XY base set: the 2014 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's XY set of February 2014: its 146 cards block by block, its Mega Evolution and Fairy-type cards, and the six full-art Pokémon-EX at 141 to 146.
Pokémon
Pokémon sets explained one by one, with their rarities, galleries and special printings, plus how to read published card rates and buy sealed product.
More on Pokémon cardsGuides in this topic
Vivid Voltage and its Amazing rares explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Vivid Voltage: the set that began Amazing rares, all six by number, Pikachu's four cards, how Pokémon's counts compare, and the 18 cards above 185.
Unified Minds: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's Unified Minds from August 2019: its 258 cards block by block, its eight TAG TEAM cards, and the four GX names that have only one card.
Unbroken Bonds: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's Unbroken Bonds from May 2019: its 234 cards block by block, its seven TAG TEAM cards and where Reshiram & Charizard-GX sits.
Ultra Prism: the 2018 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Ultra Prism from February 2018: its 173 cards, the six Prism Star cards, the notice's 18 full-art cards checked, and the 2017 sets compared.
Team Up: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Team Up from February 2019: the first TAG TEAM cards, its 196-card list block by block, and where each of its 12 GX names sits.
Sword & Shield base set: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Sword & Shield set of February 2020: its 216 cards, the first expansion with Pokémon V and VMAX, every number block, and Pokémon's counts checked.
Sun & Moon base set: the 2017 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Sun & Moon set of February 2017: its 172 cards, the first Pokémon-GX, every number block, and where its missing GX versions turn up.
Steam Siege: the 2016 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's XY Steam Siege from August 2016: its 116 cards block by block, its seven BREAK cards, six Pokémon-EX names, and the total it shares.
Silver Tempest and its Trainer Gallery explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's Silver Tempest: its 215-card list and 30-card Trainer Gallery, Lugia's six cards, every VSTAR by number, and where it sits in the Sword & Shield run.
Shining Legends: the 2017 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Shining Legends from October 2017: its 78 cards, six Shining Pokémon, four Mewtwo-GX cards, and 11-card packs meant only for other products.
Shining Fates and its Shiny Vault explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Shining Fates: its 73-card main list, the 122-card Shiny Vault mapped by number, what Pokémon's counts cover, and the products with their packs.
Roaring Skies: the 2015 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's XY Roaring Skies of May 2015: its cards block by block, its 11 Pokémon-EX and 11 full-art cards, and how its two Rayquaza-EX pairs differ.
Rebel Clash: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Rebel Clash from May 2020: its 209 cards, seven VMAX Pokémon with four V and VMAX cards each, every number block, and Pokémon's counts checked.
Primal Clash: the 2015 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's XY Primal Clash of February 2015: its 164 cards block by block, its 12 Pokémon-EX and their full-art versions, and the four Trainers above 160.
Pokémon Celebrations and its Classic Collection explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's 25th anniversary Celebrations: its 25 cards, the 25 Classic Collection remakes and the sets they copy, its nine products, and how to tell reprints.
Lost Thunder: the 2018 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Lost Thunder from November 2018: its 236 cards, 13 Pokémon-GX in three versions each, seven Prism Star cards, and the 214 total it shares.
How to identify a Pokémon card's set
Pokémon 8 min read
Find a Pokémon card's set from its symbol or code, its number and its border, and what decides it when several sets print the same total.
Hidden Fates and its Shiny Vault explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Hidden Fates from August 2019: its 69-card main list, the 94-card Shiny Vault numbered SV1 to SV94, the first TAG TEAM trio, and its products.
Guardians Rising: the 2017 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's Guardians Rising from May 2017: its 169 cards, 12 Pokémon-GX, a 15-card rainbow block with three earlier names, and the notice checked.
Generations: the Pokémon set and its Radiant Collection
Pokémon 6 min read
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.
Fusion Strike: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Fusion Strike: the longest Sword & Shield expansion at 284 cards, Mew's six cards by number, the 20 above 264, and how Pokémon's counts compare.
Furious Fists: the 2014 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's XY Furious Fists of August 2014: its cards block by block, which Pokémon-EX have full-art versions, and the two Mega cards above 111.
Forbidden Light: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Forbidden Light, the Pokémon set from May 2018: all 146 cards block by block, its five Prism Star cards and the Lucario-GX with no main-run card.
Flashfire: the 2014 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's XY Flashfire of May 2014: its cards block by block, how to tell its Mega Charizard X from its Mega Charizard Y, and the three cards above 106.
Evolutions: the 2016 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's XY Evolutions from November 2016: its 113 cards block by block, its EX and BREAK cards, and how its list lines up with the 1999 Base Set.
Dragon Majesty: the 2018 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Dragon Majesty from September 2018: its 78 cards, seven Pokémon-GX names, two Prism Star cards, and how the list matches Pokémon's own figures.
Darkness Ablaze: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Darkness Ablaze from August 2020: its 201 cards, the first Charizard VMAX, every number block, and Pokémon's card counts checked against the list.
Crimson Invasion: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Crimson Invasion, the Pokémon set from November 2017: its 124 cards block by block, its eight Pokémon-GX and the three high numbers with no twin.
Cosmic Eclipse: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Cosmic Eclipse, the Pokémon set from November 2019: its 271 cards block by block, its two TAG TEAM trios and its six two-character Supporters.
Chilling Reign: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's Chilling Reign: 233 cards, both Calyrex forms by number, the Galarian birds, the 10 Pokémon V with two full arts, and the 35 cards above 198.
Celestial Storm: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
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.
Burning Shadows: the 2017 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's Burning Shadows from August 2017: its 169 cards, 14 Pokémon-GX with uneven versions, Charizard-GX's two cards, and every number block.
Brilliant Stars and its Trainer Gallery explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Brilliant Stars: the first set with VSTAR cards, its 186-card list and 30-card Trainer Gallery, every VSTAR by number, and the gold Galarian birds.
BREAKthrough: the 2015 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's XY BREAKthrough of November 2015: its six BREAK cards, its 165 entries block by block, and how to tell its ten Mewtwo-EX and M Mewtwo-EX apart.
Astral Radiance and its Trainer Gallery explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Astral Radiance: the first Radiant Pokémon, its 216-card list and 30-card Trainer Gallery, every VSTAR and VMAX by number, and what its counts cover.
Ancient Origins: the 2015 Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's XY Ancient Origins of August 2015: its cards block by block, its 14 full-art Pokémon-EX, and the three Shiny cards numbered inside the total of 98.
Twilight Masquerade: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Twilight Masquerade set: its 226 cards, Ogerpon ex in four masks, which Pokémon ex get which versions, every rarity counted, and the products listed.
Temporal Forces: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Temporal Forces set: its 218 cards, the ACE SPEC rarity, six Pokémon ex in four versions, every rarity counted, and the products Pokémon lists.
Surging Sparks: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Surging Sparks set: its 252 cards, Pikachu ex in four versions, which of its Pokémon ex also appear in Japan's sets, and the products Pokémon lists.
Stellar Crown: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Stellar Crown set: its 175 cards, the Stellar Tera Pokémon ex, which ex get higher versions, every rarity counted, and the products Pokémon lists.
Shrouded Fable: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Shrouded Fable special expansion: its 99 cards, Pecharunt ex, how to spot its parallel foils, every rarity counted and the 8 products that held packs.
Scarlet & Violet: the Pokémon base set explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Scarlet & Violet base set: its 258 cards, the card design changes it began, every rarity counted, its 12 Pokémon ex by version, and its products.
Prismatic Evolutions: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Prismatic Evolutions set: its 180 cards, Eevee ex and its eight Evolutions, the Poké Ball and Master Ball cards, and what each product holds.
Pokémon's Mega Evolution set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Mega Evolution set, first of its series: its 188 cards, the 10 Mega Pokémon ex and their versions, the Japanese sets that share them, and each box.
Pokémon ex, EX, GX, V, VMAX and VSTAR cards explained
Pokémon 7 min read
How to tell Pokémon ex, EX, GX, V, VMAX, VSTAR and Mega ex cards apart: the years of each label, how it is printed, and where each version sits in a set.
Pokémon Elite Trainer Boxes: what each one holds
Pokémon 6 min read
What a Pokémon Elite Trainer Box holds in each recent set, how its Energy cards and dividers changed, and what the Pokémon Center edition adds to the box.
Pokémon Center exclusives: what differs from retail
Pokémon 6 min read
What Pokémon Center sells that other stores do not, how its Elite Trainer Box differs from the retail box by set and by year, and how its preorders work.
Pokémon card errors and misprints explained
Pokémon 8 min read
How a Pokémon error differs from a misprint, damage or a fake, the error types CGC names on its labels, and what The Pokémon Company will exchange.
Pokémon 151 set explained: cards, rarities and products
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's 151 set: 207 cards with the original 151 Pokémon in Pokédex order, every rarity and its numbers, what each product holds, and how to check prices.
Phantasmal Flames: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 6 min read
Pokémon's Phantasmal Flames set: its 130 cards, Mega Charizard X ex in four versions, every rarity and its numbers, and what each product holds.
Paradox Rift: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Paradox Rift set: its 266 cards, Ancient and Future Pokémon, all 20 Pokémon ex by version, which Japanese sets share them, and the products listed.
Paldean Fates: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Paldean Fates set: its 245 cards, 132 of them Shiny rares or Shiny ultra rares, every rarity and number, and the products that held its packs.
Paldea Evolved: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Paldea Evolved set: its 279 cards, all 19 Pokémon ex by version, five evolution lines whose illustration rares share an artist, and its products.
Obsidian Flames: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Obsidian Flames set: its 230 cards, type-shifted Tera Pokémon ex, Charizard ex in four versions, every rarity counted, and the products listed.
Lost Origin and its Trainer Gallery explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Lost Origin: its 217 cards and 30-card Trainer Gallery, every Pokémon V by number, the rainbow and gold cards, and four Trainer Galleries compared.
Journey Together: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Journey Together set: its 190 cards, the 45 Trainer's Pokémon cards for N, Iono, Lillie and Hop, every rarity, and what each product holds.
Evolving Skies: the Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
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.
Destined Rivals: the Team Rocket Pokémon set explained
Pokémon 8 min read
Pokémon's Destined Rivals set: its 244 cards, the 83 Team Rocket's cards and other Trainer's Pokémon, every rarity and its numbers, and what each box holds.
Crown Zenith and its Galarian Gallery explained
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon's Crown Zenith: its 160-card main list, the 70-card Galarian Gallery by card type, what Pokémon's counts cover, and the products with their pack counts.
Black Bolt and White Flare: the Pokémon sets explained
Pokémon 8 min read
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.
Where to buy Pokémon cards at MSRP
Pokémon 7 min read
Pokémon Center, the retailers Pokémon lists, how launches, preorders and returns work, and how to tell a store's own listing from an outside seller's.
What to do with bulk Pokémon cards
Pokémon 6 min read
How to sort bulk Pokémon cards, find the few worth a closer look, store the rest, and what shops' published bulk buylists pay for each pile and ask of you.
Vintage Pokémon sets explained, from Base Set to Skyridge
Pokémon 6 min read
The 16 English Pokémon sets Wizards of the Coast printed from 1999 to 2003, in order, with each set's date, card count and the marks that identify its cards.
Pokémon set release dates for 2026, in order
Pokémon 6 min read
Every English Pokémon set of 2026 with its release date, the Japanese set each one follows and the days between them, and whether any 2027 set is announced.
How many packs in each Pokémon sealed product
Pokémon 6 min read
Packs, cards per pack and extras in each Pokémon sealed product for Pitch Black and 30th Celebration, with Target's listed prices on October 11, 2026.
Pokémon card rarity symbols explained
Pokémon 7 min read
What each Pokémon rarity symbol means, from the black circle to the gold stars, where it sits on a card, and how many cards of each rarity two sets hold.
Pokémon promo cards: how they are numbered and released
Pokémon 5 min read
What makes a Pokémon card a promo, how each era's Black Star Promo series is numbered, and which products and events hand promo cards out today.
Pokémon Mega Evolution cards explained
Pokémon 7 min read
What a Mega Evolution Pokémon ex is, how its double rare, ultra rare, Mega attack rare and Mega hyper rare versions differ, and how many each set holds.
Japanese Pokémon sets explained: how they map
Pokémon 6 min read
How Japanese Pokémon releases become English sets, from paired packs to high class packs, with Japan's pack formats, prices and the gaps between releases.
Pokémon illustration rares explained, set by set
Pokémon 8 min read
What illustration rares and special illustration rares are, where they sit in a Pokémon set's numbering, and the counts for 21 sets from Scarlet & Violet on.
Pokémon card sizes and the sleeves that fit them
Pokémon 6 min read
How big a Pokémon card is, why Japanese-size sleeves suit other card games, and which sleeves, inner sleeves and toploaders fit a standard card.
Pokémon card finishes explained, from holo to gold
Pokémon 6 min read
Holofoil, reverse holo, full art, alternate art, textured and gold Pokémon cards: where the foil sits on each, which cards get it, and how price lists name it.
Pokémon card eras: the English series in order
Pokémon 8 min read
The English Pokémon card series in order, from the Wizards of the Coast sets to Mega Evolution, with the borders, codes and name labels that date each card.
Pokémon booster boxes: what a booster display holds
Pokémon 7 min read
How many packs and cards a Pokémon booster display holds, which Mega Evolution series sets have one, how it differs from an Elite Trainer Box, and where to buy.
Pokémon 30th Celebration set explained
Pokémon 7 min read
What a 30th Celebration pack holds, how the set's cards split by rarity, which 30 classic cards it reprints, and which products carry its packs.
Japanese vs English Pokémon cards: what differs
Pokémon 6 min read
How Japanese and English Pokémon packs, boxes, prices, rarity codes and release dates compare, with each rarity code matched to its English symbol.
How to start collecting Pokémon cards
Pokémon 6 min read
Pick a focus, buy from Pokémon Center or a store's own listing, sleeve and box your cards, and check condition, fakes and seals before every purchase.
How to read a Pokémon card: what each detail means
Pokémon 6 min read
What each printed detail on a Pokémon card tells a collector, from the set code and number to the illustrator credit, regulation mark and copyright line.
How to look up a Pokémon card's value by set and number
Pokémon 7 min read
Find a Pokémon card's set, number and printing, then read its dated price on Rip.fan's lookup and card pages, plus what those prices do not cover.
How to complete a Pokémon set: numbered to master
Pokémon 6 min read
What a numbered set, a complete set and a master set mean in Pokémon, how many cards each takes for recent sets, and how to track the gaps on Rip.fan.
1st Edition vs Shadowless vs Unlimited Pokémon cards
Pokémon 6 min read
How to tell the Base Set prints apart on Pokémon, Trainer and Energy cards, the cards that break the rules, and how graders and price lists name each print.
Card images from Scrydex.