Evolving Skies: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon's Evolving Skies: its 237 cards, every Eevee evolution's V and VMAX by number, the 34 cards above the printed total, and what Pokémon's counts cover.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 7 min read
Evolving Skies is an expansion in Pokémon’s Sword & Shield series, released August 27, 2021. It puts Eevee and all of its evolutions in one set, and brings Dragon-type Pokémon to the Sword & Shield series for the first time, Rayquaza VMAX and Duraludon VMAX among them. The set has 237 cards: 203 inside the printed total and 34 numbered above it.
When did Evolving Skies come out?
On August 27, 2021, when the set was out at participating retailers around the world.
Its set code is EVS. It follows Chilling Reign, which came out June 18, 2021, and comes before Celebrations, which began launching on October 8, 2021. CGC dates Pokémon V and VMAX cards to the Sword & Shield expansion and VSTAR cards to Brilliant Stars, released February 25, 2022. So Evolving Skies has V and VMAX cards but no VSTAR. Our guide to Pokémon card eras places the series in the longer history.
How many cards are in Evolving Skies?
- Cards 001 to 140 are Pokémon, 141 to 164 are Trainer cards and 165 is a Special Energy card. Counted by tier, with the Holo Rare V and Holo Rare VMAX tiers shown as Pokémon V and Pokémon VMAX:
| Tier | Cards | Numbers | What they are |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | 42 | Within 002 to 138 | Pokémon |
| Uncommon | 51 | Within 003 to 165 | 26 Pokémon, the 24 Trainer cards and the Special Energy |
| Rare | 19 | Within 001 to 140 | Pokémon |
| Holo rare | 20 | Within 004 to 131 | Pokémon |
| Pokémon V | 18 | Within 007 to 122 | Holo V cards |
| Pokémon VMAX | 15 | Within 008 to 123 | Holo VMAX cards |
| Ultra rare | 38 | 166 to 203 | 33 full-art Pokémon V and 5 full-art Supporters |
| Secret rare | 34 | 204 to 237 | 17 VMAX, 5 Supporters, 3 other Pokémon, 6 Trainer cards and 3 Energy cards |
A black circle marks a common, a black diamond an uncommon and a black star a rare. A card numbered above the printed total is a secret rare.
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
Where do the V, VMAX and full-art cards sit?
| Card group | Cards | Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Pokémon VMAX | 15 | Within 008 to 123 |
| Pokémon V | 18 | Within 007 to 122 |
| Full-art Pokémon V | 33 | 166 to 198 |
| Trainer cards | 24 | 141 to 164 |
| Full-art Supporter cards | 5 | 199 to 203 |
| Special Energy card | 1 | 165 |
The 33 full-art V cards show 22 different Pokémon V, because 11 of them come in two full-art versions.
Which Eevee evolutions are in the set?
All eight, plus a common Eevee at 125. Evolving Skies is the set where Eevee and all of its evolutions appear together.
| Pokémon | Holo V | VMAX | Full-art V | VMAX above 203 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leafeon | 007 | 008 | 166, 167 | 204, 205 |
| Flareon | None | 018 | 169 | None |
| Vaporeon | None | 030 | 172 | None |
| Glaceon | 040 | 041 | 174, 175 | 208, 209 |
| Jolteon | None | 051 | 177 | None |
| Espeon | 064 | 065 | 179, 180 | None |
| Sylveon | 074 | 075 | 183, 184 | 211, 212 |
| Umbreon | 094 | 095 | 188, 189 | 214, 215 |
So Leafeon, Glaceon, Sylveon and Umbreon each have six cards, Espeon four, and Flareon, Vaporeon and Jolteon two. The three with two cards have no holo Pokémon V in the main run: their only V card is the full art.
Which Pokémon have a second full-art version?
Eleven Pokémon V have two full-art cards. Five are the Eevee evolutions above, and six are not:
| Pokémon | Holo V and VMAX | Full-art V | VMAX above 203 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golurk | 070, no VMAX | 181, 182 | None |
| Medicham | 083, no VMAX | 185, 186 | None |
| Dragonite | None | 191, 192 | None |
| Rayquaza | 110, 111 | 193, 194 | 217, 218 |
| Noivern | 117, no VMAX | 195, 196 | None |
| Duraludon | 122, 123 | 197, 198 | 219, 220 |
The illustrator credits show how each pair differs. In every pair but Dragonite’s, the lower number has the same illustrator as the Pokémon’s holo V, and the higher number has a different one. A card with new artwork is called an alternate art version. Dragonite V has no holo V in the main run, and its two full-art cards have two different illustrators.
What sits above 203?
Thirty-four cards, in three blocks:
- 204 to 225, rainbow and second versions. 16 of these 22 cards are in rainbow foil: 11 Pokémon VMAX and rainbow versions of the five Supporters at 199 to 203. The other six are the second VMAX cards of Leafeon, Glaceon, Sylveon, Umbreon, Rayquaza and Duraludon, at 205, 209, 212, 215, 218 and 220. Each of those six is credited to a different illustrator from the Pokémon’s holo VMAX and from its rainbow card.
- 226 to 237, gold. All 12 are in gold: three Pokémon, six Trainer cards and three basic Energy cards. Froslass, Inteleon, Cresselia and one Stadium card appear in this set only in gold.
- VMAX with no card above 203. Flareon, Vaporeon, Jolteon and Espeon VMAX each have only their main-run card.
CGC lists rainbow rare and gold rare cards among its kinds of secret rare. Five VMAX have a rainbow card and nothing else above 203: Trevenant, Gyarados, Dracozolt, Lycanroc and Garbodor.
Where are the Dragon-type cards?
Together. The main run’s Dragon-type cards sit in one block from 106 to 124, 19 cards in a row, from Altaria to Regidrago. They include Rayquaza V and VMAX and Duraludon V and VMAX. Counting Dragonite V, which appears only as a full art, the cards up to 203 carry 20 different Dragon-type names.
What products hold Evolving Skies packs?
At launch there were two versions of the Elite Trainer Box, plus booster packs and special collections. Check the printed contents on the box or the seller’s listing for what each holds. Our guides to Elite Trainer Boxes, booster boxes and Pokémon sealed products explain the formats. For a box from 2021, our guide to spotting resealed Pokémon packs covers what to look at.
How do you check Evolving Skies card prices?
Evolving Skies has its own page in Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages, listing its cards with number, rarity and NM market price. Sort it by number and an Eevee evolution’s cards line up with the table above: Umbreon VMAX, for example, at 095, 214 and 215. For one card, the card price lookup searches by name, set or number and shows which printing a price is for, and the price changes page compares prices between Rip.fan’s weekly checks.
If you plan to grade, our guide to deciding whether to grade a card covers the costs, and the centering checker turns border measurements into a centering split.
What should you check before buying?
- The number. Umbreon V is three cards (094, 188 and 189) and Umbreon VMAX is three more (095, 214 and 215). Match the card number to the version a listing describes.
- Which full art. For the eleven Pokémon with two full-art V cards, the two numbers carry different artwork, so check the picture as well as the name.
- Rainbow or second version. Above 203, a VMAX’s lower number is its rainbow card and the higher one its second version, for the six Pokémon that have both.
- Genuine cards. See our guide to spotting fake Pokémon cards, and our guide to Pokémon card finishes for how foils differ.
The Pokémon hub has the rest of our coverage, and our guides to Lost Origin, Crown Zenith and Black Bolt and White Flare cover more sets the same way.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most valuable card in Evolving Skies?
On October 21, 2026, Umbreon VMAX (215/203) had the highest Near Mint market price in Evolving Skies, at $2,324.50. Next came Rayquaza VMAX (218/203), at $1,267.32.
Which card numbered inside Evolving Skies has the highest price?
Among the cards numbered up to 203, Dragonite V (192/203), a Rare Ultra, had the highest Near Mint market price on October 21, 2026, at $496.01.
What is the top-priced Rare Ultra card in Evolving Skies?
On October 21, 2026, Rayquaza V (194/203) led the Rare Ultra cards of Evolving Skies, with a Near Mint market price of $478.39.
What do the Umbreon VMAX cards in Evolving Skies cost?
Evolving Skies has 3 Umbreon VMAX cards, and on October 21, 2026, their Near Mint market prices were $29.78 for 095/203 (Rare Holo VMAX), $83.33 for 214/203 (Rare Rainbow) and $2,324.50 for 215/203 (Rare Rainbow).