Red’s Pikachu is a single Japanese promotional card tied to one very specific 2018 retail campaign, not a numbered set. Buy five booster packs in one transaction at a participating Pokémon Center or Pokémon Store in Japan, and this was the card handed over at the till.
It carries the number 270/SM-P, sits in the ongoing SM-P Promotional cards line, and was illustrated by Ken Sugimori — the original Pokémon game character designer, a distinctive illustrator credit for a promo of this kind. A PSA 10 print of this exact card is currently listed at ¥209,096 (~$1,315), graded and shipped from Tokyo. This guide covers the card itself, how it was distributed, how it compares with neighbouring SM-P-era promo Pikachu prints, and where to source one.
Red’s Pikachu (270/SM-P) is a PSA 10, currently listed at ¥209,096 (~$1,315). It was distributed from 25 August 2018 through a five-booster-pack purchase threshold at Pokémon Center and Pokémon Store locations in Japan, as part of the continued Pokémon Center 20th Anniversary Campaign. Illustrated by Ken Sugimori, the original Pokémon game character designer. For a comparable SM-P-era promo print, our PSA 10 Ash’s Pikachu (071/SM-P) is currently listed at ¥364,331 (~$2,291).
Prices below are current samuraiswordtokyo.com listings, converted at ¥159/USD (September 2026).
The Card: Red’s Pikachu 270/SM-P (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order)
Red’s Pikachu — レッドのピカチュウ in Japanese — is a Basic, Lightning-type Pokémon card with 70 HP. It carries the number 270/SM-P in the ongoing SM-P Promotional cards line. The illustrator is Ken Sugimori, the original Pokémon game character designer — a notable illustrator credit for a promo card of this kind, since most promotional Pikachu prints go to trading-card-focused artists rather than the franchise’s own character designer.
Our graded print of this card is currently listed at ¥209,096 (~$1,315), PSA 10.
Print History and the Wider SM-P Promo Family
Our verified sources record a single documented print of Red’s Pikachu — 270/SM-P, released 25 August 2018 — with no earlier or later Japanese release turning up in the same records.
| Set | Number | Rarity | JP Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| SM-P Promotional cards | 270/SM-P | Promo | 25 Aug 2018 |
Where It Sits Next to Other SM-P-Era Promo Pikachu Prints
Red’s Pikachu belongs to a much larger run of SM-P promotional Pikachu cards tied to trainer and Pokémon Center campaigns. Two neighbouring prints from the same broad SM-P family are Ash’s Pikachu, 071/SM-P, and a second Ash’s Pikachu print, 074/SM-P (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), wearing an Unova cap.
We separately carry a graded print of the 071/SM-P Ash’s Pikachu, currently listed at ¥364,331 (~$2,291) — see our dedicated Ash’s Pikachu card guide for that print’s own campaign details. For a ranked comparison across the wider Pokémon Center-distributed promo Pikachu roster, our regional Pokémon Center Pikachu value ranking guide covers the format as a list; this page is the single-card deep dive on 270/SM-P specifically. The broader Pokémon Center Pikachu promo guide is the hub for that whole distribution category.
The Set: SM-P Promotional Cards
270/SM-P sits inside the SM-P Promotional cards line — Pokémon Japan’s ongoing promo-card series rather than a numbered expansion pack, so it doesn’t carry the fixed set size, box structure, or era label that a mainline pack does. What we’ve verified is the distribution mechanic and date: 25 August 2018, for as long as stocks lasted, exclusively through the five-booster-pack purchase threshold described above, as part of the continued Pokémon Center 20th Anniversary Campaign, marking the 20th anniversary of the first Pokémon Center.
That five-pack purchase threshold is a specific mechanic worth naming clearly, because SM-P promos use several different distribution methods across the line. It is a purchase-threshold giveaway — buy the qualifying quantity, receive the card — rather than a lottery draw or a walk-in giveaway with no purchase requirement. The reward structure ties the card directly to a purchase at the counter, which is why collectors tend to describe SM-P purchase-threshold promos as a different category from lottery-draw promos even when both come from the same broad promotional card line.
For a related Japan-exclusive promo Pikachu distributed through a different mechanic entirely, see our Mario Pikachu card guide.
Where This Promo Sits Among Japanese Distribution Tiers
Not every Japanese Pokémon promo is distributed the same way, and the mechanic behind a card is a better indicator of scarcity than any market price. Red’s Pikachu is a purchase-threshold promo: customers who bought five booster packs in one transaction at a participating Pokémon Center or Pokémon Store received the card while stocks lasted. That’s a different mechanic from a lottery draw, where entry doesn’t guarantee the card, a card bundled inside a dedicated accessory box, or a plain walk-in giveaway with no purchase requirement at all.
Two other Japan-exclusive promo Pikachu prints we grade to the same PSA 10 standard sit alongside 270/SM-P in our range, each distributed through its own campaign:
Both are graded PSA 10 and currently listed alongside 270/SM-P in our promo-Pikachu range; the Luigi Pikachu promo card guide covers that card’s own distribution story in full.
Where to Buy Red’s Pikachu from Tokyo
Our graded print of PSA 10 Red’s Pikachu 270/SM-P is currently listed at ¥209,096 (~$1,315), shipped from Tokyo with tracked delivery. Red’s Pikachu is a promo-only card with no source booster box or collection anchor — there’s no sealed product to open for a chance at this print, since it came exclusively through the five-pack purchase campaign described above rather than inside a set.
For neighbouring SM-P-era promo Pikachu prints, our PSA 10 Ash’s Pikachu (071/SM-P) is currently listed at ¥364,331 (~$2,291), and our PSA 10 Luigi Pikachu (295/XY-P) is currently listed at ¥1,357,000 (~$8,535). Browse the wider range in our PSA 10 graded card collection, or use our Quick Order page to build a mixed order across singles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Red’s Pikachu 270/SM-P?
It’s a Basic, Lightning-type Pokémon promo card, Japanese name レッドのピカチュウ, illustrated by Ken Sugimori and numbered 270/SM-P in the SM-P Promotional cards line. A PSA 10 print is currently listed at ¥209,096 (~$1,315).
How was Red’s Pikachu distributed?
It was given to customers who bought five booster packs in one transaction at participating Pokémon Center and Pokémon Store locations in Japan, starting 25 August 2018 for as long as stocks lasted, as part of the continued Pokémon Center 20th Anniversary Campaign.
Does Red’s Pikachu have an English print?
No English-language release is documented in the sources we’ve verified. Based on the records we’ve checked, 270/SM-P is the single print documented for this card.
What set is Red’s Pikachu from?
It’s part of the SM-P Promotional cards line, Pokémon Japan’s ongoing promo-card series, rather than a numbered expansion pack.
Where can I buy a PSA 10 Red’s Pikachu from Tokyo?
Our graded 270/SM-P print is currently listed at ¥209,096 (~$1,315) with tracked shipping from Tokyo. We also list PSA 10 prints of neighbouring SM-P-era promo Pikachu cards, including Ash’s Pikachu (071/SM-P) and Luigi Pikachu (295/XY-P).
¥500 off, on us
- ¥500 off one order of ¥30,000 or more
- +1% extra points on that order
- One coupon per account
Sign in or create an account to claim · One use per account · One coupon per order · Not valid on pre-order items · Ends Sep 24, 2026, 23:59 JST · Import duties, taxes and customs charges are not included in the price and are collected on delivery, except for destinations we ship duty-paid.
Picked for this article
📩 Get member-only sale alerts & coupons
Sale alerts, coupons and restock notices by email — straight from Tokyo.
