Japanese Version Pokémon 151 Master Ball Complete Set Card Count: SV2a Guide

Japanese version Pokémon 151 Master Ball complete set card count comes down to the official SV2a (SV2A) pages: each pack holds 7 cards, and the Monster Ball card file set holds 5 packs plus 3 promo cards, which is 38 cards. This guide covers the Japanese edition of Expansion Pack “Pokémon Card 151” and its Monster Ball pattern.

Updated November 9, 2026

Related set: the 30th Celebration MEGA Booster Box (unsealed) is a different set from Pokémon Card 151 and is mentioned only as a related option.

What Is the Japanese Version Pokémon 151 Master Ball Set?

It is the Monster Ball card file set from the Japanese Pokémon Card 151 release, together with the Monster Ball pattern finish used on some cards in the set. The official SV2a page lists two card file sets at ¥2,200 each: one named Monster Ball, and one for Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise (official SV2a page).

“Monster Ball” is the word the official page uses. “Master Ball set” is not the official name of this product, so when you read Japanese product names, match the name Monster Ball, the code SV2a and the set name Pokémon Card 151.

Pokémon Card 151 belongs to the Scarlet & Violet series. Its theme is the original 151 Pokémon, arranged in Pokédex number order from Bulbasaur to Mew. The pack price was ¥290 with tax, and each pack holds 7 cards that are randomly inserted.

If you want the wider picture of the Scarlet & Violet era, our guide to the most expensive Scarlet & Violet Pokémon cards covers Japanese listings from the series.

The product page also lists what the set is built around: 151 Pokémon, 12 ex Pokémon, AR, SAR and SR rarities, a group of Trainer cards, three fossil cards and a quiz called Pokémon Card 151 Challenge. Later sections go through each of these so you can see which numbers are official and which are our own arithmetic.

How Many Cards Are in the Japanese 151 Monster Ball Card File Set?

The Monster Ball card file set holds 38 cards: 5 expansion packs of 7 cards each (35 cards) plus 3 promo cards. The 38 is our arithmetic from the official contents list, which names 1 card file, 5 expansion packs, 1 catalog poster and the Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle promo cards, 1 each (official page).

The pack cards are randomly inserted, so the 35 are not a set list. The promos are named: Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, one each, and both card file sets include them. The official page describes the three promo cards as mirror-style, in line with the Monster Ball pattern theme.

The Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise card file set has the same listed contents: 1 card file, 5 expansion packs, the same three promos and 1 catalog poster. So both sets give you 38 cards by the same arithmetic, and both are priced at ¥2,200.

Price per card inside the card file set

At the list prices on the official page, the 5 packs alone would be ¥1,450 (5 × ¥290). The card file set is ¥2,200, which is ¥750 more than five packs bought at the pack price. That is our arithmetic, and it only compares list prices printed on the official page. Divided across all 38 cards, ¥2,200 is about ¥58 per card.

Compare that with the pack alone: ¥290 for 7 cards is about ¥41 per card.

How Many Cards Do You Need for a Complete Set of Pokémon Card 151?

A complete set means one of every card in the Pokémon Card 151 card list, and the official page gives that list through its card search rather than as one printed total. The page confirms 151 Pokémon from Bulbasaur to Mew in Pokédex order, and it says a full card list is available through the site’s card search (official SV2a page).

Be careful with the number 151 itself. It counts Pokémon, not cards. The page also names Trainer cards and fossil cards, and it highlights AR, SAR and SR rarities, so a list of every card is a different count from a list of 151 Pokémon. If you collect one card per Pokémon, 151 is your target. If you collect every card in the list, use the official card search and count the rows.

A card file set gives you 35 random pack cards and 3 named promos. It is a defined group of 38 cards, but it is not the card list. For a full list, the official card search is the reference.

What Is the Monster Ball Pattern, and Is It the Master Ball Card?

The Monster Ball pattern is a mirror finish that the official SV2a page describes on some cards in Pokémon Card 151, and the Master Ball card has its own official card page under a different set code. The SV2a page states that some cards are mirror cards with a special Monster Ball pattern, and that the three promo cards in the card file sets are also mirror-style (official page).

The Master Ball card is an Item (Goods) card, number 032 / 053, set code SVHK, illustrated by Studio Bora Inc. Its text says to search your deck for a Pokémon, show it to your opponent, add it to your hand and shuffle your deck. It is an ACE SPEC card, so only one copy is allowed per deck (official card page). The code on that page is SVHK, not SV2a.

This matters for the card count. A search for the Master Ball card leads to an Item card with the code SVHK. A search for the Monster Ball pattern leads to a finish described on the SV2a page. Keep the two lists separate and your numbers will match the official pages.

Our most expensive Mewtwo Pokémon cards guide covers Japanese listings for another well-known Kanto Pokémon.

How the finish is described

The official page describes the finish as a mirror (ミラー) treatment with the Monster Ball pattern.

Which Cards Does the Official Pokémon 151 Page Highlight?

The official page highlights 12 ex Pokémon plus AR, SAR and SR cards and a group of Trainer cards. The 12 ex Pokémon are Venusaur ex, Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, Ninetales ex, Wigglytuff ex, Alakazam ex, Arbok ex, Golem ex, Kangaskhan ex, Jynx ex, Zapdos ex and Mew ex (official page).

Three of the 12 ex Pokémon are Venusaur ex, Charizard ex and Blastoise ex. The second card file set is named after those three, and the promos in both card file sets are Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle.

The official site also runs a “Pokémon Card 151 Challenge” quiz with 60-second, 10-second and time attack modes. It does not change the card count, but it is part of the official product page.

What Do the Trainer, Fossil and Promo Cards Add to a 151 Checklist?

They add cards that are not Pokémon-number entries, so a checklist built only from Pokédex numbers will leave them out. The official page names seven Trainer cards and three fossil cards besides the Pokémon (official SV2a page).

The named Trainer cards are Sabrina’s Charisma, Safety Goggles, Erika’s Invitation, Snatch Arm, Leftovers, Mars’s Transfer and Big Balloon. The three fossils are Old Dome Fossil, Old Claw Fossil and Old Amber. Together that is 10 named non-Pokémon cards on the highlight list. The page calls these highlighted cards, so treat the number 10 as the named group, not as the total of Trainer cards in the set.

The promos are a separate group. Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle are listed as promo cards in the card file sets, one each, and the official page describes them as mirror-style. If you track a checklist by set, keep these three on their own line so they are not confused with the pack cards.

The page states that each pack has 7 randomly inserted cards. It does not say how many copies of any named card you will see in a card file set, so plan around randomness for the 35 pack cards.

When Was the Japanese 151 Set Released, and How Is It Sold?

Pokémon Card 151 was released on June 16, 2023, and the official site states that the pack is sold in a made-to-order (受注生産) format via Pokémon Center Online. The release date is on the product page (official SV2a page) and the made-to-order decision is in an official notice titled “Decision on made-to-order production” (official notice).

The two official pages give you the two facts to note: the June 16, 2023 release date and the made-to-order sales format through Pokémon Center Online.

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For any sealed Japanese product, timing also affects dispatch. Our shipping policy says delivery estimates do not include handling time, pre-order release timing, supplier allocation delays or customs processing, and that most orders are processed within 5 business days after PayPal or Wise payment has cleared. Standard shipping is FedEx International Connect Plus with a usual transit time of 3-7 business days, and expedited shipping is FedEx International Priority at 2-5 business days. These transit times are estimates only, and FedEx cannot deliver to P.O. Boxes.

Payment terms in brief

Our payment methods page says all payments are made in Japanese yen. It lists Wise bank transfer, PayPal, credit and debit cards through PayPal, and PayPal Pay Later. A 5% payment processing fee applies to every method except Wise bank transfer.

How Does the 151 Pack Compare With Other Japanese Packs?

A Pokémon Card 151 pack has 7 cards, which is more than a Sword & Shield pack (5), more than a 30th Celebration pack (6) and fewer than the High Class packs listed here (10 and 11). The official pages list the counts and prices below, and the per-card figure is our division of price by cards.

The table shows list prices at release, not what a pack costs on the secondary market today. Use it to see how pack sizes and list prices differ between sets.

Shiny Treasure ex, another Scarlet & Violet release, came out on December 1, 2023. Its page highlights AR and SAR cards such as Palafin, Pawmi, Charizard ex (Tera Dark type) and Gardevoir ex, and says Nest Ball and Ultra Ball were reprinted. VMAX Climax, released December 3, 2021, always includes 1 holo basic Energy card and carries a banner for guaranteed V, VMAX, V-UNION or SR. The Sword & Shield packs were released on December 6, 2019, and the SR cards featured were Beat in Sword and Marnie in Shield.

For readers who collect the Sword & Shield era, see our guide to the most expensive Sword & Shield Pokémon cards.

How Does the Card File Set Compare With Other Japanese Products?

The 38-card Monster Ball card file set costs ¥2,200 and includes a card file and a catalog poster alongside its cards. The comparison below uses official contents lists only.

The Starter Set ex count of 61 is our arithmetic: a 60-card deck plus the 1-card promo pack. The Futuristic Box lists 2 promo cards among its contents. Our Futuristic Box guide covers it in detail.

How Do You Count a Pokémon 151 Collection Without Mistakes?

Count by the product label first, then by card number, and keep Pokémon, packs and cards as three separate numbers. The steps below use only the official facts above.

1. Confirm the set code. Cards from this release belong to SV2a. A card with set code SVHK, such as the Master Ball Item card, is listed under a different code.
2. Count packs, not cards, for sealed product. One pack is 7 cards. Five packs are 35 cards. A card file set adds 3 promos for 38.
3. Add the named promos separately. The three promos are Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle. The pack cards are randomly inserted.
4. Use the official card search for the checklist. The SV2a page points to it for the full list, so build your tick-list there.
5. Mark mirror cards. The official page names the Monster Ball pattern finish, so note it per card rather than per pack.
6. Keep the ex cards on a short list. There are 12, and they are named on the official page.

The most common mistake is mixing “151” the Pokémon count with “151” the set name. The second is treating a card file set as the full card list. The third is treating the Master Ball Item card from SVHK as part of SV2a. Avoid those three and your count will match the official pages.

If you collect more than one Japanese set, keep one list per set code. Pack sizes differ: the 30th Celebration pack has 6 foil cards and always includes 1 Pikachu card and 1 basic Energy card, so an assumption of 7 cards per pack from 151 would be wrong there.

Which Related Japanese Sets Can You Look at While You Wait?

Related Japanese sets from our shop include 30th Celebration, Mega Dream ex and Inferno X. They are different sets from Pokémon Card 151 and have their own card counts and contents.

Our shipping policy notes that stock levels for sealed Japanese trading card products fluctuate frequently, and that if dispatch is delayed we will email you with a revised estimate. These products are related sets only, with their own contents.

Readers who like Eeveelutions may also enjoy our guides to the most expensive Umbreon Pokémon cards and the most expensive Sylveon Pokémon cards.

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