Professor’s Research has been reprinted many times across the Pokemon TCG — but not every print shows the same professor. The version we carry a graded copy of is a Japanese secret rare from VMAX Climax, and the artwork on it is Professor Juniper, not the Professor Magnolia most English-only collectors picture when they hear the name.
The card is 博士の研究 — Professor’s Research, a Trainer – Supporter card numbered 266/184, printed as a Secret Rare (SR) in the Japanese High Class Pack 「VMAXクライマックス」/ VMAX Climax (set code S8b). We currently list a PSA 10 copy of this exact print, graded and shipped from Tokyo. This guide covers what the card does, who is drawn on it, where it sits inside VMAX Climax, and how it relates — and doesn’t relate — to the other English-language Professor’s Research cards collectors often mix it up with.
Professor’s Research (Juniper) SR 266/184 is a PSA 10, currently listed at ¥8,800 (~$55). It comes from VMAX Climax (S8b), a Japanese High Class Pack released 3 December 2021 with a 184-card main set and a secret-rare range that runs to 277. The artwork depicts Professor Juniper, illustrated by Yuu Nishida — a different professor and a different illustrator from the English Sword & Shield base-set print of the same card name. If you want the sealed source product, the S8B-VMAX Climax Japanese Booster Box is where this SR comes from.
Prices below are current samuraiswordtokyo.com listings, converted at ¥159/USD (September 2026).
The Card: Professor’s Research (Juniper) SR 266/184
Professor’s Research is a Trainer – Supporter card. Its effect is fixed across every printing of the card name: discard your entire hand and draw 7 cards from your deck. What changes from print to print is the artwork — and on the 266/184 print, the artwork is confirmed to depict Professor Juniper, illustrated by Yuu Nishida. That places it in the same illustrator’s body of work as several other VMAX Climax chase pulls; see our Yuu Nishida illustrator guide for the wider list.
The card sits at #266 inside a set whose main numbered run stops at 184 — a gap that, in Japanese set numbering, marks a card as part of the secret-rare block rather than the standard set. VMAX Climax’s secret-rare block runs all the way to 277, and 266/184 falls well inside that range.
Our own graded copy of this print is currently listed at ¥8,800 (~$55), PSA 10.
Print History: Where This SR Sits Inside VMAX Climax
The Juniper artwork on 266/184 is the print we’ve verified for this exact illustration — we haven’t traced an earlier or lower-rarity Japanese release carrying the same Yuu Nishida artwork. That makes 266/184 the reference point for this particular Professor’s Research illustration, distinct from the many other Professor’s Research prints that exist under the same card name.
Within VMAX Climax’s secret-rare block, 266/184 shares its release date and set of origin with several other high-rarity singles, including two we also carry graded. These are separate cards, not other printings of Professor’s Research — they’re useful as reference points for how the set’s secret-rare tier is structured.
| Card | Number | Rarity | JP Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professor’s Research (Juniper) | 266/184 | SR | 3 Dec 2021 |
| Umbreon VMAX | 245/184 | CSR | 3 Dec 2021 |
| Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX | 236/184 | CSR | 3 Dec 2021 |
If you’re comparing Trainer-card SRs from the same release, our Friends in Galar SR card guide covers another VMAX Climax Trainer SR — a different card (258/184) sharing the same set and secret-rare treatment, but a separate illustration and effect.
The Set: VMAX Climax (S8b)
VMAX Climax — ハイクラスパック「VMAXクライマックス」in Japanese — is set code S8b, a High Class Pack released on 3 December 2021. Its main numbered run covers 184 cards, with a secret-rare block extending the count to 277. Professor’s Research 266/184 sits inside that secret-rare block, alongside the Character Super Rares shown above.
For the complete set breakdown, see our VMAX Climax full card list.
Sealed VMAX Climax product is currently listed as the S8B-VMAX Climax Japanese Pokemon Booster Box, at ¥39,900 (~$251).
Where This SR Sits Among Japanese Rarity Tiers
Secret Rare (SR) is a Sword & Shield-era Japanese rarity tier used for full-art or otherwise elevated treatments placed outside a set’s main numbered run — which is exactly where 266/184 sits, well past VMAX Climax’s 184-card main set. Trainer-card SRs like this one are the Supporter-card equivalent of the Pokemon-card secret rares from the same generation.
Within VMAX Climax specifically, the set’s secret-rare block also carries the Character Super Rare (CSR) tier — used for Pokemon cards rather than Trainers, and not limited to VMAX: it covers Pokemon V prints too (Limitless lists Zacian V 250/184 as CSR), alongside VMAX examples such as Umbreon VMAX 245/184 and Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX 236/184 shown here. SR and CSR sit alongside each other as parallel elevated tiers within the same secret-rare range, applied to different card types rather than one ranking strictly above the other.
For a broader look at how VMAX Climax’s chase tiers stack up, our VMAX Climax pull-rates and best-cards hub covers the set more widely.
Where to Buy Professor’s Research (Juniper) from Tokyo
Our graded copy of PSA 10 Professor’s Research (Juniper) SR 266/184 is currently listed at ¥8,800 (~$55), shipped from Tokyo with tracked delivery. If you’d rather pull your own, sealed S8B-VMAX Climax Japanese Booster Boxes are the source product, currently listed at ¥39,900 (~$251) — our VMAX Climax booster box buying guide covers what else comes out of the same box.
For other graded VMAX Climax secret-rare tier singles, see PSA 10 Umbreon VMAX CSR 245/184 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) at ¥34,676 (~$218) and PSA 10 Shadow Rider Calyrex VMAX CSR 236/184 at ¥9,020 (~$57), or browse the full range in our PSA 10 graded card collection. For a mixed order across singles and sealed product, our Quick Order page is the fastest way to build a cart.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Professor’s Research (Juniper) SR 266/184?
It is the Secret Rare print of Professor’s Research from the Japanese High Class Pack VMAX Climax (set code S8b), released 3 December 2021. The artwork depicts Professor Juniper, illustrated by Yuu Nishida. We carry a PSA 10 copy of this print, currently listed at ¥8,800 (~$55).
Is this the same card as the English Professor’s Research?
It’s the same card name and effect — discard your hand, draw 7 — but not the same artwork. The confirmed English comparison is the Sword & Shield base-set print (#178), which depicts Professor Magnolia, illustrated by Yusuke Ohmura. Other English prints, such as Celebrations #23 and Brilliant Stars #147, also use different artwork from the Juniper version.
What does Professor’s Research do?
Discard your entire hand and draw 7 cards from your deck. This effect is the same across every printing of the card name; only the artwork changes between prints.
What set is Professor’s Research (Juniper) SR from?
VMAX Climax, Japanese set code S8b, a High Class Pack released 3 December 2021 with a 184-card main set and a secret-rare range extending to 277. The 266/184 print sits inside that secret-rare block.
Where can I buy a PSA 10 Professor’s Research (Juniper) from Tokyo?
Our graded 266/184 SR copy is currently listed at ¥8,800 (~$55) with tracked shipping from Tokyo. Sealed S8B-VMAX Climax booster boxes are also available if you’d rather pull your own copy.
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