If you’ve been scrolling through card market listings or Discord trade channels lately, you've probably seen it. The Pikachu ex 179/131. It’s not the flashiest card ever printed—honestly, it doesn't have the high-octane glitter of some of the earlier Sword & Shield era Chases—but there is something about this specific Special Art Rare (SAR) from the Japanese Crimson Haze set that just hits different.
You know how some cards feel like they were made by a corporate committee? This isn't that. It’s part of the Scarlet & Violet era's shift toward "storytelling" cards.
The Pikachu ex 179/131 isn't just a game piece; it’s a vibe. It features Pikachu basically chilling in a cluttered, cozy room, and for collectors who are tired of the same "Pikachu jumping through lightning" trope, this was a breath of fresh air. But beyond the art, there’s a weirdly complex market dynamic happening here that most casual fans are completely missing.
The Crimson Haze Context: More Than Just a Pre-Evolution Set
To understand why people are hunting the Pikachu ex 179/131, you have to look at where it came from. Crimson Haze was the Japanese subset that eventually fed into our English Twilight Masquerade. Usually, subsets like this get overlooked because they’re smaller. They don't have the massive 200+ card counts of main sets.
However, Crimson Haze leaned hard into the Kitakami region aesthetics.
The Pikachu ex 179/131 is a Special Art Rare, which is the highest rarity tier in this specific Japanese set. If you're cracking boxes, you aren't guaranteed an SAR. You might get one every three or four boxes if you're lucky. That scarcity, combined with the fact that it's, well, Pikachu, created a perfect storm for price stability. While other cards from the set like Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex saw their prices fluctuate wildly based on how good they were in the actual TCG meta, Pikachu stayed stubbornly high.
It’s the "Pikachu Tax." We all know it. It’s real.
But there's a nuance here. Unlike the Grey Felt Hat Pikachu or the Van Gogh promos that saw massive, artificial spikes followed by crashes, the Pikachu ex 179/131 has behaved more like a blue-chip stock. It’s consistent. People want it because it looks good in a binder next to the other "leisurely" cards of this generation.
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Breaking Down the Art: Why 179/131 Stands Out
Let’s talk about the illustrator. Most people don't look at the bottom left of the card, but they should. The artist's touch on the Pikachu ex 179/131 is what makes it "Human Quality." It feels lived-in.
Look at the background. There’s a tea set. There are cushions. There’s a sense of scale that makes Pikachu look like a genuine companion rather than a supernatural monster. This fits into the "slice of life" art direction that Creatures Inc. has been pushing lately.
- The lighting is soft, almost like a sunset filtering through a window.
- The clutter in the room isn't random; it’s designed to make you linger on the card.
- The "ex" holographic pattern interacts with the lamplight in the art.
Honestly, if you compare this to the "Full Art" version (the 173/131), it’s night and day. The standard Full Art is just Pikachu against a stylized green background. It’s fine. It’s okay. But the Pikachu ex 179/131 is a window into a world. Collectors are increasingly moving away from "Rainbow Rares" and toward these narrative illustrations. It’s a trend that started with the Alt Arts in Evolving Skies and has reached its peak here.
Is It Actually Good in the Game?
Short answer: No.
Longer answer: It’s fine for a casual Sunday at the local game store, but you aren't going to see this winning a Regional anytime soon. Its primary attack, "Pika Punch," does a flat 50 damage. That’s nothing in a world of 330 HP Charizard ex cards. Its second attack, "Dynamic Flash," hits for 220, which is respectable, but it forces you to discard all Energy from the card.
That’s a heavy price.
In the current meta, the Pikachu ex 179/131 is basically a trophy. If you see someone playing the SAR version in their deck, they aren't trying to optimize their win rate—they’re flexing. They’re showing off that they have the disposable income to put a $50+ card into a deck where it might get scuffed by a dirty shuffle.
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And hey, I respect that.
The card's Tera typing (usually Lightning in this set, though it’s a Tera card in spirit) doesn't offer enough defensive utility to make it a staple. You’re much better off running Iron Hands ex if you want Lightning-type aggression. But again, nobody is buying the Pikachu ex 179/131 to win a tournament. They’re buying it because it’s the definitive Pikachu card of the 2024-2025 era.
The PSA 10 Trap and Grading Realities
If you’re thinking about grading your Pikachu ex 179/131, you need to be careful. Japanese cards generally have much higher production quality than English cards. This is a known fact. The centering is usually better, the corners are cleaner, and the surface doesn't have those weird "print lines" as often.
Because of this, the "Pop Report" (Population Report) for a PSA 10 is usually quite high.
If everyone has a PSA 10, then a PSA 10 isn't actually rare. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s the reality of modern Japanese collecting. If you want this card to hold value, you should look for copies that have perfect "top-to-bottom" centering. Even a half-millimeter shift can be the difference between a card that sells for a premium and one that just sits on eBay for months.
How to Spot a Fake (Because They Exist)
Because the Pikachu ex 179/131 is a high-value card, the bootleggers are already all over it. I’ve seen some pretty convincing fakes coming out of overseas marketplaces.
- The Texture Test: The real SAR has a very specific, micro-etched texture. If you run your thumb over the card (carefully!), you should feel ridges that follow the art. If it’s smooth or feels "greasy," it’s a fake.
- The Shine: Fake cards often have a vertical holographic shine. Real Japanese ex cards have a more subtle, diagonal, or "shattered" light reflection that doesn't overwhelm the artwork.
- The Font: Look at the "HP" text. Fakes almost always get the font weight wrong. It’ll either be too thin or too bold.
The Financial Outlook: Is it a Buy or a Sell?
Market analysts (and guys who just spend too much time on TCGPlayer) are divided. Some think that because this is a "subset" card, it will eventually go out of print and skyrocket. Others argue that since it’s been reprinted in various forms (like the English Stellar Crown or Surging Sparks eras depending on the specific release window), the supply will eventually catch up.
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Personally? I think the Pikachu ex 179/131 is a "hold."
It’s the kind of card that people look back on five years later and say, "Man, I should have bought that when it was $60." It captures the aesthetic of the Scarlet & Violet era perfectly. It’s not about the power creep; it’s about the art.
Actionable Steps for Collectors
If you’re serious about adding this to your collection, don't just buy the first one you see. Prices for the Pikachu ex 179/131 vary wildly based on the platform.
- Check Mercari Japan: If you use a proxy service like Buyee or ZenMarket, you can often find these for 20% less than Western prices. Japanese collectors often list cards for what they're actually worth locally, rather than the "influencer-inflated" prices we see on Instagram.
- Inspect the back corners: Japanese cards are notorious for "whitening" on the bottom right corner. Even a tiny speck of white will drop the grade from a 10 to a 9.
- Wait for the "Mid-Set" Slump: Usually, about 6–8 months after a set releases, the hype dies down before the "nostalgia" cycle begins. That’s your window to buy.
The Pikachu ex 179/131 isn't just a piece of cardboard. It’s a snapshot of a time when the Pokémon Company realized that fans wanted more than just high damage numbers—they wanted to see their favorite electric mouse actually living in the world they've been playing in for thirty years. Whether you're a hardcore investor or just someone who likes cool art, this card is worth the shelf space.
Next Steps for Your Collection
To get the most out of your search for this card, start by comparing the current "Sold" listings on eBay rather than the "Buy It Now" prices. This gives you the actual market floor. Additionally, if you're buying raw, request high-resolution photos of the card surface under a direct light source to check for any "print lines" that might be invisible in standard scans. Keeping an eye on the Japanese "Yuyu-Tei" price charts will also give you an early warning if the market is about to shift, as Western prices usually follow Japanese trends by about two to three weeks.