The White Flare card list and its twin, Black Bolt, close out the Scarlet & Violet era with a trip to Unova. The two special sets were released on the same day, one led by Reshiram and one by Zekrom, and together they include all 156 Unova Pokémon. This guide covers both card lists, the new Black White Rare cards, Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex, the chase cards and every product.
Quick facts: both released July 18, 2025 · White Flare: 173 cards · Black Bolt: 172 cards · 2 Black White Rares per set · Poké Ball and Master Ball parallels · no English booster box.
Table of Contents
Release date and the two-set split
Both sets launched on July 18, 2025, with Pokémon TCG Live getting them on July 17. They are the fifth and final special expansions of the Scarlet & Violet Series. Black Bolt features Zekrom and White Flare features Reshiram, a nod to the original Unova games, Pokémon Black and White. The official product announcement lists every product.
The two sets follow the same structure. Each one has:
- 6 Pokémon ex
- 8 ultra rare Pokémon and Supporter cards
- an illustration rare or special illustration rare for every Unova Pokémon in it
- 1 Supporter special illustration rare
- 2 Black White Rares
White Flare card list
The White Flare card list has 86 main-set cards and 173 cards in total. The numbers break down like this:
- 001–086: main set
- 087–156: illustration rares
- 157–164: ultra rares
- 165–171: special illustration rares
- 172–173: Black White Rares
The seven special illustration rares are Whimsicott ex (165), Reshiram ex (166), Keldeo ex (167), Jellicent ex (168), Hydreigon ex (169), Bouffalant ex (170) and Hilda (171). Bulbapedia’s White Flare page has the full White Flare card list.
Black Bolt card list
The Black Bolt card list has 86 main-set cards and 172 in total:
- 001–086: main set
- 087–155: illustration rares
- 156–163: ultra rares
- 164–170: special illustration rares
- 171–172: Black White Rares
Its seven special illustration rares are Serperior ex (164), Kyurem ex (165), Zekrom ex (166), Meloetta ex (167), Excadrill ex (168), Genesect ex (169) and N’s Plan (170). See Bulbapedia’s Black Bolt page for the complete Black Bolt card list.
What is a Black White Rare?
The Black White Rare is a new rarity made just for these two sets. The cards have highly stylised artwork in black or white, and there are only two in each set:
- Black Bolt: Victini (171) and Zekrom ex (172)
- White Flare: Victini (172) and Reshiram ex (173)
These four cards are the top chase cards of the release, and the two Victini cards are the most valuable cards in their sets.
Poké Ball and Master Ball parallels
The premium parallel foils from Prismatic Evolutions came back too. Common, uncommon and rare Pokémon come in a regular holo, a Poké Ball pattern and a Master Ball pattern, while common and uncommon Trainers and Special Energy come in the regular and Poké Ball versions.
Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex
Zekrom ex Black Bolt collectors have four versions to chase: a double rare (034/086), an ultra rare (158/086), a special illustration rare (166/086) and the Black White Rare (172/086). Reshiram ex in White Flare has the same four: 020/086, 158/086, 166/086 and the Black White Rare at 173/086. Putting all eight side by side makes a great binder page.
White Flare chase cards
Here are the top White Flare chase cards from a March 2026 ranking:
- Victini 172/086 Black White Rare
- Reshiram ex 173/086 Black White Rare
- Reshiram ex 166/086 special illustration rare
- Hydreigon ex 169/086 special illustration rare
- Hilda 171/086 special illustration rare
- Keldeo ex 167/086 special illustration rare
- Zoroark 143/086 illustration rare
- Oshawott 105/086 illustration rare
Black Bolt chase cards
And here are the top Black Bolt chase cards from the same month:
- Victini 171/086 Black White Rare
- Zekrom ex 172/086 Black White Rare
- Zekrom ex 166/086 special illustration rare
- Seismitoad 105/086 illustration rare
- Kyurem ex 165/086 special illustration rare
- N’s Plan 170/086 special illustration rare
- Haxorus 147/086 illustration rare
- Genesect ex 169/086 special illustration rare
Both lists follow the same pattern: Victini first, the legendary dragon second and third, then a mix of special illustration rares and illustration rares. Because every Unova Pokémon has an illustration rare, there are lots of strong cards beyond the top few.
Is there a booster box?
Not in English. As special sets, Black Bolt and White Flare had no booster box in the English lineup. The 6-pack Booster Bundle is the pack-only option, and the rest of the packs come inside Elite Trainer Boxes, binders, tins and collections.
In Japan, the cards came out on June 6, 2025, as Black Bolt and White Flare (SV11B and SV11W), and Japanese boxes do exist. Each holds 20 packs of 7 cards. Our Japanese White Flare booster box and Japanese Black Bolt booster box are the way to open a full box.
Products for both sets
Elite Trainer Boxes
There is one Elite Trainer Box per set, each with 9 packs of that set and an illustration-rare-style promo: Thundurus (SVP 209) in the Black Bolt Elite Trainer Box and Tornadus (SVP 210) in the White Flare Elite Trainer Box. The Pokémon Center versions have 11 packs, 2 full-art promos (one with the Pokémon Center logo), 65 sleeves, 45 Energy cards, a player’s guide, dice and more.
Binder Collections
Each Binder Collection has 5 packs of one set and a 9-pocket album featuring Reshiram (White Flare) or Zekrom (Black Bolt).
Mixed products
Several products include packs of both sets. The Unova Poster Collection has 2 packs of each, Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott promos and a two-sided poster. The Unova Mini Tins each have 1 pack of each set, an art card and a sticker card. The Unova Victini Illustration Collection, released on August 1, 2025, has 2 packs of each set, an illustration-rare-style Victini promo (SVP 208), a Poké Ball Victini and an oversize Victini.
Booster Bundles and Tech Sticker Collections
The 6-pack White Flare Booster Bundle and Black Bolt Booster Bundle arrived on August 22, 2025. The Tech Sticker Collections, from August 1, have 3 packs and a Reuniclus (Black Bolt) or Gothitelle (White Flare) promo.
Scarlet & Violet: White Flare Booster Bundle (SV10.5)
Scarlet & Violet: Black Bolt Booster Bundle (SV10.5)
Black Bolt or White Flare: which should you buy?
The two sets have the same structure, so it comes down to the Pokémon you like. Choose Black Bolt for Zekrom, Kyurem, Genesect and N’s Plan, or White Flare for Reshiram, Hydreigon, Keldeo and Hilda. Victini is the top card in both, so either set can give you the biggest hit. Fans of the Zekrom ex Black Bolt cards should start with Black Bolt, and Reshiram fans with White Flare. If you cannot decide, the mixed products give you packs of both.
Tips for collecting both sets
- Use the numbers on the Black Bolt card list and White Flare card list: anything above 086 is a secret card.
- Keep Victini, Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex Black White Rares together as a set of four.
- Check every common and uncommon for Master Ball versions, which are the scarcer pattern.
- Build a Unova Pokédex binder, since together the sets include all 156 Unova Pokémon.
- Do not overlook illustration rares like Zoroark, Oshawott, Seismitoad and Haxorus, which all rank highly.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in Black Bolt and White Flare?
345 in total: 172 in Black Bolt and 173 in White Flare, each with 86 main-set cards.
What is the most valuable card?
The Victini Black White Rare in each set: 171/086 in Black Bolt and 172/086 in White Flare.
Is there an English booster box?
No. The Booster Bundle is the largest pack-only product. Japanese booster boxes are available.
More Pokémon guides
The Poké Ball and Master Ball patterns were also a big part of Prismatic Evolutions. For more Unova Pokémon, N’s Zoroark ex and N’s Reshiram star in Journey Together, and the Scarlet & Violet main sets ended with Destined Rivals. The Mega Evolution series came next; start with our Phantasmal Flames card list.