Our eleventh international specimen, from the 2022 set Astral Radiance, is a beautiful example of how a unique art style can create a powerful sense of atmosphere. This card features a lovely “cosmos” holographic pattern that perfectly complements the dark and earthy tones of the illustration.
Card Details
- Pokémon Name: Onix
- Set: Sword & Shield – Astral Radiance
- Year: 2022
- Card Number: 090/182
- Rarity/Edition: Common
- Artist: Shiburingaru
- National Pokédex No.: 095
Card Text & Attacks
- Type: Fighting
- HP: 120
- Attack 1: Hard Headbutt
- Cost: [Colourless]
- Damage: 20
- Effect: Flip a coin. If heads, during your opponent’s next turn, prevent all damage from and effects of attacks done to this Pokémon.
- Attack 2: Land Crush
- Cost: [Colourless][Colourless][Colourless]
- Damage: 80
- Weakness: Grass x2
- Resistance: None
- Retreat Cost: [Colourless][Colourless][Colourless][Colourless]
- Flavour Text: It rapidly bores through the ground at 50 mph by squirming and twisting its massive, rugged body.
Collector’s Notes
The artwork by Shiburingaru is the standout feature of this card. It uses a soft, almost watercolour-like texture to depict Onix tunnelling through a dark cavern. The warm, yellow glow in the background suggests geothermal heat or a pocket of magma, creating a fantastic contrast with the dark, crumbling rock around it. The specific “cosmos” holographic pattern used on this common card gives the whole scene a sparkling, otherworldly quality, as if the cavern is filled with glowing embers or mineral deposits.
For our Geological Pokémon exhibit, this card is a beautiful representation of geothermal activity. It places Onix deep within the Earth’s crust, where the planet’s inner heat shapes and alters the surrounding rock. It’s a perfect depiction of the environment where a creature that “absorbs many hard objects” to strengthen its body would thrive. This specimen captures the immense heat and pressure that are fundamental to many geological processes.
