Black Bolt and White Flare: the Pokémon sets explained
Pokémon's Black Bolt and White Flare: 172 and 173 cards, how the 156 Unova Pokémon split between them, every rarity by number, and the products that hold them.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 8 min read
Black Bolt and White Flare are two Pokémon sets released together on July 18, 2025, which Pokémon calls a split expansion of its Scarlet & Violet series. Between them they hold all 156 Pokémon first found in the Unova region: Black Bolt features Zekrom and White Flare features Reshiram, and Victini is the only Pokémon in both. Black Bolt has 172 cards and White Flare 173, each numbered to 086, with half or more of each set above the printed total. 151 of the 156 Unova Pokémon have an illustration rare or special illustration rare in one of the two sets, and the other five are exactly the Pokémon on the illustration rare style promos for its products.
When did Black Bolt and White Flare come out?
On July 18, 2025. Pokémon announced the pair on May 6, 2025 with that date, and its launch notice of July 18 said both were out at participating retailers worldwide. In Japan, Pokémon’s page for the two sets gives June 6, 2025, as 7-card expansion packs and as 35-card deluxe packs.
Their codes on Rip.fan’s price pages are BLK and WHT. They follow Destined Rivals, released May 30, 2025, and come before the Mega Evolution set, released September 26, 2025. Our guide to Pokémon card eras puts them at the end of the Scarlet & Violet stretch.
How do the two sets compare?
Side by side:
| Black Bolt | White Flare | |
|---|---|---|
| Legendary Pokémon it features | Zekrom | Reshiram |
| Cards in all | 172 | 173 |
| Printed total | 086 | 086 |
| Cards numbered above 086 | 86 | 87 |
| Unova Pokémon in the list | 78 | 79 |
| Pokémon ex | 6 | 6 |
| Illustration rares | 69 | 70 |
| Special illustration rares | 7 | 7 |
| Black White rares | 2 | 2 |
The two lists are laid out the same way. Cards 001 to 078 are Pokémon, 079 to 085 are Trainer cards, 086 is an Energy card, and the illustration rares start at 087. The two sets feature entirely different Pokémon apart from Victini: 77 Unova Pokémon appear only in Black Bolt, 78 only in White Flare, and Victini in both.
Does every Unova Pokémon get special art?
Almost, inside the sets. Every Unova Pokémon gets a card in the style of an illustration rare or special illustration rare somewhere in the Black Bolt and White Flare products. 151 of the 156 have an illustration rare or a special illustration rare. The five that do not are the five Pokémon on the illustration rare style promos:
| Pokémon | Its cards in the sets | Promo card in |
|---|---|---|
| Victini | Black Bolt 012 and 171, White Flare 172 | Unova Victini Illustration Collection |
| Thundurus | Black Bolt 033 | Black Bolt Elite Trainer Box |
| Tornadus | White Flare 078 | White Flare Elite Trainer Box |
| Reuniclus | Black Bolt 039 | Black Bolt Tech Sticker Collection |
| Gothitelle | White Flare 043 | White Flare Tech Sticker Collection |
Victini’s cards in the sets are a rare in Black Bolt and a Black White rare in each set. So the special art for all 156 sits across the two sets and five products. Our guide to illustration rares sets Black Bolt’s 69 beside the counts for other sets.
What rarities are in the sets, and where do they sit?
| Rarity | Mark | Black Bolt | White Flare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | Black circle | 39 | 38 |
| Uncommon | Black diamond | 31 | 32 |
| Rare | Black star | 10 | 10 |
| Double rare | Two black stars | 6 | 6 |
| Illustration rare | One gold star | 69, at 087 to 155 | 70, at 087 to 156 |
| Ultra rare | Two silver stars, which Pokémon calls foil stars | 8, at 156 to 163 | 8, at 157 to 164 |
| Special illustration rare | Two gold stars | 7, at 164 to 170 | 7, at 165 to 171 |
| Black White rare | Not described | 2, at 171 and 172 | 2, at 172 and 173 |
Every double rare is a Pokémon ex. The ultra rares are the six Pokémon ex plus two Supporter cards: Fennel and N’s Plan in Black Bolt, Harlequin and Hilda in White Flare. The special illustration rares are the six Pokémon ex plus one Supporter, N’s Plan or Hilda.
The Black White rares are new with these sets. Their artwork is monochrome, in black or in white. Each set has two: Victini in both, with Zekrom ex in Black Bolt and Reshiram ex in White Flare. Our guide to Pokémon rarity symbols explains the other marks.
Black Bolt
White Flare
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
Which Pokémon ex come in which versions?
| Pokémon ex | Set | Double rare | Ultra rare | Special illustration rare | Black White rare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serperior ex | Black Bolt | 003 | 156 | 164 | None |
| Kyurem ex | Black Bolt | 028 | 157 | 165 | None |
| Zekrom ex | Black Bolt | 034 | 158 | 166 | 172 |
| Meloetta ex | Black Bolt | 044 | 159 | 167 | None |
| Excadrill ex | Black Bolt | 046 | 160 | 168 | None |
| Genesect ex | Black Bolt | 067 | 161 | 169 | None |
| Whimsicott ex | White Flare | 005 | 157 | 165 | None |
| Reshiram ex | White Flare | 020 | 158 | 166 | 173 |
| Keldeo ex | White Flare | 030 | 159 | 167 | None |
| Jellicent ex | White Flare | 045 | 160 | 168 | None |
| Hydreigon ex | White Flare | 067 | 161 | 169 | None |
| Bouffalant ex | White Flare | 077 | 162 | 170 | None |
Each of the 12 has three versions, and Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex have a fourth. Our guide to Pokémon ex cards covers the card type.
What are the Poké Ball and Master Ball cards?
Each set has three parallel foil sets, two of them showing a Poké Ball or Master Ball pattern in rainbow foil. In each set, all 80 cards numbered up to 086 that are not Pokémon ex have a plain reverse holofoil and a Poké Ball version. The 72 Pokémon among them also have a Master Ball version, while the seven Trainer cards and the Energy card at 079 to 086 have none on record. The six Pokémon ex have neither a Poké Ball nor a Master Ball version on record. Rip.fan’s card page for Maractus (008/086), for example, lists four printings: Normal, Reverse Holofoil, Master Ball Reverse Holofoil and Poké Ball Reverse Holofoil.
The notices also mention cards with an older foil pattern and Basic Energy designs from the Black & White series. Our guides to Pokémon card finishes and completing a Pokémon set explain how collectors count these printings.
What products hold the packs?
Pokémon lists no booster box. The pair are special expansions whose packs come inside products such as the Poster Collection. The products Pokémon listed, with their dates. The first four hold packs of one set, and the last three hold packs of both:
| Product | Packs | Also inside | On sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elite Trainer Box, either set | 9 of that set | Illustration rare style promo of Thundurus (Black Bolt) or Tornadus (White Flare), plus accessories | July 18, 2025 |
| Binder Collection, either set | 5 of that set | Nine-pocket album showing Zekrom or Reshiram | July 18, 2025 |
| Tech Sticker Collection, either set | 3 of that set | Illustration rare style promo of Reuniclus (Black Bolt) or Gothitelle (White Flare), and a sticker sheet | August 1, 2025 |
| Booster Bundle, either set | 6 of that set | Nothing else | August 22, 2025 |
| Unova Poster Collection | 2 of each set | Promos of Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott, and a two-sided poster | July 18, 2025 |
| Unova Mini Tin | 1 of each set | An art card and a sticker card | July 18, 2025 |
| Unova Victini Illustration Collection | 2 of each set | Illustration rare style Victini promo, a Poké Ball premium parallel Victini and an oversize Victini promo | August 1, 2025 |
The Elite Trainer Box also holds 65 card sleeves, 45 Energy cards, a guide to the expansion, small accessories and a box with 4 dividers. Its Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box holds 11 packs and two full-art foil promos of the same Pokémon, one carrying the Pokémon Center logo. Our guides to Elite Trainer Boxes and Pokémon sealed products compare these formats.
How do you check Black Bolt and White Flare card prices?
Each set has its own page in Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages, listing its cards with number, rarity and NM market price, and each can be sorted by number. For one card, the card price lookup searches by name, set or number and shows which printing a price is for. A card’s own page, where it has one, lists its printings. The price changes page compares prices between Rip.fan’s weekly checks.
These are past raw-card prices, and they say nothing about where prices go. If you plan to grade, see our guide to deciding whether to grade a card.
What should you check before buying?
- The set, not just the number. The two lists share numbers but not cards: 158 is Zekrom ex in Black Bolt and Reshiram ex in White Flare, and 172 is a Black White rare Zekrom ex in one and Victini in the other.
- The printing. A plain reverse holo, a Poké Ball card and a Master Ball card of the same number are three different items. Our card number entry explains how to read the number itself.
- The language. Japanese packs held 7 cards. Our guides to Japanese and English cards and Japanese Pokémon sets explain the differences.
- Sealed product and genuine cards. See our guides to spotting resealed Pokémon packs and spotting fake Pokémon cards.
The Pokémon hub has the rest of our coverage, and our guides to Evolving Skies, Crown Zenith and Lost Origin cover three Sword & Shield sets the same way.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive Black Bolt card?
It was Victini (171/086), at a Near Mint market price of $623.46 on October 21, 2026. Zekrom ex (172/086) was second, at $597.29.
Which regular-numbered Black Bolt card costs the most?
Of the cards numbered 1 to 86, Genesect ex (067/086), a Double Rare, cost the most on October 21, 2026, with a Near Mint market price of $1.08.
Which Special Illustration Rare in Black Bolt has the highest price?
Zekrom ex (166/086) had the highest Near Mint market price among the Black Bolt cards marked Special Illustration Rare on October 21, 2026, at $259.97.
How much is Victini from Black Bolt?
On October 21, 2026, the 2 Victini cards in Black Bolt had Near Mint market prices of $0.17 for 012/086 (Rare) and $623.46 for 171/086 (Black White Rare).
What is the most valuable card in White Flare?
On October 21, 2026, Victini (172/086) had the highest Near Mint market price in White Flare, at $546.25.