Gem Pack Vol. 5 in China: new Pokémon Horizons cards (April 24)

Quick summary

The Gem Pack Vol. 5 will arrive in China on April 24 with Pokémon Horizons cards and new Illustration Rares. Learn about the confirmed cards, the holo system, and how many variants the set includes.

Gem Pack Vol. 5 release date in China

The Gem Pack Volume 5 will be released in China on April 24. As with the previous Gem Packs (the first one launched in January 2025), this booster focuses on Pokémon Horizons cards.

What new cards it brings from Pokémon Horizons

This set includes new Illustration Rares associated with the series. The ones confirmed so far are:

The news also clarifies that, in essence, these cards are evolutions of cards previously included in the Gem Pack 1, with the particularity that Captain Pikachu functions as an alternative art reprint.

• Captain Pikachu (with Friede) — Illustration Rare with special artwork
• Meowscarada (with Liko) — Illustration Rare
• Sprigatito (with Roy) — Illustration Rare
• Quaxwell (with Dot) — Illustration Rare

How the booster works: holo and variations

Just like all Gem Packs, each 4-card pack includes four holos. In addition, the set’s contents are structured to offer:

This means the set’s “holo universe” is made up of many versions per creature, and the variant list is presented by Pokémon (for example, using Meowscarada as the visual reference in the announcement).

• 28 different Pokémon you can get.
• For each one, 6 different holo variations, numbered separately.

Total cards and Illustration Rares per Pokémon

In addition to the holo variations, each of the 28 Pokémon also appears as an Illustration Rare, adding cards dedicated to the illustrated style. As confirmed:

Among those 196, the set includes:

The same information specifies that, aside from the 4 newcomers, the rest of the Illustration Rares should correspond to IRs that have already been released in English.

• Each Pokémon will have 7 cards total (counting holos and its corresponding Illustration Rare).
• The full set will have 196 cards total.
• The 4 new Illustration Rares mentioned above.
• The 6 additional Illustration Rares that still appear later in the announcement details.
• Other 18 Illustration Rares not revealed yet.

What to expect when buying: confirmed list and real expectations

Given the information available, what’s most useful for collectors is to identify which Illustration Rares are already confirmed for this Gem Pack Vol. 5 (Captain Pikachu, Meowscarada, Sprigatito, and Quaxwell) and to assume the product’s structure: 4 cards per booster, all holo, and an expanded collection with up to 6 holo variations per Pokémon.

If your goal is to complete a specific Pokémon from the set, remember that the format combines numbered variants and also the Illustration Rare version, totaling the number that leads to 196 cards.