Many Pokémon fans over the years have derided Nintendo and Game Freak’s somewhat arbitrary assignment of the Dragon type in the Pokémon video games. One Pokémon which has sometimes been the target of this criticism is Altaria—but that hasn’t dimmed the appeal of the Altaria ex card from ninth-generation Pokémon TCG set Future Flash [SV4M].

The card’s tranquil Full Art illustration depicts the Dragon/Flying-type Pokémon in flight over the sea. The visual juxtaposition of sea, sky, and clouds matches Altaria ex’s color scheme and general aesthetics. In addition, there are multiple Wingull in the background; the Seagull Pokémon has colors somewhat similar to Altaria’s.

This card boasts a high rarity level, coming as a Special Art Rare (SAR) card. In addition, part of the recent spike in this card’s popularity and price tag could be linked to the upcoming launch of the Pokémon Legends Z-A video game. That game will re-introduce Mega Evolution to the Pokémon video games, and Altaria is one of the Pokémon that is able to Mega Evolve.

The English version of this card is 253/182 from the Paradox Rift [PAR] set.

An Altaria ex (Future Flash [SV4M] 090/066) card has a price tag of 8,500 JPY (~US$53).

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