The 2010s was certainly a memorable decade in the Pokémon TCG. When it started, the fourth generation was coming to a close but at the decade’s end, Gen 8 had just begun. With three full generations as well as portions of two covered during the decade, the 2010s saw its share of some of the most valuable Pokémon cards to have ever been sold.

Here’s a list of the 20 cards from the 2010s which generated the highest prices upon sale. This list is ranked by actual prices when sold, not projected or theoretical prices. Thus, every card on the list has been sold for that specific price.

20) Charizard ex 030/XY-P XY-P Promotional Cards (2014) US$1,000

Starting off this list is the Charizard ex card from the XY-P Promotional Cards. First launched as a package deal with the March 2014 issue of animanga magazine CoroCoro, this card is notable for having CoroCoro’s dragon mascot watermark behind the attack text.

In the specific case of this card, the English version is a bigger catch than the Japanese. That’s because the English version was printed with a matte finish—a departure from the norm regarding Pokémon-ex cards.

19) Reshiram & Charizard GX 108/095 Double Blaze [SM10] (2019) US$1,240

Not surprisingly, we’ll be seeing a lot of the orange fire dragon on this list—this time in partnership with Reshiram. The rainbow-colored Hyper Rare (HR) version of this card from Double Blaze [SM10] gives obvious “master and apprentice” vibes.

While the illustration might not be quite as dynamic as some of this card’s other versions, this particular card has nevertheless emerged as the standout of its six iterations printed to date.

18) Pretend Gyarados Pikachu 151/XY-P XY-P Promotional Cards (2015) US$1,500

In June 2015, the Pretend Gyarados Pikachu and Pretend Magikarp Pikachu (more on that soon) cards were distributed in honor of Pokémon Center Hiroshima’s opening day. Being a promotional card that commemorated a milestone, it’s no wonder that this card sold for as much as it did.

A common theme throughout this list will understandably be “commemorative cards” as they were created for a specific occasion. This is just the first of them.

17) Gengar & Mimikyu GX 103/095 Tag Bolt [SM9] (2018) US$1,500

Probably the two most popular Ghost-type Pokémon showed up together on this Super Rare (SR) card that perfectly captures the duo’s spectral auras. Another contributing factor to the card’s value was the fact that the card was released during the seventh generation—the peak of Mimikyu’s popularity.

TAG TEAM GX cards like this one will also make multiple appearances on this list. These cards frequently feature a pair of fan favorites; they were also discontinued after Gen 7, adding to their scarcity.

16) Pikachu ex 094/087 Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary [CP6] (2016) US$1,800

There’s no better Pokémon to honor the Pokémon TCG’s 20th anniversary than the face of the Pokémon franchise itself—something highlighted by this card’s immense value. As a homage to Pokémon’s roots, the Full Art illustration features two other Electric-type Pokémon—Electabuzz and Jolteon—in the background.

Evoking even more nostalgia and likely serving as the primary driver of this card’s price, the Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary [CP6] version of this card is a reprinted version making use of a card template resembling that of Gen 1 cards.

15) Pretend Magikarp Pikachu 150/XY-P XY-P Promotional Cards (2014) US$1,899

The second of the two cards issued for the opening of Pokémon Center Hiroshima, the Pretend Magikarp Pikachu card’s value outranks that of the Pikachu wearing its evolution’s costume. This is likely because Magikarp has something of a “cult favourite” status within the Pokémon fandom.

While there have been other cards linked to Pokémon Centers and events related to them, this card has sold for a higher price than any other such card.

14) Mewtwo & Mew GX 108/094 Miracle Twin [SM11] (2019) US$1,925

This one’s mostly about the nostalgia factor. Mewtwo and Mew were prominently featured in the self-evidently titled Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back—a watershed moment in the history of Pokémon. As such, any mega-rare card depicting the Psychic-type Legendary duo would be likely to become one of the biggest pulls of its era.

The version of this card with a rarity of HR ended up being the pick of its four original versions from Miracle Twin [SM11]. However, this surprisingly isn’t even the 2010s card that’s a TAG TEAM GX card depicting two Psychic-type Legendaries that sold for the highest price, because…

13) Latias & Latios GX 105/095 Tag Bolt [SM9] (2018) US$2,000

…it’s this one. Surprised?

When a copy of a Latias & Latios GX card of SR rarity from Tag Bolt [SM9] sold for US$2,000, it set a new record for sale price of a TAG TEAM GX card which to this day hasn’t been topped. The card’s standout feature is its stunning Full Art illustration in which the Eon duo are shown craning their necks to form a heart with the space in between.

The illustration also alludes to the close bond between the two Legendaries—something which was made most evident in Pokémon anime movie Pokémon Heroes. The card likely alludes to the film, adding an extra layer to the meaning behind it.

12) Charizard 011/087 Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary [CP6] (2016) US$4,000

The second card on this list from the Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary [CP6], this card was a sixth-generation remake of perhaps the most iconic Pokémon TCG card of all time—the original Charizard card from the very first set ever: Gen 1’s Expansion Pack. That fact alone caused it to fetch a massive sale price.

There’s actually an even rarer version of this card which, if a sale were ever to be documented, would cause the card to move up a few spots on the list. Staff members at official events for the pre-release of the Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary [CP6] received versions of this card adorned with gold foil and bearing a “Staff” stamp.

11) Charizard GX 058/051 To Have Seen the Battle Rainbow [SM3H] (2017) US$4,200

This card’s sale for US$4,200 set the record for 2010s cards that aren’t promotionals or specials, and understandably so. Charizard cards are almost always highlights of their respective sets—even more so when the card in question has a rarity of HR.

Charizard GX is also the most expensive Pokémon GX card ever sold for a reason—it’s perhaps the biggest pull of the entire seventh generation. This card almost single-handedly made the dual set of To Have Seen the Battle Rainbow [SM3H] and Darkness that Consumes Light [SM3L] among Gen 7’s most coveted sets.

10) The Masked Royal 085/SM-P SM-P Promotional Cards (2017) US$4,500

This card’s value comes from the fact that it was only made available via very specific means as well as its scarcity. Only winners of Shining Legends Sealed Game Pokémon TCG tournaments from July to September 2017 could receive the card. The tournaments were held at participating stores and Pokémon Centers; the final one was held as the undercard at the Yokohama Champions League tournament.

Only 100 copies of this card are in existence. A second version of The Masked Royal is much less valuable; though also originally a promotional card, it was later released in seventh-generation English set Celestial Storm.

9) Giratina ex 146/BW-P BW-P Promotional Cards (2012) US$12,000

A promotional reprint of a card originally from fifth-generation set Dragon Blast [BW5], just 1,000 copies of this card were ever issued. This alternate-art card was only handed to winners of the Super Rare Card Set Get! Campaign.

Anyone who bought a combination of four Dragon Blast [BW5] and/or Dragon Blade [BW5] products at participating stores could enter a random drawing for a chance to win one of the 1,000 Giratina ex cards. There was also a Rayquaza ex card of the same quantity as part of the campaign; however, it didn’t even come close to Giratina ex’s value.

8) Master’s Scroll 055/L-P L-P Promotional Cards (2010) US$15,600

This card was only ever made available to Master Rank members of the Pokémon Daisuki Club. To obtain the club’s highest rank, one had to accumulate a minimum total of 8,600 Action Points (AP).

What makes this card such a catch is the fact that the AP system was discontinued in August 2010—just two months after this card’s release. This means that there was just a two-month window during which this card could be obtained.

7) Pikachu (2016) US$29,520

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Pokémon TCG, Creatures Inc. partnered with Ginza Tanaka to release a promotional Pikachu card with 11 grams of 24-karat gold embedded into it. While it isn’t known exactly how many copies were produced, the number is known to be relatively limited.

This card is actually a commemorative reprint of the original Pikachu card from Expansion Pack—the very first Pokémon TCG set. When the new gold-infused card was originally released, those interested in the card had to enter a lottery for the opportunity to buy the card. Following that, those selected only had a specific window during which the card could be bought.

6) Pikachu 279/XY-P XY-P Promotional Cards (2016) US$32,520

The fourth and final—and most expensive—card on this list honoring the Pokémon TCG’s 20th anniversary was Creatures Inc.’s magnum opus as far as cards related to the milestone are concerned.

The only way to obtain this card was to attend one of two 20th Anniversary Festa events in October 2016—the first in Niigata, the second in Nagoya. This card features the logo of the 20th Anniversary Festa; visually speaking, it’s the finishing touch to a card loaded with imagery celebrating the occasion.

5) No. 2 Trainer (2013) US$65,000

Just six copies of this card exist; they were first awarded to, as one might guess, the runners-up in each age division of the 2013 Pokémon TCG and VGC (Video Game Championship) World Championships. The card’s scarcity combined with its prestige undoubtedly drive its price way up.

While it was never determined who was the original owner of this card when it was sold for $65,000, it’s most likely one from the VGC tournaments. That’s because in 2013, this card was awarded to Worlds VGC runners-up for the first time in the tournament’s history.

4) Master’s Key 068/L-P L-P Promotional Cards (2010) US$66,000

Every player at the 2010 Japan World Championship final qualification tournament received this card: eight TCG Junior, six TCG Senior, six TCG Masters, eight VGC Category A, and eight VGC Category B players. Thus, in total, there are only 36 copies of this card in existence.

As is the case with No. 2 Trainer, this particular card was most likely originally awarded to a VGC player. In previous years, a Master’s Key card had only been awarded to TCG players; this was the first time that VGC players would receive it as well.

3) No. 1 Trainer (2012) US$72,000

Since this card was from before Pokémon World Championships prize cards were awarded to VGC players, this means that a mere three copies of this card were ever issued. In 2012, the original recipients were Junior Division champion Shuto Itagaki, Senior Division champion Chase Moloney, and Masters Division champion Igor Costa.

Once again, we don’t know who exactly was the original owner of the specific card that sold for US$72,000. However, it’s most likely that it was Costa’s card. The Portuguese legend is a consensus top-10 Pokémon TCG player of all time with some analysts even placing him in their top five.

2) Lillie 397/SM-P SM-P Promotional Cards (2019) US$108,000

While many prior versions of this card do exist, it was the Extra Battle Day promotional card that made this card one of the Pokémon TCG’s immortals. This card was distributed at Extra Battle Day events at participating stores across Japan in October and November 2019.

It was possible to receive this card by registering for a lottery either in-person on the day of the event or online. Once again, the highly limited nature of this card’s release was the main factor behind its massive value; the fact that it has a Full Art illustration of a female character serves to jack up its value even more.

1) Ishihara GX TPCi01 Black Star Promos (2018) US$247,230

A card which was originally not made publicly available, it was distributed to attendees of a private event celebrating The Pokémon Company president and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara’s 60th birthday held during the 2018 World Championships in Nashville, Tennessee.

There’s never been an exact figure on the number of copies of this card that exist; however, estimates as low as 30 and as high as 200 have been theorized by various sources. However, it was primarily the private, mystery-shrouded nature of this card that made it the 2010s card that sold for the highest price.

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