Hidden Legends
Set Details
Find your hidden advantage!
Get a huge edge on the competition when you discover the EX Hidden Legends! These powerful Pokémon are sealed in three ancient ruins, waiting for you to help break them out. Then combine them with new Dual Energy Type Pokémon, Pokémon-ex cards, and the latest deck building strategies, and your opponents will want to go into hiding!
The EX Hidden Legends Pokémon Set emerged from the shadows on June 14, 2004, capping the ADV-era storyline with a sleek, no-frills card frame that finally dropped the bulky e-Reader strip. Its Japanese counterpart, Undone Seal, had landed five months earlier on January 16, 2004. With 101 cards plus a single secret rare Groudon (#102/101), the expansion spotlights the Regi trio—Regirock ex, Regice ex, and Registeel ex—alongside heavy hitters like Metagross ex and Kyogre ex. A new reverse-holo pattern sprinkled faint foil Energy symbols across the artwork while ghosting the Pokémon’s type icon inside the attack box, giving the entire EX Hidden Legends Pokémon Set a premium, collectible sheen.
From a gameplay perspective, EX Hidden Legends shook up competitive decks in several ways. It debuted the Ancient Technical Machine (ATM) trio—Ice, Rock, and Steel—which provided one-turn attacks that could devolve opponents, snipe the Bench, or inflict special conditions without eating up deck space. Supporters like Steven’s Advice delivered unparalleled draw power, while the Stadium Desert Ruins served as an early answer to overpowered Pokémon-ex by tacking on extra damage every turn. And because the set’s Regi cards could search each other out, “Regi-Box” toolbox builds became a staple at 2004–05 League tables.
Several hidden details make the EX Hidden Legends Pokémon Set even more collectible:
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The secret-rare Groudon was printed with the original “sine-wave” holofoil pattern used in Expedition—but only for the English run—making it a standout when compared to modern rainbow rares.
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Hidden Legends contains every Castform weather form on successive card numbers, enabling a whimsical “weather deck” long before formal Weather effects existed in the TCG.
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PSA population reports reveal that Registeel ex is the toughest ex card to grade in gem-mint due to a factory-wide left-edge chip—pulling a pristine copy still feels like unsealing an ancient relic.
With its competitive innovations, premium aesthetic upgrades, and deep ties to Pokémon lore, the EX Hidden Legends Pokémon Set stands as a timeless treasure from the heart of the early EX era.
Hidden Legends Set Cards
