main set leads many to believe a SAR version will also be part of Shiny Treasure ex. While no imagery of her SAR card has yet to be be revealed, there’s little to no doubt that Pokémon will forget about one of its most popular recent trainers.

But, we do have official confirmation that Arven will come in the form of a SAR which comes with an extremely detailed artwork. Paldea students is also part of the main set, although it remains to be seen if it will be converted into a SAR, or if there’s yet another Paldea Friends-equivalent in the set.

If you’re looking to grab any of these cards, you can check out the SNKRDUNK App for sealed boxes, packs, and single cards from Pokémon Shiny Treasure ex [SV4a]!

---

[Update 20 Nov 2023] Shiny Pokémon cards revealed!

A whole new wave of shiny Pokémon Shiny Treasure ex [SV4a] have made their appearance! Among them, a Pikachu and Raichu have been observed, alongside a Shiny Mew as a SSR. Check them out via the screenshots below!

---

Original story follows:

What Are Japanese Pokémon Card Game High Class Packs?

For the uninitiated, the Japanese Pokémon Card Game releases a special annual known as the High Class Pack towards the tail end of the year. The boxes deviate from the usual squarish boxes, opting for a rectangular shape. It also only contains 10 packs with 10 cards within them, as compared to the usual 30 packs with 5 cards in each.

As the title High Class Pack would suggest, these are some of the most sought-after sets every year. They usually contain more “hits” than the usual set release, along with an assortment of shiny Pokémon from the current generation. For example, last year’s High Class Pack iteration is the evergreen VSTAR Universe [S12a], and the year before that being VMAX Climax [S8b].

What Cards Are Included in “Shiny Treasure ex” [SV4a]?

While the full card list has not been unveiled just yet, there are some heavy hitters that are confirmed to be part of Shiny Treasure ex.

Notably, Charizard ex from Ruler of the Black Flame [SV3] has been confirmed to be part of the set, introduced as a SSR in its Type-shifted Tera form. Koraidon ex and Miraidon ex are also confirmed to be part of the set list.

SSR and S rarity cards are making a comeback, having first been introduced in 2018’s High Class Pack GX Ultra Shiny. This means that a whole list of Scarlet & Violet Pokémon, including the starters Fuecoco, Quaxly, and Sprigatito, will receive a special shiny artwork—coined affectionately as “baby shiny” cards by the community.

The starters’ full evolution line are also part of the set, with the final evolutions Skeledirge ex, Quaquaval ex, and Meowscarada ex confirmed to be SSRs. For waifu lovers, Iono has also been revealed to be a supporter card, so there’s some expectation (and hope) that another full-art version will join the card list.

Pokemon Card Game “Shiny Treasure ex” [SV4a] Pull Rates

Here are the estimated pull rates for the upcoming Shiny Treasure ex set. As it’s still early and only a few cards have been revealed thus far, the rates below are taken from the previous High Class Pack, VSTAR Universe [S12a], which did not contain the aforementioned SSR and S rarities.

Take note that the pull rates can differ from box to box, and it might not be 100% reflective of what you can find in a Booster Box.

Release Date and Where to buy Pokémon Card Game “Shiny Treasure ex”

While the official release date is set for 1 December, the raffle for the Shiny Treasure ex box is live on Pokémon Center Japan’s website, and will end on 27 October. While it’s free for anyone to join in, you must have a Japanese address in order to participate. Each booster box will cost 5,500 JPY (~US$36.77).

Boxes will begin shipping from late November to early December, so be sure to join if you are eligible.

Can’t wait for the release? Neither can we. In the meantime, you can also shop the latest TCG products such as Ancient Roar and Future Flash on the SNKRDUNK App via the banner below: