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In May 2022, Pokémon TCG released the second main series set of 2022. The expansion, Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance, came out on May 27th, 2022. It is the tenth set under the Sword & Shield banner and is the first to include the Radiant Pokémon mechanic. Radiant Pokémon are similar to Shining Pokémon of the past as they include a Shiny Pokémon with holofoil and texture on the figure rather than the background. The difference, though, is a special holo pattern on the text area of the card. Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance also continues the Trainer Gallery, a special subset of Character Rares, Character Super Rares, Full Art Trainers, and Black & Gold VMAXes that began in the previous set, Sword & Shield – Brilliant Stars. Follow me through a journey through this latest set as we appreciate the artwork, discuss the card’s place in the set, and discuss what certain elements of the expansion may imply for the future of the Pokémon TCG. Today, we continue with the Trainer Gallery subset from Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance.
Today, we have three more beautiful Character Rares to show which feature Pokémon appearing alongside their trainers.
First up is Falinks with Bea, illustrated by Kinu Nishimura. This is one of the cutest Pokémon and trainer pairings in this set, with Falinks and Bea both overloaded with groceries as Bea references a shopping list. I love how this card style creates memorable scenes from daily activities rather than relying on battles.
In the middle, Souichirou Gunjima delivers an anime-style Kleavor Character Rare with the trainer Lian which recreates a thrilling aspect of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. We’ve gotten some great Kleavor cards very quickly, but this one is by far my favorite.
We finish up today’s previews with a Mightyena Character Rare by GOSSAN that creates a hilarious scene between the Pokémon and its trainer, Sidney. Here, Mightyena stares in either amazement, love, or horror at a cake that has been made of its face.
Stay tuned for the continuing journey through Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance. To look back on this series, click the Astral Radiance tag below. Next time, this journey continues with the Trainer Gallery section of the set.
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