Our next specimen is a true prehistoric treasure, a Pokémon resurrected from the ancient seas: Anorith. This card is from the Japanese “Entry Pack ’08” and represents the fascinating intersection of palaeontology and geology that is a cornerstone of the Geopik collection.
Card Details
- Pokémon Name: Anorith (アノプス)
- Set: Entry Pack ’08 (DPs)
- Year: 2008
- Card Number: DPBP#400
- Rarity/Edition: No Rarity (Deck Exclusive)
- Artist: Kouki Saitou
- National Pokédex No.: 347
Card Text & Attacks
- Type: Fighting
- HP: 80
- Evolves From: Claw Fossil
Attack 1:
- Japanese: ガードクロー
- Romaji: Gādo Kurō
- English: Guard Claw
- Cost: [Colourless]
- Damage: 20
- Effect: During your opponent’s next turn, any damage done to this Pokémon by attacks is reduced by 20.
Attack 2:
- Japanese: シザークロス
- Romaji: Shizā Kurosu
- English: X-Scissor
- Cost: [Fighting][Colourless]
- Damage: 30+
- Effect: Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 30 damage plus 20 more damage.
- Weakness: Grass +20
- Resistance: None
- Retreat Cost: [Colourless]
Pokédex Entry:
- Japanese: かせきから ふっかつした ポケモンの せんぞの いっしゅ。うみで くらし ツメで えものを つかまえる。
- Romaji: Kaseki kara fukkatsu shita Pokémon no senzo no isshu. Umi de kurashi tsume de emono o tsukamaeru.
- English: A species of Pokémon ancestor resurrected from a fossil. It lived in the sea and used its claws to capture prey.
Collector’s Notes
This Anorith is from the “Entry Pack ’08,” a special deck kit released in 2008. As a card from a pre-constructed deck, it has no rarity symbol and a unique DPBP# numbering, distinguishing it from cards found in booster packs. A key detail on the card is its evolution box, which states that it “Evolves from Claw Fossil,” directly linking it to the in-game mechanic of Pokémon palaeontology.
The artwork by the prolific Kouki Saitou is a wonderful depiction of Anorith in its natural habitat. Saitou’s clean and dynamic style brings the prehistoric creature to life, showing it swimming in a primeval sea. The lighting from the water’s surface filters down, illuminating the bubbles and the ancient flora in the background, creating a beautiful and convincing underwater scene.
Anorith is a cornerstone of the Geopik collection’s “Palaeontology Wing.” It is based on the Anomalocaris, a real-world apex predator from the Cambrian period, over 500 million years ago. Its Rock/Bug typing is a fantastic representation of its nature: the “Rock” from its fossilized origins and the “Bug” from its arthropod-like body. This card is a perfect artefact, representing the process of fossilisation and the incredible window that geology gives us into the planet’s deep past.
