Summary
ThePokémon Trading Card Gamehas been running since 1996, with multiple expansions releasing each year. Some of the cards in these expansions are often desired by both collectors and active players alike.The newest expansion for the world-famous TCG,Shrouded Fable, was released in Japan on June 11, 2025. While the rest of the world is waiting patiently for the expansion to retail in August, some fans have noticed a key detail in some of the cards that are showingPokémon TCGis thinking aboutPokémon Trading Cardcollectors.
Every expansion typically includes a group of cards that are sought after. This can sometimes include EX cards, such as the variousOgerpon EX cards inTwilight Masquerade, the current TCG expansion. For active players of the tabletop card game,cards such as Dragapult EX are highly desiredthanks to the impressive HP stat it boats in addition to the Phantom Dive move. However, the full art cards that are being spotted inShrouded Fableappear to follow a theme that the previous expansions perfected.
Shrouded Fable’s Full Art Cards Have A Simple Art Style
They Use Flat Cel-Shaded Colors And Simple Backgrounds
The first expansions introduced underPokémon Scarlet and Violetfeatured detailed scenery in the background of full art cards. This can be seen with Iron Treads EX, which featuresbright red circles with rocks exploding out from the center of the card. If this is compared to Kingdra EX fromShrouded Fable,the difference is extremely clear. They’re both full art cards, however Kingdra EX makes use of a simple bubble and water background, with a tense outline around Kingdra itself. This makes the Pokémon, and the card itself, pop and stand out.
This initial move indicated thatPokémon TCGfelt that the tradition of having high-detail, magnificent cards was becoming tiring. When the surprisingly simple"rainbow cards"were first introduced,people adored the simplicity of the cards, in conjunction with the complex colors and foils applied to the cards themselves. The simple shapes provided by the art style used for the Pokémon exaggerated the colors, which only worked in the card’s favor.
Full Art Cards Could Prove That Pokémon TCG Care About Collectors
Providing More Of What Collectors Want
The bold move byPokémon TCGcould indicate that they care about collectors and want to continue creating more flashy cards that could act as centerpieces of collections. ThePokémon TCGare constantly experimenting with different art styles for their cards and have been for years. Previously,cards have been seen that have been styled off old cartoons, clay models, and even real-world items and locations. While all the art showcased on these cards is outstanding, some of them are rather unique and offer abstract approaches to Pokémon visualization.
Furthermore, the decision to continue this art style is beneficial to TCG collectors because of the art style parity with previous sets. Because every 2024 expansion so far has featured full art cards with a simple appeal, it provides a key visual indicator that can help to identify which set a card is from. Additionally, each full art card introduced under the new format has a theme that clearly indicates which Pokémon is on the card, which lets the Pokémon speak for itself.
This can be seen withTemporal Force’sTorterra EX, Gengar EX, and Scizor EX. Across multiple sets, this can also be observed with the Paradox Pokémon from the past. These cards are Gouging Fire EX, Raging Bolt EX, and Walking Wake EX from the same set, in addition to Scream Tail EX fromTwilight Masquerade.
However,Shrouded Fablestill demonstrates thatPokémon TCGaren’t afraid to include noise in their art, as seen with Munkidori EX. This card, in particular, has a lot of patterns and contrasting colors in the background that make it stand out rather uniquely when compared to other cards of that variety in Shrouded Fable, in addition to previous expansions.
What This Indicates For The Future Of TCG
A Blend Of New & Old Styles Could Happen
The current roster of expansions released underPokémon Scarlet and Violethas demonstrated thatvariety is key when it comes to creating a TCG collectionthat’s not only adored by fans but also desired by collectors. This variety has always been included but may now be more prevalent than ever, thanks to the popularity of thePokémon TCG. The TCG community has rapidly expanded its fan base, with different fans emerging for different reasons, although most fans are in the community for either competitive battling or card collecting.
If thePokémon TCGis heading in the direction that it’s indicating, much more diversity can be expected when it comes to the types of art on display. Further collections and smaller arrangements of themed cards are also within the realm of possibility. But the trend of keeping Pokémon full art cards as minimal as possible while keeping trainer cards and other golden cards more intense in terms of visuals isn’t showing any signs of slowing down any time soon. While this trend is confirmed forShrouded Fables,the future sets of 2024 could include cards that seek to revisit older art stylesin addition to pioneering new ones. This would only continue to add to the diversity that Pokémon cards have been expressing for years.
With Generation 10 on the horizon, it’s likely that in 2025, never-before-seen art styles and subcategories will be introduced. This could also be the case if a TCG expansion is announced for the upcomingPokémon Legends: Z-Atitle, which would enable the inclusion of EX cards of Pokémon that have previously never been held to that high of a standard. However, it’s too early to say, and any talk on future TCG expansions for Gen 10 will remain as speculation or conjecture until further announcements aboutPokémon Trading Card Gameare made.
