Released February 7, 2020, S1a “VMAXライジング” (VMAX Rising) was one of the first Sword & Shield–era Japanese sets built around the VMAX mechanic — and it’s still one of the earliest boxes international buyers ask us about when they’re tracing the roots of the VMAX era back to its source.
It’s a compact set by modern high-class-pack standards: 78 cards catalogued in total, headlined by a run of eight secret rares rather than a sprawling art-rare tier. That makes it a straightforward box to understand before you buy — there’s no ambiguity about what you’re chasing.
This guide covers exactly what’s inside an S1a VMAX Rising box, which eight cards make up its secret-rare chase tier, how our own listings for this set are structured, and how it compares to the English set it maps to. We ship Japanese sealed product and PSA-graded singles out of Tokyo, so the pricing below reflects what’s actually listed on our site today.
S1a VMAX Rising is 78 cataloged cards (70 numbered main-set cards plus 8 secret rares numbered 071–078/070). The secret-rare chase tier is six –V cards and two Supporter secret rares — Sonia and Milo — not VMAX Pokemon. Our S1A VMAX Rising booster box is currently listed at ¥94,500 (~$594), and the PSA 10 Sonia SR 077/070, currently listed at ¥59,024 (~$371).
Prices below are our current listed prices, converted at ¥159/USD (September 2026).
What’s in an S1a VMAX Rising Box
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Official JP name | VMAXライジング (VMAX Rising) |
| Set code | S1a |
| JP release date | February 7, 2020 |
| Packs per box | 30 |
| Cards per pack | 5 |
| Box price (MSRP) | ¥4,950 |
The 78 cataloged cards split into a numbered main set and a secret-rare tier that shares the same denominator:
| Tier | Rarity | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Main set (70) | Common | 30 |
| Uncommon | 23 | |
| Rare | 8 | |
| Double Rare | 6 | |
| Secret tier (8) | SR Secret Rare | 8 |
| — | — |
That’s 30 + 23 + 8 + 6 = 67 rarity-labelled main-set cards, plus 3 additional main-set cards catalogued without a rarity label, for 70 main-set cards total — and 8 secret rares on top, for 78 cards overall. Product listings for this set print card numbers against a /070 denominator: the main set runs 001–070, and the eight secret rares continue the same numbering as 071/070 through 078/070.
Chase Cards in VMAX Rising
The set’s chase tier is the eight secret rares numbered 071/070 through 078/070. Despite the set’s name, none of them are VMAX Pokemon — the tier is six –V cards plus two Supporter secret rares:
| # | Card | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 071/070 | Rillaboom-V | Pokemon V |
| 072/070 | Cinderace-V | Pokemon V |
| 073/070 | Inteleon-V | Pokemon V |
| 074/070 | Boltund-V | Pokemon V |
| 075/070 | Sandaconda-V | Pokemon V |
| 076/070 | Dubwool-V | Pokemon V |
| 077/070 | Sonia | Supporter |
| 078/070 | Milo | Supporter |
You may see this set’s chase cards described elsewhere as Dragapult VMAX, Toxtricity VMAX, or Boss’s Orders (Giovanni) — none of those three appear in the catalogued 78-card S1a list above. The verified secret-rare tier is the eight cards in the table: six –V Pokemon and two Supporter secret rares.
Here’s a closer look at five of the eight, including the two we currently list as graded singles:
Of the eight, Sonia 077/070 is the one with a graded single listed directly: PSA 10 Sonia SR 077/070, currently listed at ¥59,024 (~$371). Our catalog also carries a second Sonia print listed as 082/070, PSA 10 currently listed at ¥15,339 (~$96); that card number falls outside the confirmed 78-card range above, so treat the “082/070” numbering on that specific listing as unconfirmed, even though the card itself is a real, currently listed product.
Regular Box vs Damaged Box vs No Shrink on Our Site
Across the sealed boxes we list, listings can appear as a standard sealed box, a Damaged Box (cosmetic damage to the outer box, factory-sealed contents), or a No Shrink listing (original shrink wrap removed, contents still sealed) — each priced and listed separately when it exists.
For S1a VMAX Rising specifically, the only sealed product currently listed on our site is the standard box: S1A-VMAX Rising Japanese Pokemon Booster Box, currently listed at ¥94,500 (~$594). There is no Damaged Box or No Shrink listing for this set at the moment. If one becomes available, it will appear alongside the standard listing on the product page; in the meantime, sourcing requests for either variant go through Quick Order.
Japanese vs English Version of This Set
S1a VMAX Rising’s English equivalent is Rebel Clash (swsh2). Our Rebel Clash Card List bridge article covers this in full — the English Rebel Clash set is built from two Japanese sets, S1a VMAX Rising and S2 Rebellion Crash, rather than a single one-to-one Japanese counterpart. For the specific English chase cards from Rebel Clash and how they map back to their Japanese prints across both S1a and S2, see our Rebel Clash chase cards guide — that article works from the English side inward; this one works from the S1a box outward.
One correction worth making here: S1a VMAX Rising is sometimes described as the set that introduced the VMAX mechanic. It doesn’t — S1H Shield V, released December 6, 2019, already carried VMAX cards (Morpeko-VMAX and Snorlax-VMAX) roughly two months before S1a’s February 7, 2020 release. S1a is a very early VMAX-era set, just not the first one. See our S1H Shield V booster box buying guide for that earlier set.
For a closer look at how one of this set’s Pokemon carries across other Japanese VMAX Rising–era prints, see our Grimmsnarl Japanese cards guide.
Where to Buy a VMAX Rising Booster Box from Tokyo
We ship sealed S1a VMAX Rising boxes and PSA 10–graded singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. Alongside the box above, our two currently listed S1a singles are PSA 10 Sonia SR 077/070 (¥59,024, ~$371) and PSA 10 Sonia 082/070 (¥15,339, ~$96). Browse the wider category in our Japanese Pokemon booster box collection or our PSA 10 graded card collection.
For the rest of the set — including the six secret rares we don’t currently have graded singles for — our complete VMAX Rising (S1a) card list has the full 78-card checklist, and our S1a pull rates and best cards guide covers the set’s broader secondary-market context (note: that article’s chase-card names differ from the verified list above — the eight secret rares in this guide are the ones confirmed against the catalogued card list). If you’re after a specific single not listed here, or if you’re comparing this box to a later VMAX/VSTAR-era release, our VSTAR Universe booster box buying guide is a useful comparison, and the Quick Order page is the fastest way to flag anything not currently listed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is S1a VMAX Rising and when was it released?
S1a VMAX Rising (JP: VMAXライジング) is a Japanese Pokemon TCG set released February 7, 2020. It’s catalogued at 78 cards total: 70 main-set cards plus 8 secret rares.
What are the chase cards in VMAX Rising?
The chase tier is the eight secret rares numbered 071/070 through 078/070: six –V Pokemon (Rillaboom-V, Cinderace-V, Inteleon-V, Boltund-V, Sandaconda-V, Dubwool-V) and two Supporter secret rares (Sonia, Milo).
Was VMAX Rising the first VMAX set?
No. S1H Shield V, released December 6, 2019, already included VMAX cards (Morpeko-VMAX and Snorlax-VMAX) about two months before S1a’s February 7, 2020 release. S1a is an early VMAX-era set, not the first one.
What’s inside a VMAX Rising booster box?
Each box has 30 packs of 5 cards, drawn from the 78-card set: 70 main-set cards (30 Common, 23 Uncommon, 8 Rare, 6 Double Rare, plus 3 without a rarity label) and 8 secret rares. The box MSRP was ¥4,950.
What is the English equivalent of VMAX Rising?
Rebel Clash (swsh2). The English set draws from two Japanese sets — S1a VMAX Rising and S2 Rebellion Crash — rather than mapping to a single Japanese set one-to-one.
Does samuraiswordtokyo.com currently list every VMAX Rising secret rare as a single?
No — the sealed booster box plus two Sonia PSA 10 singles (077/070 and 082/070) are currently listed. The other secret rares aren’t currently listed as singles; sourcing requests for them go through Quick Order.
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