Summary
Celestial Guardians set focuses on Gen 7 critters, and likely won’t include shiny cards to keep the spotlight on Alola.
Shiny cards will likely return to Pokemon TCG Pocket but may not feature in every set to avoid fatigue.
Unlikely for shiny cards not to return due to Shining Revelry’s success and universal appeal, future sets may feature more shinies.
As much as it proved problematic with the way the set tackled its new rarity and wonder picks, many fans were happy with Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Shining Revelry set due to the signature shiny cards it included. This is true to the point that Pokemon TCG Pocket’s sales went up with Shining Revelry by a significant margin, and the most likely reason for this is the introduction of shiny Pokemon, which are often very sought-after in the games as well. However, there has been no mention of shiny cards for the next expansion, Celestial Guardians, and it would make sense for them not to be featured in it.
Celestial Guardians is the first set dedicated to Gen 7 critters, which was previously the least represented generation in Pokemon TCG Pocket, so it makes sense for it to focus on Pokemon and characters from Alola and put them front and center. Shiny cards in Celestial Guardians would likely steal the spotlight from the rich roster of pocket monsters and characters players could encounter in Alola in Gen 7 games. Still, this begs the question of whether shiny cards will return, and the answer may be a bit more complex than yes or no.
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Why Pokemon TCG Pocket May Feature Shiny Cards Again, But Not Soon
Considering the success of Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Shining Revelry set, it seems a given that shiny cards will return, and they most likely will. However, there are a few factors that may slow this down or simply make the answer straightforward. These are:
The fact that, while shiny Pokemon are popular and have historically been in the physical version of the TCG, there was no guarantee that Shining Revelry would be a hit, and the developers likely have releases planned months in advance
The fact that releasing shiny cards in every set would be good in the short term but potentially problematic in the long term by creating fatigue
The fact that, as Pokemon TCG proves, it may be better to have focused shiny sets every once in a while, such as Paldean Fates
What follows is that yes, shiny cards are most likely to return at some point, but it may be a while before another dedicated shiny set comes out. This could be as early as the set after Pokemon TCG Pocket’s Celestial Guardians or as late as the end of the year or even next year. There is a chance that the next shiny set will include more shiny cards, as Shining Revelry only has 14, but overall, it would be a good idea to spread this type of expansion over longer periods of time.
Why Shiny Cards Not Returning to Pokemon TCG Pocket is Unlikely
There is also the chance that shiny cards won’t return, but this is extremely unlikely because of the sales of Shining Revelry and the fact that shiny Pokemon are universally liked, often generating hype. On top of that, series staples and some of the most beloved Pokemon around have not been granted the shiny treatment yet, so it’s quite possible that a future set will have some form of shiny Pikachu or shiny Gyarados, for example.
As such, the possibility of shiny rarity in Pokemon TCG Pocket not returning is extremely slim, but that doesn’t mean that every expansion will include shiny cards. It could be something that happens every few months, or perhaps the game starts making a second set for every generation it covers, and makes it include shiny cards like in Shining Revelry. It’s unclear when and how many shiny cards will return, but it’s entirely possible that the wait will only be a couple of months.
