The ultimate Pokémon card hit list: The 5 most valuable chase cards from every modern set

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The Pokémon TCG has always thrown out incredibly valuable cards throughout the franchise’s 30-year run, but modern-day expansions have taken the game’s trading card economy into the stratosphere. Since the launch of expansions like Scarlet & Violet’s Prismatic Evolutions, seeing a new card like SIR Umbreon ex worth well over $1,000 is no longer a surprise. 

We’ve scoured the market prices across each "modern" collection of cards, found out which are the most valuable in terms of TCGplayer market price, and linked to every card so you can check listings to buy one yourself, if you wish. 

These are the five most valuable Pokémon cards from every modern expansion.

Scarlet & Violet

Scarlet & Violet might be a historically significant expansion, but it's not the most expensive.

At the time of writing, its five leading cards are all listed below $100, with Gardevoir ex narrowly holding first place over Drowzee, making this one of the most affordable modern Pokémon TCG expansions in terms of average price per card:

• Gardevoir ex — 245/198: $76.19

• Drowzee — 210/198: $60.37

• Ralts — 211/198:  $47.02

• Kirlia — 212/198: $46.72

• Slowpoke — 204/198: $41.86

Paldea Evolved

Paldea Evolved is worth considerably more at the top end, primarily because of an Illustration Rare that has grown into one of the Scarlet & Violet era’s biggest chase cards. 

Magikarp sits hundreds of dollars above everything else in the expansion, leaving an enormous gap between first and second place. Raichu, Maushold, Tyranitar, and Sprigatito still give the expansion an impressive set of runner-ups:

• Magikarp — 203/193: $406.04

• Raichu — 211/193: $111.65

• Maushold — 226/193: $99.92

• Tyranitar — 222/193: $72.82

• Sprigatito — 196/193: $66.06

Obsidian Flames

Obsidian Flames includes 230 cards, including the Dark-type Tera Charizard ex cards.

Compared with most modern expansions, Obsidian Flames remains relatively inexpensive. Only its leading SIR Charizard ex chase card is currently breaking into triple figures, according to TCGplayer’s market price:

• Charizard ex — 223/197: $114.13

• Ninetales — 199/197: $39.77

• Cleffa — 202/197: $39.68

• Charizard ex — 228/197: $36.55

• Gloom — 198/197: $24.83

Scarlet & Violet — 151

Scarlet & Violet — 151 is this era’s first special expansion, with all of the original 151 Pokémon represented across its 207 cards. 

Its combination of modern SIR artwork and classic card designs (plus Gen-1 nostalgia) has kept demand especially high, making it one of the most valuable early Scarlet & Violet releases. Unsurprisingly, the final evolutions of Kanto’s first-partner Pokémon — Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur — remain among its best pulls:

• Charizard ex — 199/165: $383.12

• Blastoise ex — 200/165: $145.86

• Venusaur ex — 198/165: $115.88

• Zapdos ex — 202/165: $102.74

• Pikachu — 173/165: $96.76

Paradox Rift

Paradox Rift contains 266 cards and greatly expands the Ancient and Future Pokémon introduced earlier in the Scarlet & Violet era. Its selection of chase cards includes fewer ex Pokémon compared to other expansions, but still packs plenty of well-designed Special Illustration Rares:

• Groudon — 199/182: $120.02

• Altaria ex — 253/182: $58.89

• Morpeko — 206/182: $50.81

• Plusle — 193/182: $49.19

• Minun — 194/182: $46.86

Paldean Fates

Paldean Fates is a 245-card special expansion dominated by Shiny Pokémon, including more than 100 alternate-color cards. Its broad selection of popular Pocket Monsters gives this expansion proper value beyond one or two pulls, but its upper end is in another league entirely:

• Mew ex — 232/091: $1,065.49

• Charizard ex — 234/091: $317.57

• Gardevoir ex — 233/091: $180.67

• Pikachu — 131/091: $84.74

• Snorlax — 202/091: $60.86

Temporal Forces

Temporal Forces features 218 cards and continues the Ancient and Future themes established by Paradox Rift. It also brought ACE SPEC cards back into the competitive game, although its collector value now centers more heavily on illustration and special illustration rares:

• Gastly — 177/162: $101.36

• Morty’s Conviction — 211/162: $73.59

• Raging Bolt ex — 208/162: $72.60

• Gengar ex — 193/162: $62.76

• Sawsbuck — 166/162: $59.79

Twilight Masquerade

Twilight Masquerade includes 226 cards inspired by Kitakami and the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet game’s Teal Mask DLC. Its Ogerpon-focused theme gave the expansion several competitive cards, but its market strength comes from a mixture of popular Pokémon and Trainer cards, along with well-drawn artwork:

• Greninja ex — 214/167: $382.74

• Perrin — 220/167: $178.19

• Eevee — 188/167: $93.96

• Carmine — 217/167: $56.69

• Chansey — 187/167: $56.65

Shrouded Fable

Shrouded Fable is a smaller special expansion containing only 99 cards, with its story revolving around Pecharunt and the Loyal Three. Still, its most valuable pulls have ended up being a broader mix of non-Legendary-based illustration rares and its Hyper Rare Energy card:

• Persian — 078/064: $75.70

• Basic Darkness Energy — 098/064: $65.40

• Duskull — 068/064: $60.87

• Houndoom — 066/064: $58.29

• Horsea — 067/064: $47.56

Surging Sparks

Surging Sparks contains 252 cards and continues the Stellar Tera mechanic introduced in Stellar Crown. Pikachu became the expansion’s main attraction, although several other special illustration rares have retained substantial value: 

• Pikachu ex — 238/191: $326.21

• Latias ex — 239/191: $183.88

• Milotic ex — 237/191: $129.26

• Pikachu ex — 247/191: $94.14

• Hydreigon ex — 240/191: $36.91

Prismatic Evolutions

Prismatic Evolutions launched as an Eevee-focused special expansion containing 180 cards. By giving Eevee and all eight of its evolutions their own major chase cards, the set immediately attracted enormous collector demand. It now sits comfortably among the most expensive modern Pokémon TCG expansions:

• Umbreon ex — 161/131: $1,509.18

• Sylveon ex — 156/131: $551.20

• Leafeon ex — 144/131: $340.25

• Espeon ex — 155/131: $309.82

• Vaporeon ex — 149/131: $304.15

Journey Together

Journey Together contains 190 cards and brings a focus on the Pokémon of popular Trainer characters, putting characters like Lillie, N, Iono, and Hop in the spotlight with their best-known partners:

• Lillie’s Clefairy ex — 184/159: $118.82

• Salamence ex — 187/159: $58.87

• N’s Zoroark ex — 185/159: $49.33

• Iono’s Bellibolt ex — 183/159: $41.29

• Hop’s Zacian ex — 186/159: $35.82

Destined Rivals

Destined Rivals contains 244 cards, continuing the Trainer’s Pokémon mechanic while introducing a conflict centered around Team Rocket. This expansion’s combination of major Trainers, Legendary Pokémon, and villain-themed artwork quickly created one of the most alluring buys of the Scarlet & Violet era:

• Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex — 231/182: $533.30

• Cynthia’s Garchomp ex — 232/182: $261.91

• Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex — 230/182: $173.72

• Team Rocket’s Nidoking ex — 233/182: $109.43

• Team Rocket’s Moltres ex — 229/182: $108.04

White Flare

White Flare launched alongside Black Bolt, dividing the Pokémon of the Unova region between them. White Flare contains 173 cards once its secret rares are included, though its highest-value cards are especially expensive — led by two Black White Rare cards and a Reshiram special illustration rare:

• Victini — 172/086: $557.23

• Reshiram ex — 173/086: $504.21

• Reshiram ex — 166/086: $215.92

• Oshawott — 105/086: $93.12

• Hydreigon ex — 169/086: $87.04

Black Bolt

Black Bolt contains 172 cards and serves as the companion expansion to White Flare. Its Unova theme, monochrome Black-White Rares, and Legendary Pokémon have created an exceptionally valuable upper end:

• Victini — 171/086: $599.69

• Zekrom ex — 172/086: $593.30

• Zekrom ex — 166/086: $282.66

• Seismitoad — 105/086: $254.58

• Kyurem ex — 165/086: $80.59

Mega Evolution

Mega Evolution is an 188-card selection that brought Mega Evolution Pokémon back into the trading card. With its new gold Mega Hyper Rares, this expansion’s top five have quite an even spread in terms of value compared to some of the other collections released during the last couple of years: 

• Mega Lucario ex — 188/132: $274.82

• Mega Lucario ex — 179/132: $218.17

• Mega Gardevoir ex — 187/132: $209.98

• Mega Gardevoir ex — 178/132: $193.99

• Mega Venusaur ex — 177/132: $155.15

Phantasmal Flames

Phantasmal Flames is a more compact 130-card expansion centered around fire-and-darkness-themed Mega Evolution Pokémon — with Mega Charizard X unsurprisingly dominating the bunch, with three versions appearing among its five most valuable cards:

• Mega Charizard X ex — 125/094: $785.31

• Mega Charizard X ex — 130/094: $335.21

• Mega Charizard X ex — 109/094: $30.71

• Dawn — 129/094: $24.44

• Mega Sharpedo ex — 127/094: $21.36

Ascended Heroes

Ascended Heroes is a huge 295-card special expansion drawing from Pokémon Legends: Z-A and TCG collections of the past. Its combination of Mega Evolutions and jaw-dropping artwork has resulted in the most valuable cards we have seen since Prismatic Evolutions:

• Mega Gengar ex — 284/217: $1,262.19

• Pikachu ex — 276/217: $1,161.13

• Mega Dragonite ex — 290/217: $747.98

• Mega Charizard Y ex — 294/217: $506.61

• Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex — 281/217: $394.60

Perfect Order

Perfect Order is a compact 124-card expansion inspired by the Pokémon of Lumiose City introduced in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Its market values are noticeably more restrained than those of Ascended Heroes:

• Meowth ex — 121/088: $134.07

• Mega Zygarde ex — 124/088: $133.91

• Mega Zygarde ex — 120/088: $63.86

• Mega Clefable ex — 119/088: $59.37

• Rosa’s Encouragement — 123/088: $54.19

Chaos Rising 

Chaos Rising contains 122 cards — including many that were featured in Legends: Z-A. Unsurprisingly, the star of the expansion, Mega Greninja ex, takes up two of the top five positions by a wide margin:

• Mega Greninja ex — 116/086: $237.40

• Mega Greninja ex — 122/086: $195.17

• Cinccino ex — 119/086: $65.70

• Mega Dragalge ex — 118/086: $43.11

• Mega Floette ex — 117/086: $33.56

Pitch Black

Pitch Black launched with 120 cards — honing in on a darker Mega Evolution theme led by Mega Darkrai ex, while Morpeko, Mega Zeraora, and Mega Chandelure also appear among its largest pulls:

• Mega Darkrai ex — 116/084: $282.62

• Mega Darkrai ex — 120/084: $195.78

• Morpeko ex — 117/084: $129.05

• Mega Zeraora ex — 114/084: $70.73

• Mega Chandelure ex — 115/084: $52.83