“Here Comes Team Rocket!” is one of the oldest Trainer cards in the Japanese Pokemon TCG with a real claim to firsts — per Bulbapedia, it was “one of the first Holofoil Trainer cards in both English and Japanese,” and the first Japanese card to carry a Super Rare rarity. That debut print dates back to 1997, well inside the game’s original “old back” design era.
The card has been reprinted several times since, in both languages, and two of those reprints are what we currently list as PSA 10 graded singles: a 2017 full art promo distributed only inside a Pokemon Center Japan special-edition case, and a 2021 25th Anniversary confetti-holofoil reprint. This guide walks through the full print history from the 1997 old-back debut to today, explains exactly which prints we list, and is upfront about the one we don’t.
Our headline listing is the 2017 XY-P 278 full art promo, PSA 10, currently listed at ¥5,876,400 (~$36,958). We also list the 2021 25th Anniversary reprint, S8a-P 006/025, PSA 10, currently listed at ¥10,051 (~$63). The original 1997 old-back print itself — the true debut, from the Japanese Rocket Gang set — is not listed on our site at the moment; sourcing requests go through Quick Order.
Prices are this store’s current listed prices as of September 2026, converted at ¥159/USD.
The Card: Here Comes Team Rocket! XY-P 278 Full Art Promo
“Here Comes Team Rocket!” is a Supporter-class Trainer card featuring Jessie, James, and Meowth. Per Bulbapedia, its effect lets each player use the card once per turn, and its primary effect causes both players’ Prize cards to be revealed face-up for the rest of the game — a card built entirely around information, not damage.
The XY-P 278 print is a Full Art promo — card template described as “reminiscent of the Original Era card layout” — illustrated by Naoki Saito and confirmed via Limitless as card #278 in the Japanese XY Promotional (XYP) card list, card type Trainer-Supporter. It carries no standard rarity letter grade, since it never went through a normal set print run.
This print was distributed exclusively inside the 20th Anniversary Team Rocket Special Case (also referred to as the Special Attache Case), a Pokemon Center Japan online-exclusive product released February 2017, with a reported pre-order window of 3 November–18 December 2016 (secondary-sourced from marketplace listings, not independently confirmed via Bulbapedia). It was never sold separately or in any standard booster product.
A PSA 10 example of this exact print is currently listed at ¥5,876,400 (~$36,958).
Print History: From the 1997 Old Back Debut to 2021
Per Bulbapedia’s print-history summary for this card, “Here Comes Team Rocket!” has appeared across seven printings in two languages, spanning almost 25 years:
| Number | Rarity | Release | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team Rocket (EN) / Rocket Gang (JP, old back) | 15/82 (EN); unnumbered-equivalent (JP) | Rare Holo / SuperRare Holo | 1997 (JP) |
| EX Team Rocket Returns (EN) / Rocket Gang Strikes Back (JP) | 111/109 (EN) / 085/085 (JP) | Rare Secret | — |
| Evolutions (EN retro card) | 113/108 | Rare Secret | — |
| Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary (JP, CP6) | 103/087 | Uncommon | — |
| XY-P Promotional (JP) — our anchor | 278/XY-P | Full Art Promo | Feb 2017 |
| Celebrations (EN, 25th Anniversary) | 15/82 | Rare Classic | 2021 |
| Promo Card Pack 25th Anniversary Edition (JP) — our anchor | 006/025 | Confetti Holofoil | 2021 |
Illustrator credit across the Team Rocket / Rocket Gang, EX Team Rocket Returns, and Evolutions prints goes to Ken Sugimori, per Bulbapedia. The later promo-era prints (XY-P 278, S8a-P 006/025) moved to different illustrators and treatments, which is a big part of why they look nothing alike despite sharing the same card name and effect.
The S8a-P 006/025 print, our second anchor, is a 2021 reprint with a “Confetti Holofoil” treatment and a red/gold “25th” logo worked into the corner of the artwork, per Bulbapedia’s card-print summary. A PSA 10 example is currently listed at ¥10,051 (~$63).
We do not currently carry the original 1997 old-back print, the CP6 20th Anniversary reprint, or either English-language print (Team Rocket, EX Team Rocket Returns, Evolutions, Celebrations). Sourcing requests for any of those go through Quick Order.
The Original Set: Rocket Gang and the Old Back Era
The card’s true debut is the Japanese set ロケット団 (Rocket Gang), the JP equivalent of the English “Team Rocket” expansion. It released in Japan on 21 November 1997 at a set size of 65 cards (the English Team Rocket set runs to 83 cards). The English side numbers the card at 15/82 as the Rare Holo and 71/82 as a non-holo Rare.
Japan’s Pokemon TCG used its original “Pocket Monsters Card Game” back design — the POCKET MONSTERS wordmark curved across the top, CARD GAME on a ribbon beneath the Poke Ball — from the game’s 20 October 1996 debut through every set released before 19 July 2001. The back design changed with the VS expansion, released that same July 2001 date, which switched to the “Pokemon” design used in international prints. Rocket Gang’s November 1997 release sits comfortably inside that pre-2001 “old back” window, which is what puts the original print of “Here Comes Team Rocket!” in the old-back category this guide is named for.
Two other headline cards from the same 1997 Rocket Gang release are ones we do carry as PSA 10 graded old-back singles: Charizard, Old Back [PMCG4 No.006] currently listed at ¥877,448 (~$5,518), and Gyarados, Old Back [PMCG4 No.130] currently listed at ¥469,640 (~$2,954). Both give a sense of what a genuine 1997 old-back print from this set looks like and is currently listed at, even though “Here Comes Team Rocket!” itself isn’t among our current old-back listings.
Where These Prints Sit Among Japanese Rarity Tiers
The 1997 Rocket Gang original sits at the top of the card’s own rarity history: it was the debut Japanese card to carry a Super Rare rarity, at a point when that tier didn’t yet exist elsewhere in the Japanese card pool. The JP reprint inside Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary (CP6 103/087) sits at the opposite end, printed as a plain Uncommon — a set-filler treatment for a card that had, by then, become a piece of TCG history rather than a competitive staple.
Our two current anchors sit in the modern promo lane rather than on a standard set’s rarity ladder. XY-P 278 is a Full Art promo distributed only through a retail special-edition case — a print that never had to compete for a slot in a numbered set at all. S8a-P 006/025 is a Confetti Holofoil promo-pack print, a treatment specific to Japan’s 25th Anniversary promo run rather than a mainline set rarity. Comparing the two, the XY-P 278 full art sits well above the S8a-P reprint in scarcity and price, reflecting its one-off, single-retail-product distribution versus a wider anniversary promo-pack run.
Where to Buy Here Comes Team Rocket! Cards from Tokyo
We ship Japanese graded singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. Our headline listing is the 2017 full art promo, PSA 10 Here Comes Team Rocket!, XY-P 278 currently listed at ¥5,876,400 (~$36,958). The more accessible 2021 reprint, PSA 10 Here Comes Team Rocket!, S8a-P 006/025, is currently listed at ¥10,051 (~$63).
For other headline pulls from the same 1997 set, see PSA 10 Charizard, Old Back [PMCG4 No.006] and PSA 10 Gyarados, Old Back [PMCG4 No.130], or browse the full range in our PSA 10 graded card collection. The original 1997 old-back print of “Here Comes Team Rocket!” itself is not listed on our site at the moment; sourcing requests go through our Quick Order page, which is also the fastest way to build a mixed order across singles and sealed product.
For more on this card family, our Team Rocket Japanese Pokemon cards hub covers every era from 1997 old-backs through the modern SV10 set, and our PSA 10 Team Rocket cards guide focuses specifically on graded vintage and modern examples. For the wider character family this card is named after, see our Team Rocket’s Pokemon card family guide. On the old-back design side, our Japanese old-back cards guide and old-back vs new-back design guide give the general identification and value context this article doesn’t repeat in full. If you’re comparing this 1997 print against a different old-back single-card deep dive, our Cal Steelix Old Back card guide follows the same format for a 2000 magazine promo. And for a “then vs now” look at the Team Rocket brand, our Glory of Team Rocket booster box buying guide covers the unrelated modern SV10 set of the same name.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “Here Comes Team Rocket!” do?
It’s a Supporter-class Trainer card featuring Jessie, James, and Meowth. Per Bulbapedia, each player can use it once per turn, and its primary effect reveals both players’ Prize cards face-up for the rest of the game.
What is the original 1997 old-back print, and do you have it?
The original is the Japanese Rocket Gang printing, released 21 November 1997, inside the game’s pre-2001 “old back” design era. We do not currently list this original print; sourcing requests go through Quick Order.
What is the XY-P 278 print you sell?
It’s a 2017 Full Art promo illustrated by Naoki Saito, distributed exclusively inside the Pokemon Center Japan 20th Anniversary Team Rocket Special Case. A PSA 10 example is currently listed at ¥5,876,400 (~$36,958).
What is the S8a-P 006/025 reprint?
It’s a 2021 25th Anniversary promo-pack reprint with a Confetti Holofoil treatment and a red/gold “25th” logo in the artwork. A PSA 10 example is currently listed at ¥10,051 (~$63).
Is the Japanese print different from the English versions?
Yes. The English side has its own separate print history (Team Rocket 15/82, EX Team Rocket Returns 111/109, Evolutions 113/108, Celebrations 15/82), while the Japanese side runs through Rocket Gang, Rocket Gang Strikes Back, Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary, XY-P 278, and the 25th Anniversary promo pack — different numbering and, from XY-P 278 onward, different artwork treatments entirely.
Where can I buy a PSA 10 “Here Comes Team Rocket!” from Tokyo?
Our XY-P 278 full art promo is currently listed at ¥5,876,400 (~$36,958), and our S8a-P 006/025 reprint is currently listed at ¥10,051 (~$63), both shipped from Tokyo with tracked delivery. Use our Quick Order page to ask about the original 1997 old-back print or to build a mixed order.
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