In 2025, The Pokémon Company released Black Bolt and White Flare, a dual expansion that celebrated the fifth generation of Pokémon with all-new illustration rare cards for every single Pokémon from the Unova region. The set also included a brand-new rarity — the Black & White rarity — for its signature legendary Pokémon, Reshiram and Zekrom. Similar to the all-black and all-white ultra rare variants featured in 2011’s Black & White set, the Black & White rarity features the two legendary dragons in completely monochrome colors.
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A Reshiram ex, Pokémon (2025) Japanese White Flare BW Rare Holo graded CGC Pristine 10
Naturally, an exclusive card rarity raises interest among collectors, and the prices for Reshiram ex and Zekrom ex have steadily risen since their release. Raw examples of these cards can fetch hundreds of dollars on the secondary market. Unfortunately, counterfeiters also want a taste of the pie and have produced their own fake versions of Reshiram ex and Zekrom ex to fool unsuspecting collectors into purchasing illegitimate copies. CGC’s experts recently came across a counterfeit Japanese Reshiram ex, and they were able to quickly identify red flags that marked the submission as a fake.
Immediately, it is obvious that the fake Reshiram ex does not share the same texture as a genuine example. Comparing the two cards side-by-side shows just how different the two cards look when held up to the light. The lines on the background of the card are also reversed — the lines on the fake example are facing the opposite of Reshiram, while the genuine example has the background lines facing the same way as Reshiram.
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A fake Reshiram ex (left) and a genuine example (right)
Though not apparent just by looking at the cards, when the two cards are weighed, the counterfeit Reshiram ex is much heavier than the genuine example. After weighing the two, CGC’s graders found that the counterfeit weighed a whopping 2.51g, which is nearly twice the weight of the genuine example, which is 1.59g. Additionally, the fake is much thicker than the genuine example and has no core.
Turning the two examples over to their backs reveals several more inconsistencies. The back of the fake Reshiram is very washed out and blurry compared to the genuine example; this is a common trait on many counterfeit Pokémon cards, especially English cards.
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The back of the fake Reshiram ex (left) and a genuine example (right)
Looking closely at the “Pokémon” text reveals that the “taxi-cab” pattern is also missing on the “P” in Pokémon. Further over, the “R” copyright is extremely blurry on the counterfeit card. Meanwhile, it is crisp and easily readable on the genuine Reshiram.
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A close-up view of the "P" in Pokémon on the counterfeit example (left) and the genuine Reshiram ex (right). Notice how the taxi-cab pattern in the "P" is missing.
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A close-up view of the "R" symbol on the counterfeit example (left) and the genuine Reshiram ex (right). Notice how clear the genuine example's symbol is compared to the counterfeit.
Finally, comparing the two cards under UV lighting reveals just how different they are in composition. The fake card (on the left) is much more reactive to the UV rays than the genuine card. It lights up like a Christmas tree, while the genuine example only reacts in certain places, highlighting the card’s text and design.
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A comparison of the two cards under UV light, with the counterfeit example on the left and the genuine example on the right.
It is important to exercise caution when purchasing ungraded cards, especially when they are as valuable as Reshiram ex. Cards certified by CGC are guaranteed to be authentic and not overgraded under the CGC Guarantee.
Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games, and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs, and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation, and more. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray, and more. CGC also offers seamless solutions for autograph collectors with CGC Signature Series and JSA Authentic Autograph services.
CGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group, a global provider of expert and impartial authentication and grading services for collectibles. Since 1987, the Certified Collectibles Group companies have certified more than 110 million collectibles, including coins, banknotes, comic books, cards, autographs, and stamps.