Generations: the Pokémon set and its Radiant Collection
Pokémon's Generations of February 2016: its 83-card main set, the 32-card Radiant Collection, how its packs were sold and which cards match older XY cards.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 6 min read
Generations is the XY series set Pokémon released for its 20th anniversary in February 2016 and sold inside special products. It has two parts: 83 numbered cards, and a 32-card subset numbered RC1 to RC32 called the Radiant Collection. Many of its main cards match earlier XY cards: 48 of the 74 cards at 1 to 74 share a name and illustrator credit with one.
When did Generations come out?
In February 2016. On January 12, 2016, Pokémon tied the expansion to 20 years of Pokémon and said it would be available in February. The same day, it said the first collection holding its packs would reach the UK and Germany in late February, with other European countries a little after. The release date is February 22, 2016.
BREAKpoint comes just before it, reaching stores on February 3, 2016. Our guide to Pokémon card eras places the XY series in the longer history, and our guide to Evolutions covers the last set in the XY series.
How were Generations packs sold?
Inside specially labeled products for the anniversary year, starting with the first Mythical Pokémon Collection in late February:
| Product | Planned for 2016 | Generations packs in each |
|---|---|---|
| Mythical Pokémon Collection | 11 | 2 |
| A second series of collections built around the original Pokémon | 4 | 4 |
Those special boxes were the only source of the cards. Check the wrapper for how many cards each booster pack held. Our guide to spotting resealed Pokémon packs covers the signs of a pack that was opened and sealed again, and our guide to Pokémon sealed products covers what the sealed products of two recent sets hold.
How many cards are in Generations?
115: 83 normal cards and a 32-card subset. Pokémon said more than 110 in the UK. A second Jolteon-EX numbered 28a and a second Team Flare Grunt numbered 73a bring the entries to 117. The blocks run like this:
| Numbers | Cards | What they are |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 58 | 58 | Pokémon, including 9 Pokémon-EX and 3 M Pokémon-EX |
| 59 to 73 | 15 | Trainer cards: 8 Items and 7 Supporters |
| 74 | 1 | Double Colorless Energy |
| 75 to 83 | 9 | Basic Energy, one card for each of nine types |
| RC1 to RC25 | 25 | Pokémon, including Flareon-EX at RC6 and Sylveon-EX at RC21 |
| RC26 to RC27 | 2 | Floral Crown, a Tool, and Wally, a Supporter |
| RC28 to RC32 | 5 | Flareon-EX, Pikachu, Gardevoir-EX, M Gardevoir-EX and Sylveon-EX |
Nothing in the main part is numbered above 83. The main part’s three Mega cards are M Venusaur-EX at 2, M Charizard-EX at 12 and M Blastoise-EX at 18. Also in the main part: Pikachu (26, and again at RC29), Snorlax (58), Ninetales-EX (13) and Jolteon-EX (28). On Rip.fan’s price pages, the two parts are labeled like this:
| Label on Rip.fan’s page | 1 to 83 | RC1 to RC32 |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 28 | 13 |
| Uncommon | 25 | 12 |
| Rare | 11 | 0 |
| Rare Holo | 7 | 0 |
| Rare Holo EX | 12 | 2 |
| Rare Ultra | 0 | 5 |
What is the Radiant Collection?
A subset with its own numbering. Each card reads RC and a number out of RC32, such as RC28/RC32, so it never shares a number with the main part. It is the second Radiant Collection. Legendary Treasures, the last set of the Black & White series, holds an earlier block numbered RC1 to RC25.
The 32 cards are 30 Pokémon and 2 Trainers. Most are labeled Common or Uncommon on Rip.fan’s price page, and the five at RC28 to RC32 are labeled Rare Ultra. Two Pokémon-EX appear twice, as different cards: Flareon-EX RC6 is credited to Atsuko Nishida and RC28 to kirisAki, and Sylveon-EX RC21 to sui and RC32 to Kanako Eo. Gardevoir-EX and M Gardevoir-EX sit at RC30 and RC31. Only one Radiant Collection card matches an earlier XY card on name and illustrator: Wally at RC27, which shares its credit with the Wally at 94 in Roaring Skies.
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
Which Generations cards match earlier XY cards?
The set is a mix of new cards and reprints. Cards 1 to 74 are set against the 11 sets from the Kalos Starter Set to BREAKpoint, leaving out the promo and Trainer Kit sets. A match means the same name and illustrator credit, and for Pokémon the same HP. 48 of the 74 match: 36 of 58 Pokémon, 11 of 15 Trainers and Double Colorless Energy. Grouped by the earliest set with a match:
| Earliest match | Generations cards |
|---|---|
| XY base set | 14, including Venusaur-EX, M Venusaur-EX, Blastoise-EX and M Blastoise-EX |
| Flashfire | 10, including Charizard-EX and M Charizard-EX |
| Furious Fists | 8 |
| BREAKthrough | 7 |
| Four other XY-series sets | 9 |
| No match | 26, including six Pokémon-EX: Leafeon, Ninetales, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Meowstic and Golem |
None of the six unmatched Pokémon-EX shares a name with any card in those 11 sets. A match on name and illustrator does not prove the card is identical, so compare the card itself, and the printed total always tells the sets apart. Our guides to the XY base set and Flashfire map the sets with the most matches.
Which Charizard cards are in Generations?
Five carry the Charizard name or line. In the main part, Charizard-EX at 11 and M Charizard-EX at 12, a Fire-type card that matches Flashfire’s M Charizard-EX at 13. In the Radiant Collection, Charmander, Charmeleon and Charizard at RC3 to RC5, all credited to Akira Komayama; on Rip.fan’s price page the Charizard is labeled Uncommon.
How do you check Generations card prices?
Generations has its own page in Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages, under the XY series heading, abbreviated GEN. It shows each card with its number, rarity and NM market price, with the Radiant Collection cards listed by their RC numbers. Filter it by Rare Holo EX for the 12 Pokémon-EX of the main part and the two at RC6 and RC21. For a single card, the card price lookup searches by name, set or number and shows which printing each price is for. The price changes page compares prices between Rip.fan’s weekly checks.
What should you check before buying a Generations card?
- The printed total. Venusaur-EX 1/83 is Generations and 1/146 is the XY base set; M Charizard-EX 12/83 is Generations and 13/106 is Flashfire. The card number settles it.
- The RC prefix. A Radiant Collection card reads out of RC32, and a main card out of 83.
- Which Flareon-EX or Sylveon-EX. Each comes twice in the Radiant Collection, so match the RC number to the listing. Our guide to Pokémon ex, EX and GX cards explains the EX label.
- Genuine cards. Our guide to spotting fake Pokémon cards walks through checks that leave a card unharmed.
If you plan to collect both parts, our guide to completing a Pokémon set explains numbered, complete and master sets. The Pokémon hub has the rest of our coverage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive Generations card?
It was Flareon-EX (RC28/RC32), at a Near Mint market price of $191.02 on October 21, 2026. Sylveon-EX (RC32/RC32) was second, at $189.45.
Which regular-numbered Generations card costs the most?
Of the cards numbered 1 to 83, M Charizard-EX (12/83), a Rare Holo EX, cost the most on October 21, 2026, with a Near Mint market price of $159.64.
Which Rare Holo EX in Generations has the highest price?
Sylveon-EX (RC21/RC32) had the highest Near Mint market price among the Generations cards marked Rare Holo EX on October 21, 2026, at $93.33.
How much is Flareon-EX from Generations?
On October 21, 2026, the 2 Flareon-EX cards in Generations had Near Mint market prices of $86.24 for RC6/RC32 (Rare Holo EX) and $191.02 for RC28/RC32 (Rare Ultra).