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Pokemon Illustration Rare Cards: Pull Rates, Prices, and What to Chase

Complete guide to Pokemon illustration rare cards across Scarlet and Violet sets. Pull rates, current Australian prices, and which cards are worth chasing.

Published 13 June 2026 • 8 Min Read

The pokemon illustration rare is the rarity tier that turned pack openings into an art gallery. These cards feature full-panel artwork that extends beyond the standard card frame, with textured holofoil treatments that make them immediately recognizable in a binder page. They sit above standard holofoil rares in the rarity hierarchy but below the even more elaborate special illustration rares and hyper rares.

If you have been pulling packs from any Scarlet and Violet era set, you have probably hit one. Here is what they are, how often they show up, what they sell for in Australia, and which ones are actually worth chasing.

What Makes an Illustration Rare Different

Illustration rares were introduced alongside the Scarlet and Violet base set in 2023, replacing the old V and VSTAR full art system. The key visual difference is the artwork. Standard rares use conventional Pokemon card art within a bordered frame. Illustration rares feature panoramic, story-driven artwork painted by guest illustrators, often showing the Pokemon in a natural setting or interacting with its environment.

Every illustration rare carries an "IR" rarity stamp in the bottom corner. The card number also exceeds the set's standard count. In Surging Sparks, for example, the standard set runs to 191 cards. The illustration rares start at card 192 and run upward through the secret rare section.

According to Bulbapedia, Surging Sparks contains 23 illustration rare Pokemon within its total 252-card set. That number varies by expansion. The Mega Evolution era set Chaos Rising, for instance, includes 11 illustration rares based on the official Pokemon TCG card list.

Pull Rates Across Sets

The pull rate for illustration rares has been remarkably consistent across Scarlet and Violet expansions.

According to TCGPlayer's pull rate data, based on large-scale pack opening samples:

The overall rate stays near 1 in 12 regardless of the set. What changes is the odds of pulling a specific card you want. Sets with fewer illustration rares give better odds per specific card. Journey Together's 1 in 129 for a specific IR is notably better than SV 151's 1 in 188, because the total pool of illustration rares differs between expansions.

The official Pokemon TCG Live drop rate page confirms that illustration rares can appear in two booster pack slots. Card slot 1 (the "hit" slot) can contain a common, illustration rare, ultra rare, special illustration rare, or hyper rare. Card slot 9 (the reverse/parallel slot) can also contain an illustration rare, special illustration rare, or hyper rare. That double-slot structure is part of why the overall 1 in 12 rate holds across sets.

What this means for a booster box: A standard booster box contains 36 packs. At a 1 in 12 pull rate, you can expect roughly 3 illustration rares per box on average. Some boxes run hot, some run cold, but 3 is the mathematical expectation.

Australian Prices for Illustration Rares

Most illustration rares are not expensive singles. The majority trade as mid-range collectibles, sitting well above bulk but well below the premium tiers.

Surging Sparks Illustration Rares (eBay Australia Sold Prices)

Based on recent sold listings on eBay Australia:

The range for regular illustration rares in Surging Sparks runs from roughly AU $3 to $10 for ungraded singles in near mint condition. Pokemon popularity drives the spread. A Pikachu or Eevee illustration rare will always command more than a Stunfisk, regardless of the set.

The Premium Tier: Special Illustration Rares

Special illustration rares are a step above standard illustration rares and carry significantly higher prices. The standout from Surging Sparks is the Pikachu ex (238/191) special illustration rare, which has sold on eBay Australia at:

If you want to understand the grading process that pushes these prices up, our guide to PSA, CGC, and Beckett grading breaks down exactly what each grade means and what it costs.

Prismatic Evolutions: The Current High-Water Mark

Prismatic Evolutions has produced the most expensive illustration rares in the Scarlet and Violet era. The Umbreon ex (161/SV) special illustration rare has sold on eBay Australia at staggering prices:

Multiple PSA 10 copies have sold in that range between April and June 2026, making this card one of the most valuable modern Pokemon pulls in existence. Umbreon has consistently been one of the most sought-after Pokemon in the TCG, and Prismatic Evolutions' limited print run has amplified that demand.

Which Sets Have the Best Illustration Rares

Not every set offers equal illustration rare value. Here is how the key Scarlet and Violet expansions compare:

Surging Sparks released November 8, 2024, with 23 illustration rare Pokemon and 11 special illustration rare Pokemon and Supporter cards across its 252-card set, according to Bulbapedia. The Pikachu ex special illustration rare is the headline chase card.

Prismatic Evolutions is the premium set of the era. Its Eeveelution-focused illustration rares, particularly Umbreon ex, have created the highest secondary market prices across all modern Pokemon sets.

Scarlet and Violet 151 remains popular due to its original 151 Kanto Pokemon nostalgia factor. The tighter illustration rare count means specific cards are harder to pull (1 in 188 packs for a specific IR), but Kanto favourites hold strong demand.

Journey Together offers slightly better odds for specific illustration rares (1 in 129 packs) due to its illustration rare pool size. It is a more recent release with competitive pricing on sealed product.

For the Mega Evolution era sets like Chaos Rising, which includes 11 illustration rares according to the official Pokemon TCG card list, the illustration rare format has continued with the same visual treatment but with Mega Evolution-themed artwork.

How to Maximise Your Chances

If you are specifically chasing illustration rares rather than buying singles, your product choice matters. Here is what the pull rate math tells you:

Booster boxes remain the most consistent option. At roughly 3 illustration rares per 36-pack box, you are guaranteed some hits. The question is whether the specific cards you pull cover the box cost. For a breakdown of sealed product value, see our ETB vs booster box vs booster bundle comparison.

Elite Trainer Boxes contain 9 packs. At 1 in 12 odds, you have roughly a 53% chance of pulling at least one illustration rare from an ETB. Not guaranteed, but better than a coin flip.

Single packs are pure lottery tickets. An 8.5% chance per pack means you will go dry more often than not, but the occasional hit from a random pack is part of the appeal.

Buying singles is always the cheapest path to a specific card. When most Surging Sparks illustration rares sell for AU $4 to $10, you can build a complete IR collection from one set for less than the cost of two booster boxes. The only cards where pack-chasing might make economic sense are the special illustration rares priced at hundreds or thousands of dollars, where the lottery odds are part of the thrill.

Illustration Rares Worth Grading

Not every illustration rare justifies the cost of professional grading. PSA grading typically costs AU $30 or more per card plus shipping and wait times. For a Stunfisk illustration rare worth AU $4 raw, grading makes no financial sense.

The cards worth grading are the ones where a PSA 10 or CGC 10 creates a meaningful price multiplier:

For everything else, keep them sleeved and top-loaded. The raw card value on most illustration rares does not support a grading investment.

Illustration Rare vs Special Illustration Rare vs Hyper Rare

These three rarity tiers all sit in the secret rare section of a set, but they are distinct:

Feature Illustration Rare Special Illustration Rare Hyper Rare
Art style Full-panel Pokemon scene Extended full-art with trainer or detailed scene Gold etched treatment
Typical count per set 15-23 cards 8-11 cards 3-6 cards
Pull rate ~1 in 12 packs Significantly rarer Rarest in set
Price range (AU, raw) $3-$15 $20-$500+ $15-$100+

Illustration rares are the most accessible premium pull. Special illustration rares are the chase cards that drive box sales. Hyper rares sit at the top of the rarity ladder but do not always command the highest prices, because art appeal and Pokemon popularity often outweigh raw scarcity.

What to Watch

The illustration rare format is not going anywhere. It has carried through the entire Scarlet and Violet era and into the Mega Evolution series, with each new set introducing a fresh batch of illustration rares featuring different artists and Pokemon.

Cards to keep an eye on:

The illustration rare tier has fundamentally changed how collectors approach the Pokemon TCG. Rather than chasing a single ultra-rare chase card per set, every pack now has a realistic shot at a beautifully illustrated premium card worth keeping.

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