Pokémon 151 Guide

Pokémon 151 is the Scarlet & Violet special set that brought every original Kanto Pokémon back to the Pokémon Trading Card Game, from Bulbasaur at number one to Mew at the very end. It was released in English on 22 September 2023 as Scarlet & Violet—151, and it’s still one of the sets collectors ask us about most, whether they want a single booster bundle, a Japanese box or one particular card for their binder.

This guide covers what the set is, how big it is, which cards people chase and the product formats you’ll find in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. We’ll also answer the question we hear most often about it: is there actually an English Pokémon 151 booster box?

What Is Pokémon 151?

Scarlet & Violet—151 is a special expansion rather than a main series set. Its main set runs in National Pokédex order, so a binder of it reads like the original Kanto Pokédex: Bulbasaur, Ivysaur and Venusaur ex first, then the Charmander and Squirtle lines, and so on until Mew ex closes the list. All 151 Pokémon from the first generation appear, joined by Trainer cards built around familiar Kanto characters such as Erika, Giovanni, Bill and Daisy.

The set started life in Japan as Pokémon Card 151, an enhanced expansion released on 16 June 2023. According to Bulbapedia’s 151 set page, localised versions followed in Taiwan and Hong Kong on 30 June 2023, then in South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia on 28 July 2023, before the English release in September. That’s why you’ll find 151 boxes in several languages, and the pack format isn’t the same in every one.

Because it focuses on the first generation, the set has unusually broad appeal. Fans who remember the early days of the game enjoy seeing familiar faces in modern art styles, and newer collectors like a set where every Pokémon is instantly recognisable. It’s also a popular gift, since almost everyone has a favourite Kanto Pokémon.

Pokémon 151 Key Facts

• English name: Scarlet & Violet—151, listed under the set code MEW on Limitless TCG.
• English release date: 22 September 2023.
• English set size: 207 cards, made up of 165 main set cards and 42 secret rares.
• Japanese version: Pokémon Card 151 (sv2a), released on 16 June 2023, with 210 cards in its list.
• Secret rares: 16 illustration rares, 16 ultra rares, seven special illustration rares and three gold hyper rares.
• Pokémon ex: 12 in total, including Venusaur ex, Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, Alakazam ex, Zapdos ex and Mew ex.
• Reverse holos: the commons, uncommons and rares also come in reverse holofoil versions.

The official launch announcement from The Pokémon Company International confirmed the September 2023 release and the first wave of products, which we cover in detail further down.

How the 151 Card List Is Structured

The first 165 cards make up the main set. These are the commons, uncommons and rares you’ll pull most often, plus the 12 double rare Pokémon ex. Above 165, the numbering moves into the secret rares, and each block has a clear job:

• 166–181, illustration rares: 16 full-art cards of non-ex Pokémon, including Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle with their middle evolutions, plus Pikachu, Nidoking, Psyduck, Mr. Mime and Dragonair.
• 182–197, ultra rares: full-art versions of all 12 Pokémon ex, plus four Supporters: Bill’s Transfer, Daisy’s Help, Erika’s Invitation and Giovanni’s Charisma.
• 198–204, special illustration rares: Venusaur ex, Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, Alakazam ex, Zapdos ex, Erika’s Invitation and Giovanni’s Charisma.
• 205–207, hyper rares: a gold Mew ex, a gold Switch and a gold Basic Psychic Energy.

The ultra rares are full-art versions of cards you can also pull in the main set, while the hyper rares are gold versions. The illustration rares and special illustration rares are the cards with the most distinctive artwork, because the illustration fills the whole card.

Knowing this structure helps when you’re sorting a collection. A card numbered above 165 is always a secret rare, and the number tells you which tier it belongs to. If you’re building a “master set”, you’ll also want the reverse holo version of every card from Rare down, which roughly doubles the size of the main set part of your binder.

The 10 Best Pokémon 151 Chase Cards

There’s no single official ranking of chase cards, so treat this as a list of the cards collectors most associate with the set. Most of them come from the special illustration rare block, where the artwork spreads across the whole card. Numbers and rarities below come from the English set list on Bulbapedia and were checked against Limitless TCG.

A good chase list is personal. Some collectors aim for the three Kanto starter special illustration rares as a trio, others want every illustration rare from 166 to 181, and some just want one card of their favourite Pokémon. Deciding your target before you buy makes it much easier to choose between sealed product and single cards.

Blastoise ex 151: All Three Versions

Blastoise ex appears three times in the English set. The double rare is 009/165, the full-art ultra rare is 184/165, and the special illustration rare is 200/165, illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. When people search for Blastoise ex 151, they’re usually after that special illustration rare, which shows Blastoise in a full scene rather than a plain background.

As a playable card, Blastoise ex is a Stage 2 Water Pokémon with 330 HP. Its Solid Shell Ability means it takes 30 less damage from attacks, and its Twin Cannons attack lets you discard up to two Basic Water Energy cards from your hand to do 140 damage for each one discarded. It’s a fun card to build around at the kitchen table, even if most people buy it for the art.

If you’re a fan of the Blastoise ex 151 cards, the later Blooming Waters Premium Collection is worth knowing about. It’s built around Venusaur and Blastoise, with an oversize Blastoise ex card and foil promos, and we cover what’s inside in the products section below.

Charizard ex, Venusaur ex and the Kanto Starters

The starter lines are the heart of the set. Each final evolution has a double rare, an ultra rare and a special illustration rare, while Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Charmander, Charmeleon, Squirtle and Wartortle all have illustration rares numbered 166 to 171. Put together, they let you build a full evolution line for each starter in matching art styles, which is one of the most satisfying binder pages in the modern game.

Mew ex and the Trainer Cards

Mew ex closes the Pokédex at 151/165 and returns twice more: as the 193/165 ultra rare and as the gold 205/165 hyper rare. The Trainer side is just as popular. Erika’s Invitation and Giovanni’s Charisma each get both an ultra rare and a special illustration rare, which makes them some of the best-known Supporter cards in the set.

Is There an English Pokémon 151 Booster Box?

No. Scarlet & Violet—151 was a special set, and in English its packs were released inside other products rather than in a standard 36-pack booster box. The official launch alert lists the Elite Trainer Boxes, collections, tins and booster bundle, but no booster display, and PokeBeach’s set guide noted at launch that there were no individual booster packs for sale and that packs could only be found in special 151 products.

So when you see a Pokémon 151 booster box for sale, it’s a Japanese, Korean or Chinese-market box rather than an English one. Some shops also sell sealed cases of English ETBs or bundles, but those are cases of retail products, not booster displays. If you want English packs, the bundle, the ETB and the collections are the way to get them.

Our English – 151 – Booster Pack listing is a single English pack sold on its own. Because English 151 packs weren’t sold individually at launch, loose single packs generally come from those multi-pack products.

Japanese, Korean and Chinese 151 Boxes

If you specifically want a sealed box to open, a non-English 151 box is the answer. Each language has its own pack format, so it’s worth knowing the differences before you choose.

Japanese 151 Booster Box

The Japanese Pokémon 151 Booster Box is the original version of the set. PokeBeach reported at the time that each Japanese box holds 20 packs, and the official Japanese product page lists seven cards per pack. The Japanese list runs to 210 cards, and Bulbapedia notes that Japanese commons, uncommons and rares can turn up as mirror holofoils with a Poké Ball pattern, or more rarely a Master Ball pattern.

The cards have Japanese text, so they’re mainly for collecting rather than English tournament play. They’re the same size as English cards, though, so they fit standard sleeves, toploaders and binders. Many collectors like Japanese packs because a box is a compact way to open the whole set. You can browse more boxes like this in our Japanese Pokémon category.

Korean 151 Booster Box

The Korean version of the set released on 28 July 2023. Bulbapedia lists Korean 151 packs as seven-card packs, the same as Japanese packs, with the same Poké Ball and Master Ball mirror holofoil patterns, and the cards carry Korean text. Our Korean – 151 – Booster Box is a good choice if you collect Korean cards or want a box that’s a little different from the Japanese one.

Chinese 151 Products

Chinese 151 cards come from two separate releases. Traditional Chinese 151 was released in Taiwan and Hong Kong on 30 June 2023, and Bulbapedia lists its packs as seven-card packs, like the Japanese ones. Mainland China later got its own Simplified Chinese version, Collection 151, which Bulbapedia records as arriving in several parts from 17 January 2025 with a different card list: its Trainer cards were removed, and it adds Pikachu illustration rares that are exclusive to that release.

Because the two Chinese versions differ so much, it’s worth checking which one a box belongs to. Our Chinese Pokémon 151 Set 1 Jumbo Booster Box is a Chinese-market box with its own pack format, so check the product page for the version and pack details before you buy.

English 151 Products Explained

English 151 was spread across a wide range of products. Here’s what each one contains, based on the official announcement and PokeBeach’s set guide.

The products arrived in waves. The Elite Trainer Box, the Pokémon Center version, the Poster Collection, the Binder Collection and the booster bundle launched with the set on 22 September 2023. The Ultra-Premium Collection, the Alakazam ex and Zapdos ex collections and the mini tins followed on 6 October 2023, and the Blooming Waters Premium Collection arrived much later, in February 2025.

Pokémon 151 Booster Bundle

The English – 151 – Booster Bundle holds six booster packs and nothing else. If your goal is simply to open English packs, the Pokémon 151 booster bundle is the most direct format, because none of the box is taken up by accessories. It’s also the closest thing English 151 has to a small booster box, and several bundles together are a common way to open a decent number of packs.

151 Elite Trainer Box

The English – 151 – Elite Trainer Box contains nine booster packs, a full-art foil Snorlax promo card, 65 card sleeves, 45 Energy cards, a player’s guide, six damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, two plastic condition markers, a storage box with four dividers and a Pokémon TCG Live code card. It’s the best all-round choice if you want packs plus everything you need to start playing.

151 Pokémon Center ETB

The 151 Pokémon Center ETB was a Pokémon Center exclusive in the US, Canada and the UK. It contains 11 booster packs instead of nine, and two Snorlax promo cards, one with a Pokémon Center logo, alongside the same style of accessories. The standard ETB doesn’t include the stamped Snorlax. If you’re comparing the two, the 151 Pokémon Center ETB is simply the bigger version: two extra packs and an extra promo.

Collections, ex Boxes and Tins

• Zapdos ex Collection: four booster packs, a Zapdos ex promo, a foil Electabuzz promo and an oversize Zapdos ex card. We list it as English – 151 Zapdos – EX Box.
• Alakazam ex Collection: four booster packs, an Alakazam ex promo and foil Kadabra and Abra promos.
• Mini tins: two booster packs, a coin and an art card matching the tin. See our English – 151 – Mini Tin (Tin art random).
• Poster Collection: three booster packs, promos of the three Kanto first partners (Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle) and a full-size, two-sided poster.
• Binder Collection: four booster packs and a nine-pocket album that holds up to 360 cards.
• Ultra-Premium Collection: 16 booster packs, a hyper rare metal Mew ex card, a Mew ex promo, a Mewtwo promo, a stitched-edge Mew playmat, a deck box, a Mew coin and gameplay accessories.
• Blooming Waters Premium Collection: released on 7 February 2025, with 12 booster packs from the set, four foil promos (Venusaur ex, Blastoise ex, Bulbasaur and Squirtle) and an oversize Blastoise ex. We stock the Pokemon TCG: 151 – Blooming Waters Premium Collection (english).

How to Choose the Right Pokémon 151 Product

The right product depends on what you want from the set. Here’s how we’d think about it:

• You want English packs and nothing else: go for the Pokémon 151 booster bundle. Six packs, no extras.
• You want to start playing: the Elite Trainer Box gives you packs plus sleeves, Energy, dice and a storage box.
• You want to open a full sealed box: choose the Japanese or Korean Pokémon 151 booster box, depending on which language you collect.
• You love Blastoise or Venusaur: the Blooming Waters Premium Collection pairs packs with themed promos and an oversize card.
• You’re buying a gift: a mini tin or the Zapdos ex box is a tidy, giftable size.
• You’re building a binder: a box of packs gets your collection started, and single cards fill the gaps.

There’s no wrong answer. Plenty of collectors mix formats, for example opening a Japanese box for the experience while picking up English products for the promos and accessories.

Tips for Collecting 151

• Decide on a language first. English and Japanese lists have different sizes and numbering, so a mixed-language binder can get confusing.
• Sleeve your best pulls straight away. Put any illustration rare or special illustration rare into a sleeve and then a toploader or binder.
• Use a nine-pocket binder. With the main set in Pokédex order, a nine-pocket binder lets you lay out the Kanto Pokédex page by page.
• Store sealed product carefully. Keep boxes out of direct sunlight and away from damp, and store them flat.
• Fill gaps with single cards. Once you’ve opened some packs, it’s usually easier to finish a Pokédex page by picking up the few cards you’re missing than by opening more and more product.
• Check the listing language. Make sure the product name or description shows the language you collect before you buy, especially when comparing boxes.

Pokémon 151 FAQs

Where to Buy Pokémon 151 in the UK

You can shop the set at Obsidia TCG in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. For English packs, start with the English – 151 – Booster Bundle or the English – 151 – Elite Trainer Box. For a sealed box, the Japanese Pokémon 151 Booster Box and the Korean – 151 – Booster Box are the formats to look at.

If you enjoy special sets like this, our Prismatic Evolutions guide covers another set that skipped the English booster box, and our Destined Rivals buying guide compares booster boxes with ETBs. You’ll find more guides on the Obsidia TCG blog, and if you have any questions about a product, email us at sales@obsidiatcg.co.uk.