Today we are cataloguing a truly special find from the Pokémon Card 151 set: the Antique Carapace Fossil. This Trainer card is not a Pokémon, but the preserved remains of one, waiting to be brought back to life—the very essence of palaeontology.
Card Details & Effect
- Card Name: Antique Carapace Fossil (古びたこうらの化石)
- Card Type: Trainer – Item (Fossil)
- Set: Pokémon Card 151 (sv2a)
- Year: 2023
- Card Number: 155/165
- Rarity/Edition: Common
- Artist: AYUMI ODASHIMA
- Evolves into: Kabuto
- Effect: This card may be played as a 60 HP, Colourless Basic Pokémon. It cannot be affected by Special Conditions and cannot retreat. It has the Ability “Shell Armor,” which reduces damage taken from attacks by 30.
Curator’s Notes
This card is a modern “Fossil Trainer,” a special mechanic where the fossil itself is played as a placeholder Pokémon before being evolved. The beautiful and realistic artwork by AYUMI ODASHIMA shows the fossil embedded in what appears to be sandstone or another sedimentary rock, adding to its scientific authenticity.
This is a premier Geological Artefact. It represents the fossil that revives the Pokémon Kabuto. As astutely noted by the Head Curator during its initial discovery, the design is a masterful blend of two real-world creatures: the extinct trilobite, a famous index fossil, and the modern horseshoe crab, which is often called a “living fossil” because its form has remained relatively unchanged for hundreds of millions of years.
This specimen provides a perfect opportunity for the museum to explore the fascinating concepts of extinction, evolution, and “living fossils,” making it one of the most scientifically significant pieces in the entire collection.
