Hmm? What's that? I'm supposed to be writing an article?

... but I still have so many booster packs left to open. How am I supposed to "catch them all" if I'm stuck at a desk doing my job?!

I'm certainly not the only one hunting down additional product. The Pokémon TCG is somehow going through yet another renaissance, with coveted new releases reaching eye-watering prices, and fan-favorite pocket monsters commanding hundreds of dollars each. We're even seeing a handful of physical bust-ups and safety concerns at the dawn of a new release—a frankly disgusting practice I'd hoped we'd left back in 2020. For better or worse, everyone is feverish for a Pallet Town of packs, and that momentum isn't likely to slow anytime soon.

When you take a closer look at recent sets, it isn't difficult to see why. There's several high-end versions of Pikachu ex and a flurry of Eevee evolutions (Eeveelutions) mixed in with Special Illustration Rares for the best cards in the game. Together, that's turned recent releases into a must-have for players and collectors alike—and driven both prices and demand through the roof.

If you're hoping to learn more about which terastallized jewels and pretty pocket monsters are bringing home the big bucks, this is the article for you. But first, we've got to clarify some rules:

  • We're only going to be discussing cards from big retail releases—so no event/judge cards, no "Pikachu with Grey Hat" from the Van Gogh Museum, and no weird and wild misprints.
  • I'll be looking at the ungraded Market Price as my guideline for inclusion in this article. Grading cards costs some serious moolah, and it's unfair to compare the all-time high of a PSA 10 to any raw card you've just opened in your living room. 

All clear? Sweet. With the formalities out of the way, let's take a closer look at the most expensive Pokémon cards that you can find inside booster packs RIGHT NOW!

Journey Together

Journey Together had a difficult act to follow, but it roared onto the scene at the end of March 2025 unapologetically. The set brought the return of Trainer's Pokémon cards to the trading card game, reexploring the bond between Trainer and Pokémon for the first time since 2015. 

Unsurprisingly, the heavy hitters of the set are the premium versions of those same Trainer's Pokémon. Lillie's Clefairy ex leads the field at time of writing with an impressive $200 price tag, but N's Zoroark ex, Iono's Bellibolt ex and Hop's Zacian ex aren't far behind. Even the Hyper Rare counterparts for these cards are commanding a fierce price immediately following release. Who could possibly have known that pairing fan-favorite characters from across the years with their most infamous Poké-partners would be a license to print money?

There's also a wealth of glamorous Special Illustration Rares commanding a solid chunk of change. Salamence ex seems to be a popular choice and has already recorded sales of over $180 each. Just behind the gigantic dragon are Articuno and Volcanion ex, who also appear to be in heavy demand with collectors fresh out of the gate. 

Personally, I've got my eyes on the incredibly majestic Wailord. Take a good honest look at that card and tell me that it isn't everything that Pokémon is supposed to be about. 10/10. No notes. 

Prismatic Evolutions

Great Gengar above, what a truly absurd set. Prismatic Evolutions will be the defining release of 2025 for Pokémon, with scheduled releases arriving thick and fast throughout the year. That hasn't slowed the otherworldly level of hype surrounding the set, though, with many of the flagship Eeveelutions bringing in hundreds of dollars each.

The big hit? Umbreon ex 161/131, who is currently priced at $1500 AND RISING. There's even a recorded sale at $2,000, which frankly puts the original wallet-stealer from Evolving Skies to shame. Even the Master Ball foil counterpart consistently clears $250. This card is going to remain a holy grail to collectors for decades, and I cannot wait to see where it eventually lands.

The other Eeveelutions also boast Special Illustration Rares that carry jaw-dropping artwork. The cotton-candy color pallet of Sylveon ex and the crisp, symmetrical greens of Leafeon ex have earned both cards a place on the podium, but each and every one is a big-ticket item when compared to the rest of the set. Opening an Eevee-lution SIR is like winning the Pokémon lottery right now, and I know I'm going to be trying all year. 

If Eevee isn't really your thing, there's still a wealth of beautiful cardboard for you in Prismatic Evolutions. Special Illustration Rares for Ceruledge ex and Roaring Moon ex are currently rocking the market and are well worth paying attention to. These cards are gorgeous at face value, and also provide competitive players with some heavily demanded bling for their decks. It's a similar story for Dragapult ex, who is also holding steady at over $100.

Last and by no means least, we've got ourselves a Pikachu—the Hyper Rare version of Pikachu ex is arguable too dazzling! This bright gold card shines brighter than my forehead, and looks to have a similarly bright future when it comes to collectability!

Surging Sparks

Surging Sparks has aged like a fine wine. Releasing back in November 2024, the set brought some of the most unique and eye-catching artworks of the Scarlet & Violet Series to a game store near you. The best cards in the set still garner quite the buzz—and that's not just because most of them are Pikachu!

Surging Sparks was the debut of Pikachu ex, and it received a whopping four different rarities! While the base version and Ultra Rare are cute and snazzy, they can't hold a candle to the other two. The all-gold Hyper Rare does the best job at highlighting everything Pikachu, and the hallmark Special Illustration Rare offers a wonderful watercolor interpretation of the little ball of lightning. The latter is no doubt the biggest chase card in the set, holding steady at over $450.

Lower down, we have Latias ex—who clearly started off a little under-respected! The plane-shaped bird quickly fell following her release, but is now soaring as high as her artwork. If you find one flying into the back of your booster pack, you're looking at a cool $250.

The remaining big-hitters are perfect examples of the spectacular artwork that can be found in Surging Sparks. The Special Illustration Rares for Milotic ex and Hydreigon ex can be seen from another planet, and full-arts for fan-favorite Trainer cards Lisia's Appeal and Jasmine's Gaze stand out from the crowd in the classiest way. Even Alolan Exeggutor ex gets to join the fun with a warming swath of orange and blues. These cards are unbelievably pretty—and that's more than enough reason for everybody to want them.

Stellar Crown

Stellar Crown rocked the show back in October 2024, introducing us to the cause of the Terastal phenomenon that has since brought us so many highly coveted cards. Who was to blame? Terapagos ex—who will also be your main source of joy should you find them inside a booster pack!

The Special Illustration Rare of Terapagos ex was the first to really utilize that now-infamous watercolor pallet to reinforce how important this Pokémon is. I mean, they're basically made of gems! It's so darn shiny! And the deep blues and subtle patterns? Sublime. Honestly, this card is a steal at $85—and if you prefer to see it absolutely smothered in gold, the Hyper Rare will more than happily do that.

Somehow, those aren't even my favorite cards in the set. The alternate artworks for Squirtle and Bulbasaur are adorable and therefore command the price you'd expect from a notoriously adorable thing. I just keep smiling when I look at them. I have never been as peaceful as Bulbasaur, and Squirtle is playing in a kiddy pool. For goodness's sake, just take my money.

The cuteness doesn't stop there. Dachsbun ex makes me want to be a better person. Also, that pie looks delicious. I should probably tell you how awesome it would be to open a beautiful full-art Trainer like Briar or Lacey, but I'm too darn busy staring at the pastry dog. Honestly, can you blame me?

Twilight Masquerade

Are you ready for a festival of mischief and mystery?

Twilight Masquerade is a really quirky set, set in folklore-fueled Kitakami. While the narrative focus revolved around Ogerpon and the debut of The Teal Mask, it was the new batch of ACE SPEC cards that really stole the show when the set released back in May 2024... or so we thought. You see, ACE SPECs are very cool, but they're not as cool as Greninja ex and their flurry of color.

Greninja ex was the premium hit from Twilight Masquerade since day one, but the price has only continued to soar as more time passes. At time of writing, a copy will set you back roughly $330 dollars—and hopefully cause some erratic screaming if you're lucky enough to open one.

Ogerpon was bound to appear somewhere toward the top of the list, and it's Teal Mask Ogerpon ex that successfully commands the premium. This Special Illustration Rare really deviates from the art style of the rest of the set—but that's a good thing. It makes it stand out. It makes it feel important!

But Ogerpon is no match for Eevee. Narumi Sato just knows how to make me go "awwww" ....and then spend $100 on cardboard. At this point, adorable Eevee cards feel like a safer investment than gold, and this Special Illustration Rare is no different.

Finally, there's some MASSIVE full-art Rrainers hidden inside packs of Twilight Masquerade. Perrin and Carmine both received a Special Illustration rare that proved to be highly coveted, and both still regularly sell for $70 or so each and every day.