Odds of pulling a Illustration Rare
A Illustration Rare is the art-forward “IR” cards, more common than SIRs but still a step above the guaranteed hits. Across the 7 recent Pokémon sets we model, one shows up about 1 in 10 to 1 in 13 booster packs, roughly 38.2% to 97.7% per sealed unit. Pokémon publishes no pack odds, so these ride a disclosed community-sampled model, ranked and linked to every card below.
Illustration Rare odds by set
| Set | Odds / pack | Per unit | Sealed | Cost to pull one |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaos Rising11 cards | 1 in 10 | 97.7% | €140 · 36p | €39 |
| Perfect Order11 cards | 1 in 10 | 97.7% | €130 · 36p | €36 |
| Phantasmal Flames13 cards | 1 in 10 | 97.7% | €150 · 36p | €42 |
| Mega Evolution22 cards | 1 in 10 | 97.7% | €160 · 36p | €44 |
| Destined Rivals23 cards | 1 in 10 | 97.7% | €170 · 36p | €47 |
| Journey Together11 cards | 1 in 10 | 97.7% | €110 · 36p | €31 |
| 15116 cards | 1 in 13 | 38.2% | €60 · 6p | €130 |
“Cost to pull one” is the sealed price divided by the expected number of Illustration Rares of any kind per sealed unit, so it is the cost for any card in the slot, not your specific one (that costs much more). Odds are a binomial approximation across independent packs.
The Illustration Rares worth chasing
The priciest Illustration Rares across these sets, each with its own pull odds. Tap any card for its full cost-to-pull, BUY / RIP verdict and modelled supply.
Charmander151 · #168 · 1 in 210 packs€126.06
Squirtle151 · #170 · 1 in 210 packs€115.50
Pikachu151 · #173 · 1 in 210 packs€99.50
Bulbasaur151 · #166 · 1 in 210 packs€82.38
Charmeleon151 · #169 · 1 in 210 packs€78.19
Wartortle151 · #171 · 1 in 210 packs€68.02
Dragonair151 · #181 · 1 in 210 packs€55.77
Ivysaur151 · #167 · 1 in 210 packs€54.89
Psyduck151 · #175 · 1 in 210 packs€54.32
Poliwhirl151 · #176 · 1 in 210 packs€45.46
Misty's PsyduckDestined Rivals · #193 · 1 in 230 packs€38.11
BulbasaurMega Evolution · #133 · 1 in 220 packs€31.91How Illustration Rare odds work
Every booster pack has one slot that can land on the Illustration Rare tier. The pack-odds figure is the chance that slot resolves to any Illustration Rare at all; divide it across the Illustration Rares in the set and you get each individual card's odds. Summed back up across the slot, the tier lands about 1 in 10 to 1 in 13 packs.
Because each pack is independent, the “1 in N” is a long-run average, not a promise for the next box. Per box, the chance of at least one is higher (shown above) because you get multiple independent tries.
Odds ride a disclosed, versioned community-sampled model (SV/Mega community aggregate, 2026-06 (rev2); 151 community sample (PokePatch 1,000+ packs), 2025) because the Pokémon TCG publishes no official pack odds. Figures are a binomial-per-pack approximation over Cardmarket-counted pools. Prices are Cardmarket EUR trend references, not sold-price records. As of 2026-07-14. Informational only, not financial advice. Foilio is an independent fan project, unaffiliated with any publisher.
Questions, answered
What are the odds of pulling a Illustration Rare in Pokémon?+
Across the 7 recent sets we model, a Illustration Rare appears roughly 1 in 10 to 1 in 13 booster packs, or about 38.2% to 97.7% per sealed booster unit. Exact odds vary by set, the per-set table above shows each one. Pokémon does not publish official pack odds, so these are from a disclosed, community-sampled model, not the publisher.
How many packs (or boxes) to pull a Illustration Rare?+
Because the rate is about 1 in 10 to 1 in 13 packs, you would open on the order of that many packs, on average, for a single Illustration Rare. Averages are not guarantees: a slot is independent every pack, so you can hit early or go far past the average. See the per-set "cost to pull" column for the expected spend cracking sealed at each set's box price.
Is it cheaper to pull a Illustration Rare or just buy the single?+
Almost always cheaper to buy the exact card. Cost-to-pull is the box price divided by how many copies of the whole Illustration Rare slot you expect per box, and it is spread across every card in the slot, so pulling YOUR specific Illustration Rare costs far more than any one single. Each card's page has its own BUY / RIP verdict.
Are these official Pokémon pull rates?+
No. The Pokémon TCG does not publish pack odds, so every figure here rides a disclosed, versioned community-sampled model (SV/Mega community aggregate, 2026-06 (rev2); 151 community sample (PokePatch 1,000+ packs), 2025). Prices are Cardmarket EUR trend references, not sold-price records. Informational only, not financial advice.