Uncovering the Hidden Gems of Pokémon Sun & Moon Hidden Fates

Fate has it that collectors can only be drawn back more and more. There’s always something, and Pokémon is never short of that something – whatever it may be.

Hidden Fates is that something. Right from the moment our greedy collecting eyes had even the slightest glance at the set, we knew something was different. Something was, and is, different about Hidden Fates. So, what is it?

What’s So Hidden About Hidden Fates?

Right from the beginning it has been clear to all that Hidden Fates would not just be another set. We know this for a number of different reasons, but let’s talk about the most obvious – how it is released. Unlike the majority of Pokémon TCG sets, you aren’t able to go ahead and just buy a Hidden Fates TCG pack (that is, unless you have found a reseller). The reason being is that Pokémon have restricted the release of Hidden Fates booster packs to be only available with other TCG products, meaning that you can’t buy singular Hidden Fates booster packs. Now, admittedly, this may sound like an extremely small detail that only affects the practicality of getting Hidden Fates booster packs. But, it’s not that simple. It’s a big deal.

Firstly, the practicality of buying individual booster packs is much greater than it seems, particularly with a huge set like Hidden Fates, as if there are no individual booster packs for sale, there are no booster boxes, either. These two products go hand-in-hand for collectors, as we all know that buying individual booster packs is a costly task, and usually suited for when you want multiple from different sets, or are just buying one by itself. Now let’s reconsider the briefly noted point on the size of the set:

For the recently released Detective Pikachu set, we didn’t really suffer from the problem that we are having now with Hidden Fates. Why? The total amount of cards in the set was much lower than Hidden Fates, so we the fact that we couldn’t rely on booster boxes to pull hundreds of cards in rapid succession for an efficient price didn’t prove a problem. The 18 English, and 25 Japanese cards of the Detective Pikachu set made it easy and affordable to pick up its special booster packs as part of other products, but with Hidden Fates, we can’t really do that. Instead, we are left trying to collect 168 English, or 250 Japanese cards without the aid of easy access to the set.

This is a huge challenge, when considering that at its time of release, Hidden Fates featured the largest total number of cards in any Japanese TCG set – a fact that many collectors nearly drooled at, but then snapped back from their daze in an instant at the thought of trying to collect them all. Also, as a quick side note: collecting Japanese TCG products is definitely not just for Japanese players, or those in the so-called ‘know’. For those that may not have considered it, collecting Japanese Pokémon cards is popular for a variety of reasons, but namely because they have a mystique to them, as with any foreign-language cards. It just so happens that Japan is one of the most accessible languages to buy Pokémon cards in, hence why you see them a lot more than French cards, for example, though French cards would be equally as cool to many players. But, that’s enough of that small tangent.

So, in other words, the set is hard to get. Is this unique? Yes and no, as there have been previous sets released under these conditions, meaning that for this set to be so special, there must be something else, right? Yes. Essentially, a 250-card total is a big number, but what if that number contained a sub-set that contains reprinting of Pokémon cards under their shiny variants? Enter: Hidden Fates.

Basically, Hidden Fates has reintroduced shiny Pokémon cards (also known as ‘shining’ Pokémon cards). So now, we have a set that’s:

1. Hard to get
2. Difficult to ‘Catch Em’ All’
3. Includes secret rare shiny Pokémon cards

With these three factors all working in unison, Hidden Fates has quickly become a force to be reckoned with, and why wouldn’t it be?

The Shiny Vault Subset

Clearly, the secret rare shiny Pokémon cards are a huge draw towards why Hidden Fates has become as big as it is, so here’s the lowdown on everything you need to know:

Firstly, the subset is known as ‘Shiny Vault’, which makes sense when considering the difficulty in getting the cards blends quite nicely with the rarity of shiny Pokémon, and the imagery of a bank vault. Secondly, the Shiny Vault contains the majority of the cards in Hidden Fates’ set list. Only 68 of the English set’s 163 cards are actually standard cards, as the other 94 are dedicated to the shiny vault… and, yes, they are all ultra/secret rare. Thirdly, you will be able to distinguish Shiny Vault cards not only from their alternate colouring, but the fact that they have the symbol of the set that they were originally printed from, as well as a yellow ‘A’ to determine that they are a reprinting.

Getting the Cards

But if you can’t buy booster packs, then what is the best way to get the Hidden Fates cards? How can you get those oh-so-sweet Shiny Vault cards? Well, here at Titan Cards, we have the definitive answer to that right here, right now:

1. Elite Trainer Box:

Elite trainer boxes are a standard practice with today’s Pokémon TCG sets, but are still worth your time with their large amount of booster packs, and hoard of extras on offer. Here’s what you’ll find in the Hidden Fates Elite Trainer box:

• 10x Hidden Fates booster packs
• 1x Moltres & Zapdos & Articuno-GX Full art card
• 65x Pokémon TCG card sleeves featuring exclusive Moltres & Zapdos & Articuno art
• 45x Pokémon TCG Energy cards
• 1x player's guide to the Hidden Fates expansion
• 6x damage-counter dice
• 1x competition-legal coin-flip die
• 2x acrylic condition markers
• 1x acrylic Tag Team GX marker
• 1x collector's box, including 4x dividers for organization
• 1x online code for the Pokémon TCG Live

2. Hidden Fates Tins:

Regarding the tins that Hidden Fates has introduced, you have your choice of three options: either a Charizard-GX, Gyarados-GX or Raichu-GX tin, each with exclusive artwork of its featured Pokémon

• 1x Ultra rare Pokémon-GX card: Charizard-GX, Gyarados-GX, or Raichu-GX
• 4x Hidden Fates booster packs
• 1x code card to unlock a playable deck in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online

3. Hidden Fates Pin Collections:

Hidden Fates takes another familiar, but unique turn with its pin collections, of which there are two; one featuring Mewtwo, the other, Mew. They contain:

• 1x promo cards featuring Mewtwo or Mew
• 1x collector's pins featuring Mewtwo or Mew
• 3x Hidden Fates booster packs
• 1x code card for the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online

4. Hidden Fates Pokéballs

 The Hidden Fates Pokéballs are the new product on the scene, with their presence being a new addition to the set, and a welcome one, too. Essentially, the Hidden Fates Pokéballs are more-or-less general Pokémon collection boxes, but contain the very cool addition of an actual Pokéball. There are two variations to the Hidden Fates Pokéballs, one being the Ultra Ball, which features a Shiny Metagross-GX full art card, and the other the Great Ball, which features a Shiny Zoroark-GX full art card. Specifically, the details of what are contained in each Hidden Fates Pokéball box is as so:

• 10x Hidden Fates booster packs
• 1x full art Shiny Zoroark-GX or Metagross-GX
• 1x Great Ball or Ultra Ball
• 1x code card for the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online

Final Words

Hidden Fates is an unusual, yet somehow usual turn for Pokémon. It seems that Pokémon has been trying everything with the Pokémon TCG recently, and almost every month we hear about something new or exciting that has been added to the game. Compared with the cards of 2009, 2019 has really seen a decade of change, with even the artwork looking more and more exciting with each new rarity or idea that Pokémon has. Regardless of the problems that the TCG may suffer, this set brings a much-needed fresh take on collecting – an idea that Pokémon has tried before, but never quite like Hidden Fates. So, with the Shiny Vault only becoming increasingly harder to get, it’s only a matter of time before these awe-inspiring cards become the rarest of your collection.