What Is Gem Pack Volume 5?
Gem Pack Volume 5 (also written Gem Pack Vol. 5 or Genack Volume 5) is the fifth instalment in the Simplified Chinese Pokémon booster box series. Unlike the main Simplified Chinese set releases — which mirror Japanese and English content — the Gem Pack series is a curated product designed for the Chinese collector market, with its own exclusive card artworks that cannot be found in any other language.
Volume 5 carries the Pokémon Horizons anime theme, featuring Florato (Floragato), Crocalor, and Quaxwell alongside their respective trainers Leo, Roy, and Dot. Captain Pikachu and Freed round out the Horizons cast. The non-exclusive three-star rarities in this set are sourced from four English-era sets: Twilight Masquerade, Shrouded Fable, Stellar Crown, and Surging Sparks.
One notable characteristic of the Gem Pack series: every single card is holographic. Commons, uncommons, stamp cards, and three-star rarities alike all have holo treatments, making every pack feel premium regardless of what you pull.
Box Contents & Pack Structure
Each Gem Pack Volume 5 booster box contains:
- 18 packs per box
- 4 cards per pack
- 72 cards total per box
- Every card is holographic — no non-holo commons
- Pull rates are printed on the back of the box (official 1.81% for three-star rarities)
Card types in each pack
A standard Gem Pack Volume 5 pack contains a predictable structure:
- One Poké Ball reverse holo Pokémon
- One energy reverse holo or Master Ball holo Pokémon
- One star pattern holo or square holo Pokémon (various foil styles)
- One card that could be any rarity — including a stamp card (two-star) or three-star rarity
"Magic packs" — sometimes identifiable by their wrapper design — are the packs most likely to contain the higher-rarity pulls.
Comparing to previous Gem Pack volumes
Volume 5 has 28 three-star rarities versus 18 in Volume 1. This significantly dilutes the chance of hitting any specific exclusive — particularly the four Chinese-only cards. The box structure (18 packs, 4 cards) is consistent with Volumes 3 and 4.
Pull Rate Data: 11 Boxes Across 5 Openers
The data below is aggregated from five separate box-opening sessions documented on video. These are real openings, not simulated or theoretical data. Total sample: approximately 11 boxes, 198 packs.
| Opener | Boxes | 3★ Total | Exclusives | Stamps/Box |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ying (session 1) | 3 | 3 (Stunfisk, Vibrava, 1 other) | 0 | 4–5 |
| Ying (session 2) | 2 | 3 (2 in box 1, 1 in box 2) | 1 (exclusive + AR in box 1) | 4 |
| FY from P4C | 3 | 3 (2 in box 1, 0 in box 2, 1 Hisuan Growlithe in box 3) | 0 | n/a |
| Crystal Collects | 2 | 3 (1 in box 1, 2 in box 2) | 1 (Quaxwell + Dot, box 2) | 3–4 |
| Livestream data | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 11 | ~13 | 2 | 4–5 |
Key findings from the data
- Three-stars per box: Average 1.18 per box — closely matching the theoretical 1.3 from the 1.81% official rate
- Minimum per box: 0 three-stars in a box is possible (FY from P4C, box 2 and box 3 each had 0 and 1 respectively)
- Maximum per box: 2 three-stars was the highest recorded in any single box
- Exclusive rate: 2 exclusives in 11 boxes — roughly 18% per box, or about 1 in every 5–6 boxes
- Duplicate three-stars: Not observed in this sample, though possible given the 28-card pool
Important caveat: 11 boxes is a small sample. The theoretical exclusive rate (4 of 28 three-stars = 14.3% per pull) combined with an average of 1.2 pulls per box suggests closer to 1 exclusive every 6–7 boxes. The 2-in-11 result here is slightly above that — small sample variance is expected.
Three-Star Rarity Rates
Three-star rarities in Gem Pack Volume 5 are roughly equivalent to Art Rares (AR) in Japanese sets — they feature full-illustration artwork with premium holo treatments. The box back officially prints a 1.81% rate per card.
| Rarity | Official Rate (per card) | Expected Per Box (72 cards) | Community Observed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three-Star (★★★) — all | 1.81% | ~1.3 | ~1.2 per box |
| Three-Star — exclusive only | ~0.26% (est.) | ~0.19 | ~0.18 per box |
| Two-Star stamp cards | Not printed | n/a | 4–5 per box |
The exclusive-only estimate (0.26%) is derived from dividing 1.81% by 7 (since 4 of 28 three-stars are exclusive, and assuming equal pull weight). This is not official — Pokémon China does not publish breakdown rates per card within the three-star pool.
Why some boxes feel dry
With an average of 1.2–1.3 three-stars expected per box, variance across individual boxes is significant. FY from P4C opened three boxes and pulled only three three-stars total — with one box giving 2 and two boxes giving 0–1. This is a normal statistical outcome, not evidence of rigged packaging or bad product batches.
The more boxes you open, the more your observed rate converges on 1.3 per box. Single-box results will always feel "lucky" or "dry" — individual variance is high when the expected value is just over 1 per box.
The 4 Chinese Exclusive Cards
The four Simplified Chinese exclusive three-star rarities are the primary chase cards in Gem Pack Volume 5. These cards are unique to this product — they were not printed in Japanese, English, Traditional Chinese, or Korean. Each features Pokémon Horizons anime characters paired with their trainers.
| Card | Trainer Pairing | Attack | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Pikachu | Cap / Freed | Volt Tackle (100 dmg / 30 recoil) | Most sought-after; features the Rising Voltacklers crew |
| Floragato | Leo | Magical Beast (30 + 30 dmg + 30 HP recovery on heads) | Middle evolution of Sprigatito line |
| Crocalor | Roy | Free Throw (30 + 50 dmg on heads) | Middle evolution of Fuecoco line |
| Quaxwell + Dot | Dot (revealed) | Aqua Cutter (40 dmg) | Dot is shown without the Nidothing costume — rare character moment |
All four attacks reflect the moves these Pokémon use in the Pokémon Horizons anime — a design choice appreciated by collectors who follow the show. The Quaxwell + Dot card is particularly notable because Dot is typically shown in her Nidothing streaming persona rather than her real face.
Exclusive card identification
Genuine Simplified Chinese exclusive cards carry the Gem Pack series logo stamped on the card face. This stamp also serves as an authenticity marker — any holo Pokémon card in a Gem Pack box should have this stamp. If a card lacks the stamp, it may be fake or sourced from a different product.
Non-exclusive three-star pool
The remaining 24 three-star rarities in Gem Pack Volume 5 are cards previously released as Illustration Rares in English-language sets:
- Twilight Masquerade — including Houndoom, Vibrava
- Shrouded Fable — including Hisui Growlithe, Houndoom variant
- Stellar Crown — various
- Surging Sparks — including a notable Magneton equivalent
These non-exclusive three-stars carry the Gem Pack stamp in the Simplified Chinese version, making them distinct from their English/Japanese counterparts despite sharing artwork. The stamp makes them collectible in their own right for language and variation collectors.
Stamp Cards Per Box
Stamp cards (two-star rarity, ★★) are the secondary collectible in Gem Pack Volume 5. They feature Pokémon with the Simplified Chinese Gem Pack stamp and a premium reverse holo treatment — similar in feel to the high-class set reverse holos from Japanese products.
Observed stamp counts per box
| Opener | Box | Stamp Cards Pulled |
|---|---|---|
| Ying (session 1) | Box 1 | 4 |
| Ying (session 1) | Box 2 | 5 |
| Ying (session 1) | Box 3 | 4–5 |
| Ying (session 2) | Box 1 | 4 |
| Ying (session 2) | Box 2 | 4 |
| Crystal Collects | Box 2 | 3–4 |
| Livestream | Box 1 | 4 |
Typical range: 4 per box, with 5 being slightly above average (Ying noted this felt like an "error box"). Duplicates are common — the stamp pool contains fewer unique entries than the total box count, so expect to pull the same stamp card across multiple boxes.
Most sought-after stamp cards
Among the stamp card pool, Pikachu consistently appears as the community favourite — openers noted hunting specifically for the stamp Pikachu, which features the Simplified Chinese stamp repositioned to the left side (a subtle variation from other language prints). Gengar stamp cards from earlier Gem Pack volumes are also frequently cited as personal favourites.
Should You Open or Buy Singles?
Whether Gem Pack Volume 5 is worth opening depends entirely on what you want from the product.
Open if:
- You enjoy the pack-opening experience and want consistent holographic pulls
- You are building a master set of Simplified Chinese cards including stamp variants
- You are a Pokémon Horizons fan who wants the exclusive artwork cards
- You want variation holo foils of Pokémon not easily accessible in other languages
Buy singles if:
- You specifically want the exclusive Captain Pikachu — expected cost to pull it by opening boxes significantly exceeds buying the single outright
- You want only one or two specific three-star cards from the set
- You are buying as a sealed investment — this is a separate calculation depending on market conditions
The numbers on chasing Captain Pikachu
- Observed exclusive rate: ~1 in 5–6 boxes
- Chance of hitting specifically Captain Pikachu (1 of 4 exclusives): ~1 in 20–25 boxes
- At typical retail/resell cost per box: chasing the single through opening is materially more expensive than buying it
- Gem Pack sets are generally not reprinted — sealed product prices tend to rise over time
The honest bottom line: Gem Pack Volume 5 is genuinely a good product for collectors who enjoy the opening experience. Every pack produces holographic cards. Three-star rates are consistent and comparable to top-tier Japanese products. But if your goal is a specific exclusive, buying the single is almost always more economical than opening boxes to find it.
Frequently Asked Questions
See the FAQ schema above for quick answers. Detailed responses below for common questions from the community.
Does Gem Pack Volume 5 have any guaranteed hits?
No official guarantee is printed on the box. However, community data strongly suggests at least one three-star rarity per box is near-certain — the 1.81% rate per card across 72 cards makes it statistically very unlikely (though possible) to go completely without. No opener in the reviewed data went fully hitless across a complete box.
Are Simplified Chinese Pokémon cards legal for competitive play?
Simplified Chinese Pokémon cards can be used in official Pokémon TCG tournaments in China. For international tournaments (including Singapore, Malaysia, and global championships), English cards are required. Simplified Chinese cards are primarily a collector product for international buyers, not a competitive play product.
How do I know if my Gem Pack Volume 5 cards are authentic?
Every holographic Pokémon card in Gem Pack Volume 5 should carry the Gem Pack stamp on the card face. If a holo card lacks this stamp, treat it with caution. The box itself carries a holographic authenticity sticker. Some legitimate boxes have imperfect seal tape due to quality control at the factory — this alone is not evidence of tampering, but inspect carefully before purchasing sealed product.
Is Simplified Chinese the same as Traditional Chinese Pokémon cards?
No — they are entirely separate releases. Simplified Chinese Pokémon cards are printed for mainland China and use simplified Chinese characters. Traditional Chinese cards (from Taiwan and Hong Kong) use traditional characters and are released through a different distribution chain. The Gem Pack series is exclusively a Simplified Chinese product. Cards from Taiwan and Hong Kong — including certain Pikachu promos — are often confused with Simplified Chinese releases but are distinct products.