There exist two uniquely defined v = 4 states in systems within a j = 9/2 subshell, which automatically conserve seniority and do not mix with other states. Here I show that the partial conservation of seniority plays an essential role in our understanding of the electric quadrupole transitions of the semimagic nuclei involving j = 9/2 subshells, including the long-lived 8(+) isomer in (94) Ru. The effects of configuration mixing from neighboring subshells on the structure of those unique states are analyzed. It is shown that a sharp transition from pure seniority coupling to a significant mixture between the v = 2 and v = 4 states may be induced by the cross-orbital non-diagonal interaction matrix elements. Such strong mixture is essential to explain the observed E2 transition properties of N = 50 isotones Pd-96 and Ru-94.