Scarlet & Violet: the Pokémon base set explained
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.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 8 min read
Scarlet & Violet is the first expansion of Pokémon’s Scarlet & Violet series, released March 31, 2023, and the set where the look of English Pokémon cards changed. Borders went from yellow to gray, printed codes replaced expansion symbols, and CGC says five new rarity marks began here. It also brought back Pokémon ex and added Tera Pokémon ex. The set has 258 cards: 198 inside the printed total and 60 numbered above it. Every one of its 12 Pokémon ex has an ultra rare, and those 12 are exactly the Pokémon ex in two Japanese sets released earlier.
When did Scarlet & Violet come out?
On March 31, 2023. Pokémon announced it on December 9, 2022 as the first expansion in the new series. A second notice, on January 13, 2023, said the set would be sold as booster packs, special collections and Elite Trainer Boxes, through Pokémon Center (US, Canada and UK) and other participating retailers around the world.
Its code is SVI. It is the first expansion in the Scarlet & Violet group, sharing its date with the Scarlet & Violet Energies list, and comes before Paldea Evolved of June 9, 2023.
What changed on the cards?
Pokémon’s notice of December 9, 2022 said four design changes would start with this expansion:
| Change | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Gray borders replace yellow ones, to match cards released in Japan | The card’s outer edge |
| Trainer card types (Supporter, Item, Stadium) sit in the top left corner | The top left of any Trainer card |
| Printed expansion and language codes replace expansion symbols | The bottom left corner |
| Basic Energy cards carry another Energy symbol | The bottom right of a Basic Energy card |
Pokémon’s Shrouded Fable notice of August 2, 2024 puts the expansion code in the card’s bottom left corner. The rarity marks changed too: CGC says five new rarity symbols began with Scarlet & Violet, and the Mark column in the rarity table below shows each one. Our guide to Pokémon card eras shows which marks and labels help date a card.
What are Pokémon ex and Tera Pokémon ex here?
Pokémon ex first ran from EX Ruby & Sapphire to EX Power Keepers in 2007. The new Pokémon ex can sit at any stage of evolution: Basic, Stage 1 or Stage 2.
The set introduced Tera Pokémon ex, with etched artwork that shows off their Tera Types, and has two: Arcanine ex and Gyarados ex. The Tera look is shimmering and crystal-like, with an ornate jewel on the Pokémon’s head. Our guide to Pokémon ex cards covers the card type across later sets.
How many cards are in Scarlet & Violet?
- Cards 001 to 165 are Pokémon and 166 to 198 are Trainer cards. The set has no Energy cards inside the printed total. The rarities run like this:
| Rarity | Mark | Cards | Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | Black circle | 105 | Within 001 to 194 |
| Uncommon | Black diamond | 60 | Within 002 to 198 |
| Rare | Black star | 21 | Within 015 to 190 |
| Double rare | Two black stars | 12 | Within 019 to 158 |
| Illustration rare | One gold star | 24 | 199 to 222 |
| Ultra rare | Two silver stars, which Pokémon calls foil stars | 20 | 223 to 242 |
| Special illustration rare | Two gold stars | 10 | 243 to 252 |
| Hyper rare | Three gold stars | 6 | 253 to 258 |
The 12 double rares are all Pokémon ex, two of them Tera Pokémon ex; the 24 illustration rares are all Pokémon; the 20 ultra rares are 12 Pokémon ex and 8 Supporters; the 10 special illustration rares are Pokémon and Supporter cards; and the 6 hyper rares are gold etched cards.
Every count in the notice matches the list.
- Two Professor’s Research cards. The rares are 19 Pokémon and two Supporters, both named Professor’s Research, at 189 and 190. Each also has an ultra rare, at 240 and 241, and Rip.fan’s page tells the pairs apart as Professor Sada and Professor Turo.
- The hyper rares. Miraidon ex, Koraidon ex, two Items (Nest Ball and Rare Candy) and two Basic Energy cards, at 257 and 258.
- The Basic Energy list. The regular Basic Energy cards sit outside the 258. They come as a 24-card Scarlet & Violet Energy set, and Rip.fan has a 24-card Scarlet & Violet Energies page with the same March 31 date.
Each mark is explained in our guide to Pokémon rarity symbols.
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
Which Pokémon ex come in which versions?
All 12 have a double rare in the main list and an ultra rare above it:
| Pokémon ex | Double rare | Ultra rare | Special illustration rare | Hyper rare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spidops ex | 019 | 223 | 243 | None |
| Arcanine ex | 032 | 224 | None | None |
| Gyarados ex | 045 | 225 | None | None |
| Magnezone ex | 065 | 226 | None | None |
| Miraidon ex | 081 | 227 | 244 | 253 |
| Gardevoir ex | 086 | 228 | 245 | None |
| Banette ex | 088 | 229 | None | None |
| Great Tusk ex | 123 | 230 | 246 | None |
| Koraidon ex | 125 | 231 | 247 | 254 |
| Toxicroak ex | 131 | 232 | None | None |
| Iron Treads ex | 143 | 233 | 248 | None |
| Oinkologne ex | 158 | 234 | None | None |
Six have a special illustration rare, and only Miraidon ex and Koraidon ex reach all four versions. The 8 Supporter ultra rares are Arven, Jacq, Katy, Miriam, Penny, Team Star Grunt and the two Professor’s Research cards. Arven, Jacq, Miriam and Penny also have special illustration rares, at 249 to 252.
Which Japanese sets share its Pokémon ex?
Scarlet ex (スカーレットex, SV1S) and Violet ex (バイオレットex, SV1V), which went on sale together in Japan on January 20, 2023, in 5-card packs. Each holds 6 of the English set’s 12 Pokémon ex:
- Scarlet ex: Gyarados ex, Gardevoir ex, Great Tusk ex, Koraidon ex, Toxicroak ex and Oinkologne ex.
- Violet ex: Spidops ex, Arcanine ex, Magnezone ex, Miraidon ex, Banette ex and Iron Treads ex.
The English titles are translations. Each Japanese set has 108 cards, against 258 for the English one. Our Paradox Rift guide sets this result beside the other sets in this group.
Which art cards share an illustrator?
Pokémon presents Jiro Sasumo’s Gardevoir line as one story: a woman and her lifelong Pokémon, from a newly married couple setting up home to their later years, with Ralts evolving along the way. Sasumo drew the Ralts (211) and Kirlia (212) illustration rares and the Gardevoir ex special illustration rare (245), and Kirlia evolves from Ralts and Gardevoir from Kirlia. Miki Tanaka drew both the Tarountula illustration rare (199) and the Spidops ex special illustration rare (243), and Spidops evolves from Tarountula. Our guide to illustration rares sets the set’s counts beside others.
What products hold Scarlet & Violet packs?
Eight products were featured: a Booster Box, a Booster Bundle, an Elite Trainer Box in a Koraidon version and a Miraidon version, a Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box in the same two versions, and two products from one range (a box with a 40-card deck and a second product).
The Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box comes with two extra booster packs plus a full-art promo card in two copies, one of them carrying the Pokémon Center logo. That kind of box holds a smaller, 40-card deck, and the Elite Trainer Box is a little of everything, from card sleeves and Energy cards to full-art promo cards, booster packs and a guide. For the pack count, check the printed contents or the seller’s listing. Our guides to booster boxes, Elite Trainer Boxes and Pokémon Center exclusives cover these formats.
How do you check Scarlet & Violet card prices?
Scarlet & Violet has its own page in Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages, listing its 258 cards with number, rarity and NM market price. Sort it by number and Miraidon ex’s four cards sit at 081, 227, 244 and 253; filter it to see one rarity at a time. For a single card, the card price lookup searches by name, set or number and shows which printing each price is for, and the price changes page shows moves between Rip.fan’s weekly checks.
If you plan to grade, our guide to whether a card is worth grading covers the costs, and the centering checker turns border measurements into a centering split.
What should you check before buying?
- The version. Miraidon ex and Koraidon ex are four different cards each. Match the card number to the rarity a listing claims.
- Which Professor’s Research. There are two at 189 and 190, and two ultra rares at 240 and 241. A listing should say which one it is.
- The Energy list. A plain Basic Energy card belongs to the separate 24-card Energy list, while the gold ones at 257 and 258 are hyper rares in the main set.
- The language. Japanese printings carry their own numbers. The double rare Koraidon ex is 050 in Scarlet ex and 125 in the English set. Our Japanese and English cards guide explains the differences.
- Sealed contents and genuine cards. Compare a box with its printed contents, and 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 Paldea Evolved, Obsidian Flames and Paradox Rift cover the sets that came next.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most valuable card in Scarlet & Violet?
On October 21, 2026, Gardevoir ex (245/198) had the highest Near Mint market price in Scarlet & Violet, at $69.33. Next came Drowzee (210/198), at $46.99.
Which card numbered inside Scarlet & Violet has the highest price?
Among the cards numbered up to 198, Gyarados ex (045/198), a Double Rare, had the highest Near Mint market price on October 21, 2026, at $1.97.
What is the top-priced Illustration Rare card in Scarlet & Violet?
On October 21, 2026, Ralts (211/198) led the Illustration Rare cards of Scarlet & Violet, with a Near Mint market price of $38.48.
What do the Gardevoir ex cards in Scarlet & Violet cost?
Scarlet & Violet has 3 Gardevoir ex cards, and on October 21, 2026, their Near Mint market prices were $0.81 for 086/198 (Double Rare), $5.34 for 228/198 (Ultra Rare) and $69.33 for 245/198 (Special Illustration Rare).