Surging Sparks has 34 Illustration Rares and Special Illustration Rares.
Illustration Rares in Surging Sparks
Illustration Rares (IR) and Special Illustration Rares (SIR) are the full-art, scene-style cards collectors chase hardest. Surging Sparks packs 34 of them into its 252 cards: 23 standard IRs and 11 larger-art SIRs. That puts the full-art count at roughly 13% of the set — a meaningful share of why Surging Sparks is fun to open.
The Surging Sparks full-art cards to hunt
- Pikachu ex (#238) — Special Illustration Rare (~$358.36)
- Latias ex (#239) — Special Illustration Rare (~$194.45)
- Milotic ex (#237) — Special Illustration Rare (~$142.91)
- Hydreigon ex (#240) — Special Illustration Rare (~$43.41)
- Latios (#203) — Illustration Rare (~$38.23)
Star Pokémon with full-art cards in Surging Sparks
The marquee Pokémon getting the IR/SIR treatment here, with their prints:
- Pikachu — Pikachu ex (#57), Pikachu ex (#219), Pikachu ex (#238), Pikachu ex (#247)
- Latias — Latias ex (#76), Latias ex (#220), Latias ex (#239)
- Milotic — Milotic ex (#42), Milotic ex (#217), Milotic ex (#237)
- Hydreigon — Hydreigon ex (#119), Hydreigon ex (#223), Hydreigon ex (#240)
- Latios — Latios (#203)
These cards drive much of Surging Sparks' secondary-market value and help push a full master set to 417 cards. The standout is Pikachu ex (#238), around $358.36.
IR vs SIR in Surging Sparks
If you're prioritising, the 11 Special Illustration Rares are the scarcer, pricier tier — full-bleed art and lower pull rates — while the 23 standard Illustration Rares are more attainable but still some of the best-looking cards in Surging Sparks. Together those 34 full-art cards are the heart of the set's chase and the reason a master set climbs to 417 cards.
Figures are from the pokemontcg.io dataset (TCGplayer pricing), as of June 2026.