The Rise of Chinese Exclusive Pokémon Cards: How Many Can We Expect Per Set?
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If you've been collecting Pokémon cards over the last couple of years and haven't looked east yet, you're missing one of the most fascinating developments in the modern hobby. The Pokémon Company has quietly been producing exclusive artwork for the Chinese market — artwork that exists nowhere else in the world. No Japanese version. No English version. Just stunning, high-rarity cards locked to a single region.
And the number of exclusives per set is only growing.
In this post, we're breaking down the full picture: how the Chinese TCG market works, what exclusive cards have already been released, how many you can expect per set, and what that means for collectors worldwide.
A Quick Primer: Simplified vs Traditional Chinese
Before we get into the cards themselves, it's worth understanding that there are actually two distinct Chinese Pokémon TCG markets.
Traditional Chinese cards are released in Taiwan and Hong Kong. These sets largely mirror the Japanese release schedule, meaning collectors in those regions receive new sets around the same time as Japan — well ahead of English releases. Traditional Chinese products do produce exclusive promos, particularly around regional events and anniversaries, but they don't follow the same compilation-set structure.
Simplified Chinese cards are released in mainland China. This is where the story gets really interesting. Mainland China was far behind the rest of the world when it began releasing Pokémon cards seriously, and The Pokémon Company responded by creating compilation sets — sets that combine multiple Japanese sets into one larger release to help the region catch up. It's within these compilation sets that exclusive artwork has started appearing regularly.
Right now, mainland China is working through the Scarlet & Violet era, having started with Sun & Moon compilations back in 2022.
Why Does China Get Exclusive Cards?
The short answer is: it's a combination of regional licensing issues and a very deliberate market strategy.
The most well-documented example involves Pokémon GO cards. Pokémon GO is banned in China, meaning the original Pokémon GO TCG cards — which carry Niantic's copyright and game iconography — couldn't be released there. Rather than skipping those sets entirely, The Pokémon Company commissioned brand-new artwork for every Pokémon GO card released in Chinese sets. That resulted in 21 exclusive Pokémon GO cards for the Chinese market alone.
But that was just the beginning. As China has moved into the Scarlet & Violet era, the exclusive cards have shifted from necessity-driven replacements to deliberate collector incentives — Special Illustration Rares, gold cards, and Illustration Rares that appear to be added purely to make each Chinese set feel premium and region-special.
The Exclusives, Set by Set (Scarlet & Violet Era)
Here's where things get really useful for collectors. Let's look at what's been confirmed in each Chinese Scarlet & Violet compilation set and how many exclusives each one has delivered.
Collect 151 (Four-Part Series, 2025)
China's release of the beloved Pokémon 151 set was split into four separate releases across 2025. Each part drew from the original 151 set but featured exclusive content:
- Four exclusive Pikachu Art Rares illustrated by Brazilian-Japanese artist Oswaldo KATO. These depict scenes that don't appear in any other language version — a flying Pikachu, a Pikachu bothering a sleeping Psyduck, a clearing full of Pikachu, and a ghost-haunted Pikachu rendered in a soft, painterly style.
- An exclusive Gengar Art Rare that collectors have been hunting hard.
- A limited Mew ex lottery promo (not pullable from packs) restricted to 1,510 copies distributed through competitive events. Reports suggest a BGS Black Label copy sold for six figures.
Exclusive count across the Collect 151 series: approximately 5–6 cards (plus the ultra-rare lottery promo)
Fearless Terastal (CSV3C, 2025)
China's third main Scarlet & Violet compilation set, featuring content from Obsidian Flames and Paradox Rift, introduced:
- An exclusive Arcanine ex Special Illustration Rare (155/130) — a card that does not exist in any other language or region.
Exclusive count: 1 SIR
Bonus Turn (CSV4C, July 2025)
The fourth Chinese Scarlet & Violet set brought a notable step up in exclusive content:
- An exclusive Rika Special Illustration Rare (replacing the standard version of the card from international sets)
- An exclusive Maushold ex Special Illustration Rare
- An exclusive gold Gholdengo ex
Exclusive count: 3 cards
Blade Awakened (CSV7C / 7th S&V Set, January 2026)
Featuring content from Temporal Forces, Twilight Masquerade, and Shrouded Fable:
- An exclusive Ciphermaniac's Codebreaking Special Illustration Rare
Exclusive count: 1 SIR
Brilliant Illusions (8th S&V Set, March 2026)
China's eighth Scarlet & Violet compilation confirmed:
- An exclusive Carmine Special Illustration Rare — brand-new artwork released nowhere else in the world.
Exclusive count: 1 SIR
Fiery Black Crystal (September 2026, Confirmed)
Already announced, China's next set will include:
- An exclusive Larry Special Illustration Rare
- An exclusive gold Defiance Band
Exclusive count: 2 cards
The Gem Pack Series: A Product Line Built Around Exclusives
Alongside the main sets, China has been releasing a standalone product called the Gem Pack Series — booster packs themed around specific Pokémon, each containing entirely exclusive Illustration Rare artwork.
- Gem Pack Volume 1 — Pokémon Horizons cast (Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, Captain Pikachu with their trainers)
- Gem Pack Volume 2 — Eeveelution panorama: four connected Art Rares by HYOGONOSUKE featuring Eevee, Umbreon, Leafeon, and Sylveon
- Gem Pack Volume 3 — Nocturnal Pokémon theme: exclusive Art Rares for Meowth, Gengar, Cubone, Chandelure, and Ceruledge (announced August 2025, releasing September 2025)
Each Gem Pack volume delivers 9 exclusive Illustration Rares, making this product line one of the highest concentrations of China-only artwork available.
Traditional Chinese Exclusives Worth Noting
Taiwan and Hong Kong have also produced notable exclusives, particularly through event products:
- 5th Anniversary Premium Gift Box (November 2024) — Featured an exclusive Pikachu promo (153/SV-P) spanning three eras: Zoroark-GX (Sun & Moon), Mew VMAX (Sword & Shield), and Tera Charizard ex (Scarlet & Violet). PSA 10 copies have sold for over $1,500.
- Lunar New Year Pikachu promos distributed annually at Taiwanese events.
- Various gym event promos and tournament promos unique to the Taiwan/HK competitive scene.
So How Many Exclusives Can We Expect Per Set Going Forward?
Based on everything released so far, a clear pattern is emerging for Simplified Chinese main sets in the Scarlet & Violet era:
| Set | Exclusive Count |
|---|---|
| Collect 151 (all parts) | ~5–6 Art/Illustration Rares |
| Fearless Terastal | 1 SIR |
| Bonus Turn | 3 (2 SIR + 1 Gold) |
| Blade Awakened | 1 SIR |
| Brilliant Illusions | 1 SIR |
| Fiery Black Crystal (upcoming) | 2 (1 SIR + 1 Gold) |
The baseline appears to be 1–3 exclusive secret rares per main set, with some sets stepping up to include gold card variants alongside SIRs. The Gem Pack side-product line adds a further 9 exclusive Illustration Rares per volume, on a roughly quarterly cadence.
PokeBeach has noted that "we may continue to see new artwork in all of their Scarlet & Violet sets going forward," suggesting this isn't a temporary trend — it's The Pokémon Company intentionally building the Chinese market's identity around exclusive, collector-grade content.
Why Should Western Collectors Care?
A few reasons:
The artwork is genuinely excellent. Many of the Chinese SIRs — especially the character-focused ones like Rika and Carmine — feature illustration quality that rivals or surpasses what's produced for Japanese and English releases. Collectors who care about art are increasingly taking notice.
These cards will almost certainly never be reprinted elsewhere. Because the original cards they're based on are from "older sets" by global standards, The Pokémon Company has little incentive to retrofit the Chinese-exclusive artwork into future international products. What releases in China tends to stay in China.
The secondary market is already responding. The Arcanine ex SIR from Fearless Terastal has sold for $170–$250 raw on the secondary market. The Rika SIR from Bonus Turn launched around $55–$80. The lottery Mew ex, with only 1,510 copies in existence, commands extraordinary prices.
Supply is legitimately limited. Chinese booster boxes are printed for the Chinese market. They're not as scarce as Japanese sets, but they're not flowing into Western markets in the volumes that English product does. As collector awareness grows, early movers tend to benefit.
Final Thoughts
Chinese exclusive Pokémon cards have gone from a niche collector curiosity to a genuinely significant part of the modern TCG landscape in a very short time. What started as artwork replacements for banned Pokémon GO content has evolved into an intentional, ongoing programme of region-specific secret rares, themed product lines, and event promos.
If the current trajectory holds, collectors can reasonably expect at least 1–3 exclusive high-rarity cards in every future Chinese Scarlet & Violet compilation set, with the Gem Pack series adding even more exclusive Illustration Rares on a regular basis.
At ShuppetMaster TCG, we keep a close eye on Chinese releases as they're announced. Whether you're a collector looking to add something truly unique to your binders, or someone tracking the market for future opportunities, the Chinese market is impossible to ignore right now.
Browse our range of Chinese TCG products at shuppetmaster-tcg.com. Stock is limited and moves fast — bookmark us and check back regularly for new arrivals.