Ten packs. Ten cards each. And a chase list that includes the SAR everyone still calls “the Iono card” even though it isn’t the famous one. The Shiny Treasure ex release date was December 1, 2023 in Japan, and the full checklist is on our Shiny Treasure ex SV4a card list page.
Shiny Treasure ex (SV4a) released in Japan on December 1, 2023 as a High Class Pack — the annual year-end set where Pokemon TCG Japan floods the checklist with shiny-colored reprints and hunts collectors with a handful of genuinely rare secret pulls. At 360 total listed cards, it’s one of the largest checklists of the Scarlet & Violet era, and its English counterpart, Paldean Fates, didn’t arrive until January 26, 2024 — nearly two months later.
Iono wasn’t new to this kind of attention. Her earlier Special Art Rare printing in Clay Burst (SV2D 096/071), released eight months prior in April 2023, sold out Japan’s Pokemon TCG stock so completely that Creatures publicly apologized and rolled out a made-to-order reprint program. Shiny Treasure ex’s Iono SAR is a completely different card — different number, different set, different artwork — but it carries the same character into a fresh checklist.
This guide covers what’s actually inside a Shiny Treasure ex box, which secret-rarity tiers matter, which specific cards are worth opening for, and how the box’s MSRP compares with the September 29 market asks. We ship sealed Japanese product and graded singles out of Tokyo.
A Shiny Treasure ex box holds 10 packs of 10 cards — double the cards-per-pack of a standard Japanese set — drawn from a 360-card pool. Popular chases include the Iono SAR (350/190) and the Charizard ex SSR (331/190). Note there are three different Charizard ex cards in this set — don’t confuse the SSR with the SAR.
- The Shiny Treasure ex box: the SV4a booster box is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through Quick Order.
- The lowest asking price on SNKRDUNK on September 29, 2026 was ¥15,400 (~$100) for the shrink-wrapped box and ¥14,500 (~$94) for the no-shrink box.
- A PSA 10 Penny SAR is currently listed at ¥10,688 (~$69); the full 360-card checklist is on our SV4a card list page.
- Figures added in the September 2026 update convert at ¥154/USD; older figures keep the rate stated when they were written.
What’s Inside a Shiny Treasure ex Booster Box
Shiny Treasure ex is a High Class Pack — Pokemon TCG Japan’s annual premium release, built around bringing shiny-colored Pokemon back into the checklist. It has no sister set; unlike most Scarlet & Violet-era Japanese releases, it stands alone.
The box format is unusual for a Japanese set. A standard expansion pack runs 30 packs of 5 cards for ¥180 each. Shiny Treasure ex flips that ratio: 10 packs per box, 10 cards per pack, at ¥550 per pack (~$4), for a box MSRP of ¥5,500 (~$36). Fewer packs, but each one is twice as deep — and drawn from a much larger card pool than usual.
That pool is split into a 190-card base set (001/190–190/190), which includes 24 Double Rare (RR) ex cards, plus a 170-card secret block (191–360). Add them together and you get the 360-card total that makes Shiny Treasure ex one of the largest Japanese checklists of the era — confirmed against Bulbapedia’s cross-check of the same total.
The other 166 base-set cards carry no rarity mark at all on Limitless’s transcription — they’re the High Class Pack’s reprint slots, filling out the checklist without adding secret-tier chase value. In practice, that means almost all of the collectible pressure in this set sits in the secret block, which is exactly where the shiny numbering system below comes in.
Shiny Treasure ex Release Date and Reprints
The Shiny Treasure ex release date in Japan was December 1, 2023. It came out as a High Class Pack, the annual year-end format built around shiny-colored reprints and a handful of secret pulls. Its English counterpart, Paldean Fates, released on January 26, 2024, nearly two months later; it has 245 cards and draws from Shiny Treasure ex plus leftover cards from other Japanese sets.
For reference, the Clay Burst (SV2D) Iono SAR (096/071) released eight months before Shiny Treasure ex, in April 2023. It is a different card from the Shiny Treasure ex Iono SAR at 350/190.
The Shiny Numbering System: S, SSR, AR, SR, SAR, UR
The secret block (191–360) isn’t one flat tier — it’s organized into six rarity bands, numbered in sequence. Here’s how the 170 secret cards break down:
| Card numbers | Tier | What it means | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 191–319 | S | Shiny (“baby shiny”) — shiny-colored Pokemon, no ex | 129 |
| 320–337 | SSR | Shiny Super/Ultra Rare — shiny Pokemon ex | 18 |
| 338–341 | AR | Art Rare | 4 |
| 342–346 | SR | Super Rare (Trainers) | 5 |
| 347–354 | SAR | Special Art Rare | 8 |
| 355–360 | UR | Ultra Rare | 6 |
Most of the secret cards — 129 of the 170 designs — have the base S rarity: shiny-colored versions of ordinary Pokemon, no ex attached. These are the bread-and-butter shiny pulls that give the set its name. Two examples from that tier:
It’s only when you climb into the SSR (18 cards) and SAR (8 cards) tiers that the ex Pokemon and the full-art Trainer illustrations show up — and that’s where the real money in this set lives.
The Chase Cards Worth Opening For
Two secret-rarity tiers matter most if you’re opening boxes for value: the 18-card SSR band and the 8-card SAR band.
Iono SAR (350/190) is one of eight cards in the SAR tier, alongside Mew ex, Gardevoir ex, Charizard ex, Nemona, Clive, Arven, and Penny. The PSA 10 copy of this printing (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through our Quick Order page. The lowest asking price on SNKRDUNK on September 29, 2026 was ¥6,000 (~$39) for the raw card, and the lowest PSA 10 listing shown asked ¥39,800 (~$258).
Two more SAR cards worth watching, plus the SSR you’re most likely to actually pull:
Alakazam ex SSR (326/190) is one of eighteen shiny-ex secret pulls in the SSR band, so it’s a meaningfully more common hit than any single SAR. Mew ex SAR (347/190) is another popular SAR: the PSA 10 copy (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) is sold out at the time of this update, and the lowest asking price on SNKRDUNK on September 29, 2026 was ¥43,000 (~$279) raw, with the lowest PSA 10 listing shown at ¥125,000 (~$812). Penny SAR (354/190): a PSA 10 is currently listed at ¥10,688 (~$69), and the lowest asking price on SNKRDUNK on September 29, 2026 was ¥2,250 (~$15) raw, with the lowest PSA 10 listing shown at ¥12,000 (~$78).
Other SSR pulls worth knowing if you’re grading: Great Tusk ex SSR (330/190) and Skeledirge ex SSR (324/190). Even the secret-block S tier can carry a chase card — the PSA 10 Charmander S (210/190) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) is sold out at the time of this update, as is the PSA 10 Nemona SAR (351/190) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) — restock requests go through Quick Order. The lowest asking price on SNKRDUNK on September 29, 2026 was ¥1,500 (~$10) for Charmander S raw (lowest PSA 10 listing shown: ¥7,100, ~$46) and ¥1,200 (~$8) for Nemona SAR raw (lowest PSA 10 listing shown: ¥7,280, ~$47). For the full 360-card checklist with every number and rarity, see our Shiny Treasure ex SV4a card list, and our companion card list article for the full transcription. Our PSA 10 collection lists the graded singles we carry.
PSA 10 designates Gem Mint condition per PSA’s published grading standards. If you’re opening boxes yourself rather than buying graded singles, condition out of the pack is entirely on you, so handle any secret pull by the edges and sleeve it before it changes hands.
Three Charizards, Three Different Cards
Shiny Treasure ex contains three distinct Charizard ex printings, and it’s easy to mix them up when shopping secondhand listings. Here’s how to tell them apart:
| Card number | Rarity | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 115/190 | RR Double Rare | Base-set rarity, standard ex frame |
| 331/190 | SSR Shiny Super/Ultra Rare | Full shiny-colored (black) Charizard artwork — the SSR chase |
| 349/190 | SAR Special Art Rare | Tera-style full-art illustration, non-shiny colouring |
The SSR at 331/190 is the shiny-black Charizard and the card most collectors mean when they say “the Charizard ex” from this set. The SAR at 349/190 pictured above is a separate full-art illustration with standard colouring, drawn from the same 8-card SAR tier as the Iono. Both are legitimate chases in their own right — they’re just not the same card, and listings that don’t specify the number can be ambiguous.
The lowest asking price on SNKRDUNK on September 29, 2026 was ¥1,500 (~$10) for the SSR at 331/190 (lowest PSA 10 listing shown: ¥8,300, ~$54), ¥25,000 (~$162) for the SAR at 349/190 (lowest PSA 10 listing shown: ¥89,999, ~$584) and ¥1,000 (~$6) for the RR at 115/190 (lowest PSA 10 listing shown: ¥5,980, ~$39).
Current Box Pricing
Shiny Treasure ex boxes launched at an MSRP of ¥5,500 (~$36). On our box listing, the SV4a booster box is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through Quick Order. For reference, the lowest asking price on SNKRDUNK on September 29, 2026 was ¥15,400 (~$100) for the shrink-wrapped box and ¥14,500 (~$94) for the no-shrink box.
Every pack in this box holds 10 cards instead of the usual 5, so the sealed price is spread across more cardboard per pack than a standard Japanese release — something worth weighing against sets with the more common 30-pack format. With only 10 packs per box rather than 30, the box-to-box variance in what you pull is also higher: fewer total pack-opening events means a wider range of possible outcomes per box, for better or worse.
Who Should Buy This Box (and the Alternatives)
Shiny Treasure ex makes sense if you specifically want the shiny-colored aesthetic across a huge checklist, and you’re comfortable with a chase list that mixes Trainer SARs (Iono, Nemona, Penny) with Pokemon SARs such as Mew ex and Charizard ex. If you want the full pull-rate context and a ranked list of what’s actually worth hoping for, see our Shiny Treasure ex pull rates and best cards guide.
It’s not the only shiny-themed high-class release, though, and how it compares depends on what you’re chasing:
- Against the newer Trainer-focused set: our Terastal Festival vs. Shiny Treasure ex comparison, and the deeper Shiny Treasure ex vs. Terastal Festival box guide.
- Against the 151-Pokemon nostalgia set: Pokemon 151 vs. Shiny Treasure ex.
- Against the earlier Sword & Shield-era shiny set: Shiny Star V vs. Shiny Treasure ex.
- Against the VMAX-era full-art release: Shiny Treasure ex vs. VSTAR Universe.
If your priority is a single unmistakable chase card, target the Iono SAR or Charizard ex SSR directly as a single rather than opening for it — the SAR tier is only 8 cards deep across the whole box.
If you’re weighing box economics against a straight singles purchase, run the math both ways before you decide. A box gets you the sealed-product experience, a full spread of base and S-tier shinies, and a shot at every tier up to UR in one purchase — but if the Iono SAR or Charizard ex SSR is the only card you actually want, buying that card as a graded single is the more predictable route to owning it.
Where to Buy Shiny Treasure ex from Japan
We ship sealed Japanese product and graded singles from Tokyo. For the box itself, our Shiny Treasure ex booster box listing is the direct route (sold out at the time of this update; restock requests go through Quick Order). For individual chase singles, browse the PSA 10 listings linked throughout this guide or our PSA 10 collection; sourcing requests for a specific card go through our Quick Order page. The full base and secret checklist is on our SV4a card list page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s inside a Shiny Treasure ex booster box?
10 packs of 10 cards each, drawn from a 360-card checklist (190 base cards including 24 RR ex, plus 170 secret cards across S, SSR, AR, SR, SAR, and UR tiers). Box MSRP is ¥5,500 (about $36).
When did Shiny Treasure ex release?
Shiny Treasure ex (SV4a) released in Japan on December 1, 2023 as a High Class Pack. The English counterpart, Paldean Fates, released on January 26, 2024.
What is the difference between the Shiny Treasure ex Iono SAR and the Clay Burst Iono SAR?
They are different cards from different sets. The Shiny Treasure ex (SV4a) Iono SAR is numbered 350/190. The separate, earlier Clay Burst (SV2D) Iono SAR is numbered 096/071 and is a different illustration — that Clay Burst printing is the one that drove the set’s 2023 day-one sellout in Japan.
Which Charizard ex is the real chase card in Shiny Treasure ex — the SSR or the SAR?
Both exist and are different cards. The shiny-colored (black) Charizard ex SSR is numbered 331/190; the Tera-style full-art Charizard ex SAR is numbered 349/190, drawn from the same 8-card SAR tier as the Iono. A third, non-secret Charizard ex RR exists at 115/190. Check the card number, not just the artwork style.
Is there an English version of Shiny Treasure ex?
Yes — Paldean Fates, released January 26, 2024, roughly two months after the Japanese release. It has 245 cards and draws from Shiny Treasure ex plus leftover cards from other Japanese sets not included in Paradox Rift.
Where can I buy sealed Shiny Treasure ex booster boxes from Japan?
We ship sealed Shiny Treasure ex boxes and graded singles from Tokyo. The SV4a booster box is sold out at the time of this update; restock requests go through our Quick Order page. Sourcing requests for a specific single go through our Quick Order page.
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