The Professor’s Research card has become a modern-day classic of the Pokémon TCG. After making its first appearance in 2019 as part of the Sword [S1W] set, it’s been reprinted in a large number of sets, often featuring a different Pokémon Professor. However, the one version which is at the moment the most valuable is the Hyper Rare (HR) card featuring Professor Willow from the Pokémon GO [S10b] set.

Like the other cards from that set, this card directly references the Pokémon Go augmented reality (AR) video game which took the world by storm in 2016. The in-game Professor from Pokémon Go was indeed Professor Willow—and the memories associated with the mobile game and its heyday can easily be evoked through this card, driving up its demand accordingly. Additionally, this card’s rainbow-colored holofoil gives it an aesthetic flair that not many other cards have.

As an added nod to the mobile game, there’s a Meltan on Professor Willow’s shoulder. The Mythical Pokémon was first introduced via the Pokémon Go mobile game, further emphasizing the connection between the TCG set and the mobile game.

Finally, Professor’s Research is also a card coveted by serious Pokémon TCG players because of its importance in the metagame. A Supporter card that allows the player to discard the entire hand before drawing seven new cards, it’s an ideal “reset button” for a player who hasn’t been landing the preferred draws up to a certain point. That’s a big reason why this card has been reprinted so many times.

The English version of this card is card 084/078 in the Pokémon GO set.

Buying a Professor’s Research (Pokémon GO [S10b] 089/071) card of HR rarity costs 3,333 JPY (~US$21).

In other TCG-related news, check out the Edward Newgate card from Paramount War [OP-02]. Alternatively, you can also head over to the SNKRDUNK App via the banner below and find the top trending and latest single cards and boxes.