If you were a Pokemon fan back in the 1990s, you probably have a fair few old Pokemon Trading Card Game cards stashed somewhere in the back of your closet. We all had a few Caterpies and Rattattas lying around from this trend, and if you managed to collect a coveted card like a holographic Charizard, you were the talk of the school playground and truly got lucky.

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New Pokemon cards are still being produced to this day, making many of the oldest Pokemon cards even harder to find. As long as Pokemon remains a popular video game franchise, the Pokemon Trading Card Game will keep on producing new types of cards, but none of them can reach the heights of the rarest and most valuable Pokemon cards in the history of the franchise.

Updated November 19, 2023 by Quinton O'Connor: We've checked for recent upticks in prices for our list, as well as any newcomers to the priciest Pokemon cards scene. Nothing's challenged these stalwarts' place just yet, but several cards have sold for even more than when last we looked!

25 The Masked Royal Prize Promo: $18,000

Masked Royal Promo

This is undoubtedly one of the most recent rare cards, featuring the Masked Royal character from Pokemon Sun & Moon and released as recently as 2017. This is essentially a promotional card that was given out to players in an invitation-only pre-release in Tokyo for the new Shining Legends set, where only 100 copies were made.

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Even though this is a relatively normal card by most standards, this short print run means it’s incredibly hard to get, especially since it was handed out in such a restrictive event. As a result, there are actually preserved tweets of players first opening it in places like Pokeboon, while Japanese trading sites like Miyabi Hobby have past listings of the card at ¥2,000,000, which currently is equal to around $18,000 USD.

24 PSA 10 Poliwrath Holo No Rarity Symbol: $25,015

Poliwrath

This Poliwrath combines multiple card-value-raising qualities into one card. It's from the original 1996 Japanese Base Set, complete with the lack of a rarity symbol that identifies it as being one of the first printings. It's also holo, and it's verified in mint condition by the PSA.

Despite being a card that was released to the public, a staggeringly small number of them have ever been identified by the PSA and given that holy PSA 10 rating. As of 2021, only three have ever been found, and only one of those was ever put up for auction. When PWCC sold it in 2020, it fetched an impressive $25,015.

23 PSA 10 Charizard Gold Star Delta Species Holo Dragon Frontiers: $25,400

Charizard Star

The first of three Gold Star cards on this list, and surprisingly, only one of two Charizards. Dragon Frontiers' Charizard Gold Star was one of the first times it was seen in its iconic black shiny coloring, which alone is usually enough to make a card shoot up in value.

In February 2021, PWCC Auctions sold a PSA 10-graded Charizard Gold Star for a massive $25,400. Other sales tend to come a bit lower, although copies have sold for as much as $60,000 in unverified eBay auctions.

22 World Championships Sprint Battle Road 2002 No 1. Trainer Promo: $31,000

No 1 Trainer

No. 1 Trainer promo cards are almost always valuable, thanks to them only being printed in limited quantities and being awarded to finalists in the World Championships. What makes the Battle Road Spring 2002 promo special, though, is that every card is unique.

Each one has the name of its owner, and the region they were the champion of, printed in the card's text. As there were seven regions for the tournament, it can be assumed that there were at least seven produced. It's so rare that PSA doesn't have an appraised value for it, however it has sold at auction in the past, for $31,000.

21 Neo Summer Battle Road Number 2 Trainer Trophy: $34,100

Neo Battle Road

Back in 2002, in the bustling town of Sapporo, top players in Japan dueled it out for prizes. Winning second place in a division nabbed you this card. Thus, there are only a few in circulation. One sold as recently as two years ago in early 2021 for a cool $34,100. More impressive than the price, however, is the card's one-of-a-kind nature.

Its print specifically cites Fukunishi Tomoki as the second-place victor - Fukunishi, if you're out there, how rad is it to have a card that's just... you?

20 PSA 10 Holographic Shadowless First Edition Chansey: $35,000

Chansey

Despite not being one of the iconic starters or legendaries, Chansey is still one of the most valuable cards from Pokemon's Base Set. Like every other base set card, the Shadowless version gets a much higher price at auction.

There are 48 PSA 10-graded holo, shadowless Chanseys verified by the PSA. Despite that, they don't tend to fetch as high a price as their slightly more common expansion mates, like Charizard, probably because it is a less popular Pokemon. The last verified auction sale of a PSA 10 Chansey was in 2022, when PWCC Auctions sold one at $36,877.

19 Daisuki Club Holo Masters Scroll: $35,200

Daisuki Masters Scroll

In late 2004, the Pokemon Daisuki Club opened up operations in Japan. It's a fan club, more or less, the regional version of the Pokemon Trainer Club group seen abroad. For several years, the Daisuki Club thrived. One of the organization's limited-time promotions revolved around the Pokemon Trading Card Game in 2010. Needless to say, it was one of their more popular efforts.

The most difficult-to-obtain promotional reward by far was the Daisuki Club Holo Masters Scroll. Only a few fans were able to complete enough objectives to turn in the high number of club points necessary for the card. November 2021 saw the sale of one of these rare gems for just north of $35k.

18 PSA 10 Holo Rayquaza Gold Star EX Deoxys: $40,400

Rayquaza Star

If Charizard is the king of Pokemon, Rayquaza is definitely up there in the royal family. It tends to value highly in any set it appears in, but none are as rare as EX Deoxys' Rayquaza Gold Star, which only has 56 verified PSA 10 quality cards in circulation, putting it on par with the famous Holo Base Set Shadowless Charizard.

The PSA values PSA 10-grade Gold Star Rayquazas at an incredibly high $40,400. Auctions can swing wildly either side of that price, too. In 2021 alone, there were three up for sale by Goldin Auctions, with the highest selling at $40,400.

17 PSA 10 Torchic Gold Star Holo EX Team Rocket Returns: $50,000

Torchic Star

In the early-to-mid 2000s, popularity in Pokemon was waning. "Pokemania" was on the way out, and that meant a lot of the Pokemon TCG expansions at the time suffered from lower sales and smaller print runs. With Pokemon back on top again now, cards from that era often see higher values than cards older than them. A great example of this is the Gold Star Torchic from EX Team Rocket Returns.

Gold Star Pokemon showcase Pokemon in their shiny forms and have the Pokemon breaking out of the frame as an early example of the many alternate styles the TCG would later experiment with. Why Torchic specifically is worth so much is anyone's guess, but with only 17 verified PSA 10 grade copies out there, the PSA values them at $50,000 each. Actual auction prices are a bit lower though, as in 2020 PWCC Auctions sold a copy for $25,400.

16 Japanese Base Set, No Rarity Symbol Holo Venusaur, Signed: $55,000

Signed Venusaur

In English-language cards, collectors look for the first edition stamp. In Japanese cards, though, you look for the complete lack of a rarity symbol. These "No Rarity" cards are much more valuable, but none of them are as rare as this signed, holo, no-rarity Base Set Venusaur.

First, the card itself is graded 10 by the PSA, making it verifiably mint condition. There are other PSA 10s of this card, though. What makes this specific card so rare is the case being signed by artist Mistuhiro Arita. Arita is a legend in Pokemon TCG, having illustrated many of the game's most iconic cards. It sold for $55,000 in November 2021.

15 Summer Battle Road Mew Victory Orb Trophy: $60,000

Summer Battle Road Mew

The aforementioned Neo Summer Battle Road came years after the original Summer Battle Road way back in 1998. The biggest take-home prize was the Mew Victory Orb Trophy card. 27 were doled out in total. We've got to be honest. $60,000 is a ton of money, and while we'd probably be willing to part with a piece of cardboard for that level of profit, it's still hard to fathom parting with something created specifically for you in honor of a feat that fewer than 30 people ever achieved.

14 Master’s Key: $66,000

Master Key

The Master's Key is another prize card that's seriously sought after in Pokemon card collector circles. This card was only produced in Japan, and had a very limited release: only 36 actually exist. The Master's Key card was handed to those competitive Pokemon players who managed to reach high ranks in the 2010 Japan World Championship held in Honolulu, Hawaii, meaning no new copies can ever come onto the market.

Our previous update cited a Master's Key selling for a tad over $21,000. That's been topped threefold - in May 2023, one sold for a cool $66k.

13 Tamamushi University Magikarp: $66,100

Magikarp

Produced as a promotion for magazine publisher Shogakukan's Celadon University campaign, this Magikarp card was awarded to those who successfully became "Pokemon Professors". By mailing in the Entrance Test, Professor Test, Super Professor Test, and Hyper Professor Test (all found in different magazines aimed at schoolchildren published by Shogakukan), 1000 Magikarps were up for grabs.

Though so many were printed, only 91 have been identified by the PSA so far. PSA 10-graded cards fetch a much higher price than any other condition, getting $66,100 at auction.

12 Gold Star POP Series 5 Umbreon: $70,000

Umbreon Star

The Japanese version of the Shining Umbreon Pokemon card is pretty highly desired, with its unique coloring and gorgeous frame-piercing artwork making it fittingly beautiful as one of the first shiny Pokemon to appear on a card.

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However, its price is so high because of much more than just its looks and popularity. The Shining Umbreon card only saw a very limited release through the Japanese Pokemon Players' Club for hitting the maximum number of experience points through attending organized play events between 2005 and 2006, making it one of the rarest cards out there. In 2021, a PWCC auction cost one lucky (not to mention wealthy) buyer a figure in the upper five figures.

11 1998 Silver Trophy Pikachu: Never Sold; $84,000 For 1997 Card

No 2 Pikachu

Coming from the same Pokemon Lizardon tournament as the Gold and Bronze Trophy Pikachu, the second place Silver Trophy Pikachu is even rarer. According to PSA, only three copies of it have ever emerged, and only one of those is PSA10. Though the PSA has no record of any auctions, the 1997 edition has been sold before, raking in over $84,000 in 2020.

10 1999 Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer: $90,000

Super Secret

These cards were so cool. Awarded to regional champions in 1999, they served as both the prize for winning a regional heat and as the ticket to enter the Super Secret Battle finals held in an undisclosed location in Tokyo on August 22, 1999.

There are estimated to only be seven of these cards in existence, all of which have been graded by the PSA. A PSA 10 copy of the card sold at auction in 2020 for a massive $90,000.

9 2006 Pokemon Promo No. 2 Trainer World Championships: $110,100

2006 No 2

Even runners-up get big prizes at the World Championships, with all three finalists at Anaheim, California's 2006 championships each receiving a copy of this massively valuable card. Winning the card in 2006 automatically granted entry to the finalist in 2007 as well, bypassing the whole organized points play system they would otherwise need to work through.

In February 2021, PWCC sold a PSA 9-graded copy of the card for $110,100. The fact it wasn't even in pristine, PSA 10 condition and still sold for six figures should go some way to show the value of this card.

8 1998 Trophy Pikachu Gold (And Bronze): $128,900

No1 Pikachu

At 1998's Japanese Pokemon Lizardon tournament, the top three competitors were awarded with an exclusive Pikachu card, depicting it holding their trophy. As a prize given at a single tournament, only a few were ever printed, and even fewer have popped up on PSA. For both the first place Gold and third place Bronze Pikachu Trophies, only seven have been graded each. In 2021, one copy of a PSA 7-graded Gold Trophy Pikachu sold on eBay for $128,900.

7 PSA 10 Neo Genesis First Edition Holo Lugia: $129,000

Lugia

Neo Genesis is effectively the Base Set of the second generation of Pokemon. It was the first time Pokemon from Silver, Gold, or Crystal appeared in the TCG, and it was also marred by many misprints and mistakes in its very first run. Alongside it being the mascot of Pokemon Silver, that's mainly why a mint condition, holo, first edition Lugia from Neo Genesis is so highly desirable. The PSA has only given a PSA10 grade to 43 of these.

6 1999 Japanese Tropical Mega Battle Promo, Tropical Wind: $161,822

Tropical Wind

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, an annual Pokemon Trading Card Game tournament was held in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the 1999 event, just 12 of these Tropical Mega Battle cards were produced to be distributed to some lucky 50 players who attended the event (who all already had to be regional champions), meaning the remaining number of mint copies is especially low all these years later.

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Showing a Psyduck having a nap in a hammock on a tropical island, this legendary Trainer Card sells for a lot of cash thanks to its rarity. Though it has sold for up to $65,100 at auction, PSA estimates the card is worth more than that, at a whopping $161,822. Imagine spending $65,100 on a Pokemon card and getting it at a steal for such a price.