Celestial Storm: the Pokémon set explained
Celestial Storm, the Pokémon set from August 2018: all 183 cards by block and rarity tier, plus the 11 Pokémon-GX and the three Prism Star cards.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 6 min read
Pokémon released Celestial Storm, part of its Sun & Moon series, on August 3, 2018. Pokémon’s announcement promised more than 160 cards, among them 11 Pokémon-GX and three new Prism Star cards, and named Rayquaza-GX, Blaziken-GX and Articuno-GX among the GX cards. The set has 183 cards: 168 within the printed total and 15 numbered beyond it.
When did Celestial Storm come out?
It came out on August 3, 2018. Pokémon announced the set on June 19, 2018, with the same day for the US launch.
Forbidden Light is dated May 4, 2018, before Celestial Storm, and Dragon Majesty September 7, 2018, after it. On Rip.fan’s price pages, Celestial Storm appears as CES in the Sun & Moon group. Two earlier sets, Crimson Invasion and Ultra Prism, have guides of their own, and our Pokémon card eras guide shows where the series sits among the others.
How many cards are in Celestial Storm?
The set has 183 cards, split into blocks:
| Numbers | Cards | What they are |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 122 | 122 | Pokémon, including 11 Pokémon-GX and 3 Prism Star cards |
| 123 to 150 | 28 | Trainer cards: 13 Items, 12 Supporters, 2 Stadiums and 1 Tool |
| 151 | 1 | A Special Energy card, Rainbow Energy |
| 152 to 160 | 9 | Pokémon-GX labeled Rare Ultra on Rip.fan’s page |
| 161 to 168 | 8 | Supporters, also labeled Rare Ultra |
| 169 to 177 | 9 | The same nine Pokémon-GX again, labeled Rare Rainbow |
| 178 to 183 | 6 | Labeled Rare Secret: four Items, a Tool and Rainbow Energy |
The 15 cards from 169 to 183 sit above the printed total, so CGC would call each a secret rare.
How many cards of each rarity?
By rarity tier:
| Tier | Cards | Where they sit |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 40 | Within 1 to 120 |
| Uncommon | 62 | Within 2 to 151, including all but one of the 28 Trainer cards at 123 to 150 |
| Rare | 38 | Within 3 to 145, including the three Prism Star cards |
| Ultra Rare | 28 | The 11 Pokémon-GX at 1 to 122, plus 152 to 168 |
| Secret Rare | 15 | 169 to 183 |
Only one Trainer card at 123 to 150 is rated above Uncommon: the Supporter Steven’s Resolve at 145, a Rare. CGC’s guide explains that a black circle, diamond or star printed next to the number marks a common, an uncommon or a rare.
What is in the set and its packs?
The set has 168 cards inside the printed total and 183 in all. It has three Prism Star cards: Jirachi at 97, Latias at 107 and Latios at 108. Its 11 Pokémon-GX run from Shiftry-GX at 14 to Rayquaza-GX at 109, and its 28 Trainer cards sit at 123 to 150. Each booster pack held 10 expansion cards, at least one of them rare, and a basic Energy card.
Where does each Pokémon-GX sit?
The 11 names follow two patterns:
| Pokémon-GX | 1 to 122 | Rare Ultra, 152 to 160 | Rare Rainbow, 169 to 177 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shiftry-GX | 14 | 152 | 169 |
| Blaziken-GX | 28 | 153 | 170 |
| Articuno-GX | 31 | 154 | 171 |
| Electrode-GX | 48 | 155 | 172 |
| Mr. Mime-GX | 56 | 156 | 173 |
| Banette-GX | 66 | 157 | 174 |
| Scizor-GX | 90 | 158 | 175 |
| Stakataka-GX | 102 | 159 | 176 |
| Rayquaza-GX | 109 | 160 | 177 |
| Palossand-GX | 82 | None | None |
| Alolan Raticate-GX | 85 | None | None |
Nine names have three cards each, in the same order in every block. Palossand-GX and Alolan Raticate-GX have their main-run card only. PLANETA Igarashi illustrated Shiftry-GX’s three cards and 5ban Graphics every other Pokémon-GX card.
The three Prism Star cards each appear once, inside the printed total, and Anesaki Dynamic illustrated both Latias ◇ and Latios ◇. On Rip.fan’s price page the three carry the label Rare Prism Star, and CGC treats Prism Star as one of its Pokémon card types. Six more Prism Star cards are in Ultra Prism, which our Ultra Prism guide covers.
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
Which Pokémon does the main run lean toward?
Toward one stretch of national Pokédex numbers. Of the 122 Pokémon cards at 1 to 122, 85 show Pokémon numbered 252 (Treecko) to 386 (Deoxys). Two runs inside that stretch are complete:
- 252 to 260. Every number has a card: Treecko, Grovyle and Sceptile at 7 to 10, Torchic, Combusken and Blaziken-GX at 25 to 28, and Mudkip, Marshtomp and Swampert at 32 to 35. Treecko, Torchic and Mudkip have two cards each.
- 377 to 386. Every number has a card too: Regirock, Regice and Registeel, Latias and Latios, Kyogre and Groudon, Rayquaza-GX, Jirachi and Deoxys.
Deoxys has three cards, at 67, 68 and 69, and each has a different illustrator.
Which other cards repeat?
- Basic pairs. Treecko, Seedot, Torchic, Mudkip, Shuppet, Beldum, Bagon and Whismur each have two cards side by side, and Oricorio has two cards apart, at 30 and 55.
- Supporters. Eight of the 12 in the Trainer run come back at 161 to 168: Apricorn Maker, Bill’s Maintenance, Copycat, Lisia, Steven’s Resolve, Tate & Liza, TV Reporter and Underground Expedition. Fisherman, Hau, Hiker and The Masked Royal do not.
- The cards above 168. All 15 repeat a lower-numbered card of the same name, which is the usual pattern for secret rares. They are the nine Pokémon-GX, five Trainer cards that repeat cards from the main run, and Rainbow Energy, which repeats the card at 151.
How do you check Celestial Storm card prices?
On Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages, every priced Celestial Storm card comes with its number, rarity label and NM market price. The Rare Holo GX filter shows the 11 Pokémon-GX at 1 to 122, Rare Prism Star the three Prism Star cards, Rare Rainbow the 9 at 169 to 177 and Rare Secret the 6 at 178 to 183. Sorted by number, the Rayquaza-GX cards at 109, 160 and 177 appear in that order.
To price one card, search the card price lookup by name, set or number: each result states which printing its price belongs to. The price changes page lists the larger moves from one weekly check to the next. These are past raw-card prices, and they say nothing about where prices go. For grading costs, see our guide to whether a card is worth grading.
What should you check before buying a Celestial Storm card?
- The total. No other English set has a printed total of 168, so a number out of 168 belongs to Celestial Storm.
- Which GX version. Nine of the Pokémon-GX come three ways, so 109, 160 and 177 are three different Rayquaza-GX cards. Match the card number.
- The pairs and the Deoxys trio. Two Treecko, two Mudkip and three Deoxys cards share names; only the number tells them apart.
- The ◇ mark. Prism Star cards carry it after the name, for example Jirachi ◇ at 97.
- Foil and fakes. See our guides to Pokémon card finishes, rarity symbols and spotting fake Pokémon cards.
For a later Sun & Moon set, read our Unbroken Bonds guide; everything else is on the Pokémon hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most valuable card in Celestial Storm?
On October 21, 2026, Rayquaza-GX (177/168) had the highest Near Mint market price in Celestial Storm, at $338.70. Next came Lisia (164/168), at $207.15.
What is the top-priced Rare Ultra card in Celestial Storm?
On October 21, 2026, Rayquaza-GX (177a/168) led the Rare Ultra cards of Celestial Storm, with a Near Mint market price of $186.20.
Which Celestial Storm Rare Prism Star costs the most?
It was Jirachi ◇ (97/168), at a Near Mint market price of $63.64 on October 21, 2026.
How much is Rayquaza-GX from Celestial Storm?
On October 21, 2026, the 4 Rayquaza-GX cards in Celestial Storm had Near Mint market prices of $43.73 for 109/168 (Rare Holo GX), $176.18 for 160/168 (Rare Ultra), $186.20 for 177a/168 (Rare Ultra) and $338.70 for 177/168 (Rare Rainbow).