Starter Pokémon and their final evolutions are usually among the most popular Pokémon of their respective generations. Piplup, the Water-type starter of Pokémon’s fourth generation, is no different in this regard. That said, that’s not the only reason why the Piplup card from seventh-generation Pokémon TCG set Dream League [SM11b] is as notable of a pull as it is.

This is a Character Rare (CHR) card; the CHR rarity only applies to specific cards which have the featured Pokémon depicted alongside its Trainer. In this case, Piplup is shown with Dawn, the female protagonist of Gen 4’s main-series video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl as well as the Pokémon anime of that same generation.

In addition to the value bump from having a female character prominently displayed, this card’s status as a CHR card plays into its elevated price because cards of that rarity have since been discontinued. Additionally, Dawn’s general popularity among the Pokémon fandom is relatively high due to being a major character in both the video games and anime.

All that said, even Piplup itself does play a part in the high level of demand for this card. To this day, Piplup is still likely the most popular of all three Gen 4 starters.

In English, this card is 239/236 from Cosmic Eclipse.

The sale price of a Piplup (Dream League [SM11b] 052/049) card is 9,000 JPY (~US$61).

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