Hidden Fates

About this set

Game

Pokémon TCG

Released

August 2019 (English)

Size

A main set plus a separate Shiny Vault subset

Featured here

1 cards

Hidden Fates was a special side release in the Sun & Moon era. Instead of a normal rotation of new Pokémon, it focused on shiny versions of well-known Pokémon, collected in an extra numbered group called the Shiny Vault.

Shiny Pokémon are alternate-color versions that appear rarely in the video games. Hidden Fates brought that idea to cards, which made the set popular with collectors who care about artwork and color variants.

It also shows a modern trend: special sets that sit outside the usual release schedule and are built around a theme.

What to look for in this set

How to explore this set

Hidden Fates is a good set for learning how special releases work. It is not a normal rotation of new Pokémon. It focuses on shiny versions of well-known Pokémon, kept in a separate numbered group called the Shiny Vault.

The card to open first is Charizard-GX. It shows the famous Fire-type in its shiny color, a dark, nearly black version in the games. The card is a Rare Shiny GX from the Shiny Vault, so it also teaches the idea behind Pokémon ex and GX: extra power, but more than one Prize card given up when it is knocked out.

Once you have seen it, compare it with the 1999 Charizard on the Base Set card page. The same Pokémon, two very different styles, twenty years apart. To understand labels like Shiny Vault, our rarity and finishes guide keeps the terms apart.

One more thing to try: count how many ideas this single card combines. It is a Stage 2, a GX, a shiny and a Shiny Vault card, so it is a small tour of modern vocabulary in one place.

What changed after it

Hidden Fates came out in August 2019 in the Sun & Moon era. Four years later, in September 2023, Scarlet & Violet—151 showed another themed release, this time built around the original Pokémon. By then the game had returned to the name Pokémon ex and added new card styles that highlight artwork.

Questions readers ask

What is a shiny Pokémon?

An alternate-color version that appears rarely in the video games. Hidden Fates brought the idea to cards.

Is it a regular expansion?

No. It is a themed side release with a main set and a separate Shiny Vault subset.

What is the Shiny Vault?

A separate numbered subset of shiny, alternate-color versions of well-known Pokémon, kept apart from the main set. Its cards carry labels such as Rare Shiny GX in card databases.

Mechanics you will see

• Evolution How Basic Pokémon grow into Stage 1 and Stage 2 Pokémon.
• Pokémon ex & GX Special Pokémon groups that trade extra power for extra risk.
• Prize Cards The face-down cards that decide how a game is won.