This guide covers two Japanese Detective Pikachu card releases that are often confused, and they have almost nothing to do with each other beyond the character on the box art. One came out in 2019, timed to a live-action movie. The other showed up four years later, tucked inside a Nintendo Switch game case, and it isn’t a movie card at all — it’s a video game pre-order bonus that a lot of listings mislabel.
That mix-up is common enough that it’s worth untangling properly. This guide covers both releases — the 2019 SMP2 Movie Special Pack and the 2023 SV-P #098 promo — what each one actually is, what’s printed on the SV-P card, and where the two eras diverge. We ship Japanese sealed product and graded singles from Tokyo, and the SV-P #098 PSA 10 is currently listed.
These are two separate Detective Pikachu tie-ins, not one continuous line. The SMP2 Mewtwo GX RR, PSA 10 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through Quick Order. The SV-P #098 Detective Pikachu promo, PSA 10, currently listed at ¥45,735 (~$297) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), is a 2023 early-purchase bonus for the Detective Pikachu Returns Nintendo Switch game — not a movie card.
- The SMP2 Mewtwo-GX RR (017/024) is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through Quick Order.
- The SV-P #098 Detective Pikachu promo is currently listed at ¥45,735 (~$297) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order).
- SNKRDUNK’s lowest asks on September 23, 2026 for SV-P #098: ¥18,000 raw, ¥88,000 PSA 10.
- No current SNKRDUNK figure in this update for the SMP2 Mewtwo-GX RR (017/024) print.
- SNKRDUNK’s lowest ask on September 23, 2026 for the SMP2 Detective Pikachu U (014/024) print: ¥2,300 raw (no PSA 10 listing found).
- USD figures convert at ¥154/USD, approximate.
Store prices are as of September 23, 2026; marketplace figures are dated SNKRDUNK asks.
Two Detective Pikachu Cards, Two Different Origins
“Detective Pikachu” has been used as a tie-in theme more than once in the Japanese Pokemon TCG. This guide focuses on the two releases most often confused, which sit four years apart with almost no connective tissue between them:
| Release | Year | Tied to | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMP2 Movie Special Pack | 2019 | Live-action film, POKÉMON Detective Pikachu | 25-card special pack (Japanese) |
| SV-P #098 | 2023 | Nintendo Switch game, Detective Pikachu Returns | Single promo card, early-purchase bonus |
The first is a full booster-pack-style product built around a movie. The second is a single promo card handed out with a video game — and, despite the name overlap, it has nothing to do with the film. The sections below cover each one on its own terms.
The 2019 Movie Tie-In: SMP2 Movie Special Pack
The full Japanese name is Movie Special Pack Detective Pikachu (ムービースペシャルパック 名探偵ピカチュウ). It released in Japan on April 26, 2019, ahead of the live-action film’s release — the English version had actually released slightly earlier, on March 29, 2019.
The Japanese version runs 25 cards, noticeably more than the English release’s 18. The two versions also differ in what they lead with: the Japanese pack features Charizard-GX, Mewtwo-GX and Greninja-GX as its headline chases, while the English pack put Detective Pikachu himself in as a Rare Holo. The Japanese pack also includes its own Detective Pikachu U card at 014/024; its lowest SNKRDUNK ask on September 23, 2026 was ¥2,300 raw (no PSA 10 listing found). Lower in the pack, both versions include the smaller cast the movie leans on for comic relief — Bulbasaur (001/024, Common) and Psyduck both appear.
What made this pack visually distinct at the time was its artwork. Cards used 3D renders created by Moving Picture Company (MPC) and Framestore, the visual-effects studios that worked on the film itself — a different look from the painted illustration style most Japanese sets use.
Distribution also worked differently in each region. English packs were sold exclusively inside merchandise bundles rather than as standalone booster boxes. Japanese packs, by contrast, were sold as a box containing the full 25-card set — a more straightforward format for anyone chasing the whole checklist.
Our PSA 10 Mewtwo-GX RR (SMP2 017/024) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through Quick Order. For more on grading Pikachu-family cards from this general era, see our PSA 10 Pikachu buying guide.
The 2023 Game Promo: Detective Pikachu SV-P #098
This is the correction worth making up front: SV-P #098 is not a movie card. It was distributed as an early-purchase bonus with physical purchases of Detective Pikachu Returns, a Nintendo Switch game, in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The game released on October 6, 2023, and this card came bundled with early physical purchases at that time — four years after the movie, and unconnected to it.
Detective Pikachu, as a character, is the protagonist of both the original Detective Pikachu game and its 2023 sequel Detective Pikachu Returns. The card leans on that game continuity rather than the film.
The card is cataloged as SV-P #098 — part of the ongoing Scarlet & Violet-era Japanese promo card line, not a numbered set of its own. As of this writing, it hasn’t received an official English-language release, so any copy sold in English-speaking markets is the Japanese print itself, not a separate English edition.
SNKRDUNK’s lowest asks on September 23, 2026 were ¥18,000 raw and ¥88,000 PSA 10 for this print.
View Product → (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order)
SV-P #098 Card Specs at a Glance
For collectors who want the printed details rather than just the backstory:
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Card number | SV-P 098/SV-P |
| Type | Lightning |
| Stage | Basic |
| HP | 90 |
| Weakness | Fighting ×2 |
| Retreat cost | Colorless ×1 |
| Attack 1 | All-Out Investigation (Colorless ×1) — flip coins repeatedly, draw a card for each heads flipped |
| Attack 2 | Ride Dash (Colorless ×3) — 50 damage |
| Rarity | Holographic Full Art |
| Illustrator | MINAMINAMI Take |
It never had a standard booster-pack pull rate, because it was never in a booster pack.
Why the Movie and the Game Aren’t the Same Story
It’s an easy mix-up: same character name, same yellow deerstalker hat, four years apart. But the two releases don’t share a source, a set, or a distribution channel:
- SMP2 (2019) is a multi-card special pack tied to the live-action movie, with 3D artwork sourced from the film’s own VFX studios.
- SV-P #098 (2023) is a single promo card tied to a Nintendo Switch game sequel, with painted illustration by MINAMINAMI Take, and no film connection at all.
If a listing describes SV-P #098 as a “movie promo” or ties it to the 2019 film, treat that as a labeling error rather than fact. The card’s own distribution history — an early-purchase bonus for Detective Pikachu Returns — ties it to the 2023 game, not the movie.
If you’re building out a broader Pikachu collection rather than chasing these two specifically, our top 10 Pikachu Japanese cards guide covers the wider field, and since SMP2 sits inside the Sun & Moon print era, our Sun & Moon era guide places it alongside the mainline sets released around the same time.
Where to Buy Detective Pikachu Cards from Japan
We ship Japanese sealed product and graded singles from Tokyo. For Detective Pikachu specifically:
- SMP2 movie pack — PSA 10 Mewtwo-GX RR (017/024) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) is sold out at the time of this update — restock requests go through Quick Order.
- SV-P #098 game promo — PSA 10 Detective Pikachu promo, currently listed at ¥45,735 (~$297) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order).
- More graded Pikachu-family singles — browse our full PSA 10 collection, or use our Quick Order page to build a mixed order or ask us to source a card we don’t currently list.
For grading-specific buying advice across the Pikachu line, our PSA 10 Pikachu buying guide is the next stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SV-P #098 Detective Pikachu a movie card?
No. It’s an early-purchase bonus with physical purchases of Detective Pikachu Returns, a Nintendo Switch game released October 6, 2023, in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. It has no connection to the 2019 live-action film.
What is the SMP2 Movie Special Pack?
Movie Special Pack Detective Pikachu (SMP2) is a 25-card Japanese special pack released April 26, 2019, timed to the live-action POKÉMON Detective Pikachu film. It features 3D card artwork from Moving Picture Company and Framestore, the film’s VFX studios, and its headline cards are Charizard-GX, Mewtwo-GX and Greninja-GX.
How many cards are in the SMP2 pack?
The Japanese release contains 25 cards. The English release, which came out earlier (March 29, 2019, versus Japan’s April 26, 2019), contains 18 cards and features Detective Pikachu himself as a Rare Holo. The Japanese release also includes its own Detective Pikachu U card at 014/024.
What type is the SV-P #098 Detective Pikachu card?
It’s a Lightning-type Basic Pokemon with 90 HP, Fighting-type weakness (×2), a 1-Colorless retreat cost, and two attacks: All-Out Investigation (flip coins repeatedly, draw a card for each heads) and Ride Dash (50 damage for Colorless ×3). It’s a Holographic Full Art promo illustrated by MINAMINAMI Take.
Has SV-P #098 been released in English?
Not as of this writing. It has not received an official English-language release, so it remains a Japan-first (plus South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong) promo.
Is the SMP2 Mewtwo-GX RR currently available?
No. It is sold out at the time of this update; restock requests go through Quick Order. The SV-P #098 Detective Pikachu promo is currently listed.
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