Pichu — ピチュー in Japanese — is Pikachu’s Basic-stage pre-evolution, and its Japanese card history runs almost entirely through promos rather than standard booster pulls. A search of Limitless’s modern-database filter for Pichu turns up just three current-era prints, but the fuller Japanese picture stretches back seventeen years earlier, into a run of store and movie-tie-in promotional cards that never shipped inside a Pichu-specific box at all.
This pichu pokemon card guide covers every Japanese Pichu print we’ve verified: a 2008 store promo, a 2009 movie promo (the well-known Spiky-eared Pichu M), a current-generation Sword & Shield-era promo, and the two most recent “Hibiki’s Pichu” prints. None of the five came out of a set we list sealed today, so rather than pointing you at a box, this guide leads to the three PSA 10-graded Pichu singles we currently list.
Five Japanese Pichu prints verified here, spanning 2008–2025 across four eras — none from a currently-stocked booster box. The oldest is the 2008 DP-P 112 store promo, currently listed as PSA 10 Pichu [DP-P 112] at ¥328,040 (~$2,063). The 2009 movie-tie-in Spiky-eared Pichu M is currently listed as PSA 10 Spiky-eared Pichu M [010/022] at ¥257,240 (~$1,618). Exchange rate used throughout: ¥159/USD (September 2026).
Every Verified Japanese Pichu Card
Five Pichu prints across roughly seventeen years, from a 2008 store handout to a late-2025 starter-deck reprint:
| Card | Set / Number | Rarity | Illustrator | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pichu | DP-P 112 | Promo | reported: Midori Harada (unconfirmed) | 19 Jul 2008 |
| Spiky-eared Pichu M | Movie Random Pack 010/022 | Promo | Takahiro Yamashita | 18 Jul 2009 |
| Mischievous Pichu | S-P 214 | Promo | Akira Komayama | Sword & Shield era (exact date not verified) |
| Hibiki’s Pichu | SV9a 036 | Common | Narumi Sato | Heat Wave Arena (SV9a) |
| Hibiki’s Pichu (reprint) | MC 241 | — | Narumi Sato | 19 Dec 2025, Start Deck 100 Battle Collection (MC) |
Two patterns stand out. First, three of the five prints are event or store promos that never ran through a standard booster box — the 2008 DP-P handout, the 2009 movie pack, and the current Sword & Shield-era S-P promo. Second, the two newest prints share the same artwork and illustrator: SV9a 036 and its MC 241 reprint are the same “Hibiki’s Pichu” card released in two different products.
If your card reads “DP-P” or has a movie-pack number like 010/022, you’re holding one of the two vintage event promos. If it reads “S-P 214,” “SV9a 036,” or “MC 241,” it’s one of the three current-generation prints instead.
The 2008 Store Promo: DP-P 112
The earliest Japanese Pichu print we’ve verified is DP-P 112, a plain Pichu distributed as part of the “Collection Challenge: Trade Please DP” event. It went out at participating store chains starting 19 July 2008, while supplies lasted, rather than through a booster box. A secondary source names Midori Harada as illustrator, but that credit is not independently confirmed, so we’re flagging it as reported rather than verified.
Because it moved through a limited-run store event rather than random pack distribution, DP-P 112 sits in the promo tier alongside the other two promotional Pichu prints in this guide.
The 2009 Movie Promo: Spiky-eared Pichu M
A year later, the Movie Commemoration Random Pack tied to the Japanese theatrical release of Arceus: To a Conquering Spacetime (18 July 2009) introduced ギザミミピチュー M — Spiky-eared Pichu M — illustrated by Takahiro Yamashita. Card 010/022 is one of three art variants (009–011/022) covering the same Spiky-eared Pichu concept within that random pack, distributed at cinemas rather than through regular retail.
A separate detail worth knowing: Bulbapedia also documents a run of additional Spiky-eared Pichu variants distributed the same month through Shogakukan magazines, produced via a fan illustration contest (credited winners include Shunsuke Takemori, Haruka Uekura, Taisei Fujita, Keita Mizuno, Mahiro Shinozaki, and Shizuka Kusakabe). Those magazine-contest cards are a distinct product from the Movie Random Pack numbers above — they’re a different distribution channel and a different print, not another copy of 010/022.
The Modern Prints: Mischievous Pichu and Hibiki’s Pichu
いたずら好きのピチュー — Mischievous Pichu, S-P 214 — is a current Sword & Shield-era Japanese promo illustrated by Akira Komayama. According to Limitless, this specific print has not been released internationally, which is why the card doesn’t turn up in English set checklists.
The two newest Pichu prints are both titled ヒビキのピチュー — Hibiki’s Pichu — and share the same Narumi Sato artwork. SV9a 036 comes from Heat Wave Arena; MC 241 is a reprint of the same card released 19 Dec 2025 in Start Deck 100 Battle Collection. On the English side, the equivalent card is Ethan’s Pichu, #71 in Destined Rivals (DRI) — the vintage 2008 and 2009 event promos have no directly equivalent English-set release in the records we’ve checked.
For more on how modern Scarlet & Violet-era rarity treatments are structured across recent Japanese sets, see our Master Ball Mirror Pokemon cards guide.
Chase Prints and What Makes Them Collectible
Pichu’s Japanese card list splits cleanly into two rarity tiers. The three promos — DP-P 112, Spiky-eared Pichu M, and Mischievous Pichu — all moved through event or store distribution rather than standard booster packs, which puts them in a scarcer structural tier than a normal set pull. The two Hibiki’s Pichu prints, by contrast, are standard common-rarity cards issued through their respective set and starter-deck releases.
Within the promo group, Spiky-eared Pichu M ties directly to a specific theatrical release and a distinct alternate-art concept rather than a plain reissue of the standard Pichu artwork. DP-P 112 is the oldest print in the lineup and distributed through a “Trade Please” event at participating store chains rather than a film tie-in. Mischievous Pichu is the newest promo and the only one of the three confirmed as not released outside Japan.
Where These Pichu Prints Come From
None of the five prints above are anchored to a Pichu-specific booster box, and we don’t currently list sealed product from the sets and products they came out of. The two vintage promos (DP-P 112, Spiky-eared Pichu M) and the current Mischievous Pichu print were never distributed through a standard booster box at all — they went out via store events and a movie-tie-in random pack. The two Hibiki’s Pichu prints are ordinary common-rarity pulls from Heat Wave Arena (SV9a) and the Start Deck 100 Battle Collection (MC) respectively, but neither product is part of our current sealed lineup.
That makes the direct route to owning any of these five cards the graded singles below, or a sourcing request through our Quick Order page for the specific print you’re after.
Where to Buy Pichu Cards from Tokyo
We ship Japanese cards worldwide out of Tokyo with tracked delivery. The Pichu prints currently listed on our site are PSA 10 graded singles:
- PSA 10 Pichu [DP-P 112] — currently listed at ¥328,040 (~$2,063)
- PSA 10 Spiky-eared Pichu M [010/022] — currently listed at ¥257,240 (~$1,618)
- PSA 10 Mischievous Pichu [S-P 214] — currently listed at ¥17,803 (~$112)
Browse the wider PSA 10 graded card collection for other Japanese promos and chase singles, or request a quote via Quick Order for the Hibiki’s Pichu prints or any Pichu card not listed above — no timing guarantees, but sourcing requests for specific cards go through that page. For more PSA 10 promo content in this style, see our PSA 10 trainer cards Japanese Pokemon guide, and if you’re browsing by Pokedex order across generations, our Pokemon 151 Japanese card list is a related hub to continue from.
This guide is also part of a wider collector-guide cluster covering other classic Japanese prints — see our Kabuto cards guide, Kadabra cards guide, and Bonsly cards guide for more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Japanese Pichu card prints are there?
Five prints verified in this guide, spanning 2008 to 2025 across four eras: a 2008 store promo (DP-P 112), a 2009 movie promo (Spiky-eared Pichu M), a Sword & Shield-era promo (Mischievous Pichu, S-P 214), and two “Hibiki’s Pichu” prints (SV9a 036 and its MC 241 reprint).
What is Spiky-eared Pichu?
Spiky-eared Pichu M is a Japanese promo card, number 010/022 from the Movie Commemoration Random Pack tied to the 18 July 2009 theatrical release of Arceus: To a Conquering Spacetime, illustrated by Takahiro Yamashita. It’s one of three art variants (009–011/022) distributed through that pack; a separate set of contest-winner variants was distributed the same month via Shogakukan magazines and is a different card.
What is the oldest Japanese Pichu card?
DP-P 112, a plain Pichu distributed through the “Collection Challenge: Trade Please DP” store event starting 19 July 2008. It’s the earliest Japanese Pichu print verified in this guide.
Is there an English version of these Pichu promos?
The 2008 and 2009 event promos don’t have a directly equivalent English-set release in the records we’ve checked. The two modern “Hibiki’s Pichu” prints correspond to Ethan’s Pichu, #71 in the English Destined Rivals (DRI) set.
What’s the difference between the SV9a and MC prints of Hibiki’s Pichu?
They’re the same card and the same Narumi Sato artwork. SV9a 036 comes from Heat Wave Arena; MC 241 is a reprint released 19 Dec 2025 in the Start Deck 100 Battle Collection.
Where can I buy Japanese Pichu cards?
We ship from Tokyo with tracked delivery. PSA 10 graded Pichu singles are currently listed — DP-P 112, Spiky-eared Pichu M [010/022], and Mischievous Pichu [S-P 214] — and sourcing requests for the Hibiki’s Pichu prints or any other Pichu card go through our Quick Order page.
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