Blaziken VMAX (Secret Rare - Alternate Art) [Chilling Reign 201/198]

Name: Blaziken VMAX (Secret Rare - Alternate Art) [Chilling Reign 201/198]
Brand: adeboer
Availability: LimitedAvailability

A textured holographic Pokémon card featuring a giant Blaziken VMAX attacking a building, numbered 201/198 from the Chilling Reign set.

Estimated value

$160 - $210

Rarity

Rare(7/10)

BLAZIKEN VMAX (SECRET RARE - ALTERNATE ART) [CHILLING REIGN 201/198]: IDENTIFICATION

A high-tier English TCG card featuring Blaziken in its Gigantamax form. The 'Alternate Art' or 'Special Illustration' features a dynamic scene where the Pokémon is depicted interacting with a traditional Japanese-style building, illustrating its massive scale. This card is a Secret Rare from the SWSH06 Chilling Reign set, identified by the 201/198 numbering. It features a full-card 'Rapid Strike' designation and a textured holofoil finish characteristic of the Sword & Shield era's premium rarities.

Compare with other trading cards in the archive: Blaziken VMAX (Alternate Art Secret Rare) [Chilling Reign 201/198], Boldore - Sun & Moon: Guardians Rising (Common) [SM2A 70/149], Cavallone Tropicale (Tropical Tidal Wave) - Italian 2006 World Championships Promo #36.

SET RELEASE & PRINT RUN

Released in June 2021 as part of the Chilling Reign expansion, this card quickly became one of the 'Big Three' chases of the set alongside Galarian Moltres V and Snorlax. Blaziken, the final evolution of the Hoenn region fire starter Torchic, has maintained significant popularity since its debut in Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire. This specific VMAX variant represents the peak of modern card design, utilizing 'Alternate Art' to tell a visual story rather than just displaying a character portrait, a trend that significantly drove the market boom of the early 2020s.

SCARCITY

Rare90-95%

CommonLegendary

Exceptional items that serious collectors actively seek. Only a handful appear at major auctions each year.

Rarity 7/10. Curiosa currently catalogues 18 trading cards items at rarity 7 or higher.

Typical Characteristics

Few examples at auction yearly
Specialist dealer networks
Strong collector competition

Confidence Factors

High value makes this a target for fakes, but the visible texture pattern matches authentic SWSH-era etchings.
The rainbow vertical 'flare' from the light source is a positive indicator of genuine foil behavior.

How does authenticity detection work?

GRADING EXPERT'S TAKE

Trading Card Market Analyst

Card Specialist

The card exhibits the correct artwork and layout for a high-value chase card, and visible light diffraction suggests authentic texture, though centering and minor edge wear are visible.

KEY EVIDENCE

1Set number 201/198 confirms Secret Rare status.
2Unique 'Alt Art' illustration by Shigenori Negishi.
3Correct font and spacing for Sword & Shield era English cards.
4Visible surface texture/etching lines crossing the artwork.

UNCERTAINTIES

•Photo taken without a protective sleeve or top-loader, increasing risk of surface scratches.
•Lighting creates a 'rainbow' wash that can sometimes mask the absence of real texture on counterfeits.

WHAT WOULD IMPROVE CERTAINTY

→Place the card in a soft sleeve and rigid top-loader immediately.
→Provide a high-resolution photo of the card back to check for 'whitening' on edges and corners.
→Take a photo at a sharp angle to confirm the micro-etched texture is circular/swirled as expected.

CONDITION & GRADE

PSA 8-9

Grading breakdown

Centering looks slightly off (60/40 bottom/top). Visible white speckling on the bottom edge suggests minor storage wear, likely preventing a Gem Mint grade.