In the Pokémon universe, she’s the Levincia Gym Leader and a massively popular livestreamer. In real life, she has made appearances on some standout Pokémon TCG cards and ranks among the biggest fan-favorites of all Pokémon characters introduced in the ninth generation.

Of course, we could only be referring to Electric-type specialist Iono, who has not only emerged as one of the breakout stars of Gen 9 but also one of the most popular characters in the entire Pokémon canon by this point.

As far as the Pokémon TCG is concerned, every time a notable card featuring Iono is released, it’s a lock to end up one of its set’s major pickups. With the recent release of Battle Partners [SV9] and, most notably, Iono’s Bellibolt ex card, Iono is back in the TCG spotlight—enhancing her reputation as an icon of the TCG.

Who Is Iono?

Introduced in the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet video games, Iono is the Levincia Gym Leader specializing in Electric-type Pokémon. The third Gym Leader which the player battles, Iono owns four Pokémon: Wattrel, Bellibolt, Luxio, and her ace—a Mismagius, which, while not itself an Electric-type Pokémon, is able to Terastallize into one. That said, though it isn’t her ace, her Bellibolt is the Pokémon she’s most associated with.

Iono and her Bellibolt were revealed early by The Pokémon Company via a two-part YouTube video, which also showcased what videos from “The Iono Zone”, Iono’s in-universe livestream series, would look like. The videos were uploaded to the official Pokémon YouTube channel in October 2022, more than a month before the official releases of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. This allowed Iono to develop a fanbase before many of the other Paldean Gym Leaders could.

Iono has appeared in a wide range of Pokémon merchandise alongside her Bellibolt. In addition, her jacket and her Magnemite-shaped hair clips have been turned into real-life items.

Iono’s Pokémon TCG Debut

With all of this being said, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise if one were to find out that Iono has a notable status within the Pokémon TCG as well. However, the word “notable” is an understatement—not even one full generation in, Iono has already become a Pokémon TCG icon.

The first Pokémon TCG depicting Iono was released as part of Clay Burst [SV2D], half of a dual set alongside Snow Hazard [SV2P]. In Snow Hazard [SV2P] and Clay Burst [SV2D], four Trainer characters were featured on cards of the coveted Special Art Rare (SAR) rarity; besides Iono, the three others were Grusha and Giacomo in Snow Hazard [SV2P] as well as Saguaro [SV2D] in Clay Burst [SV2D].

While it was always expected that Iono would overshadow her three male counterparts, the extent to which she did so was at a scale almost never seen before.

When Clay Burst [SV2D] and Snow Hazard [SV2P] were released, fans flocked to Clay Burst [SV2D] like Dustox to a lamp for one reason and one reason only: the SAR Iono card. On the day of its release in April 2023, Clay Burst [SV2D] ran out of stock within hours, while sales of Snow Hazard [SV2P] were relatively muted. Massive queues formed at card stores all over Japan—and subsequently internationally when that Iono card was released in English as part of Paldea Evolved [PAL]—for a chance to land one of the most valuable cards in Pokémon TCG history (and for some, a chance to… well, let’s just say “we know why” and leave it at that).

Such was the demand for Clay Burst [SV2D] on the back of this one card that Creatures Inc. was compelled to sell its booster packs and boxes on the Pokémon Center website on a made-to-order basis until the first reprints arrived in August 2023. Even today, Clay Burst [SV2D] is colloquially referred to by fans in Japan as “the Iono set”.

Although the value of that SAR Iono card has fallen off from its peak during which sales of the card regularly broke the US$500 barrier (and that was the non-scalper price as well), the card remains iconic and has retained a great deal of its value over time. Today, an Iono card from Clay Burst [SV2D] of the SAR rarity regularly retails for US$250 or more.

Iono in the Pokémon TCG Metagame

It wasn’t just collectors; even serious players went after that same Iono card from Clay Burst [SV2D] as well—albeit in its much less expensive Uncommon (U) form. That’s because the card was then and remains one of the most splashable cards in the entire Pokémon TCG metagame.

When this Supporter card is played, both players shuffle all cards in their hands and then put those cards at the bottom of their respective decks. Following this, unless either player had no cards to shuffle and place at the bottom of the deck, both players then draw as many cards as they have remaining Prize cards.

The Iono card from Clay Burst [SV2D] has gone on to become a staple of almost every tournament deck because not only does it serve as a draw engine, which becomes even more effective when the player is behind, but it also allows the player to reset an unfavorable hand while also disrupting the opponent’s setup by potentially getting important cards out of the opponent’s hand. In the current meta, it’s very rare to see a high-level Pokémon TCG tournament deck, which doesn’t include any copies of the card; it’s an almost mandatory addition to decks at this point.

Iono’s Pokémon in Battle Partners [SV9]

Following the overwhelming response to her first card from Clay Burst [SV2D], cards depicting Iono alongside some of her Pokémon were released as part of Battle Partners [SV9] in January 2025. Many in the Pokémon TCG community correctly surmised that one of these cards would go on to become a major hit—the SAR version of Iono’s Bellibolt ex.

The card’s illustration depicts Iono alongside the same Bellibolt that had been revealed in that YouTube video more than two years prior—this time in its TCG iteration. Electric Streamer, the name of its Ability, not only references the fact that Iono is a livestreamer but also alludes to streamer discharge, an electromagnetic phenomenon.

While Iono’s Wattrel was only released as a Common (C) in Battle Partners [SV9], its true standout version came as a promotional card released alongside the set. Anyone who purchased a Battle Partners [SV9] booster box would have the promotional version of the card bundled with it. Many buyers were clamoring for the card as soon as it was announced—long before the actual release of Battle Partners [SV9].

Other Pokémon owned by Iono in Battle Partners [SV9] include Bellibolt’s pre-evolution Tadbulb, Wattrel’s evolution Kilowattrel, and Voltorb and Electrode (neither of which Iono actually owns in the video games). Iono’s Luxio and Mismagius from the video games don’t make appearances; the latter has been rumored to be the case because, while unconfirmed, many believe that Creatures Inc. is no longer printing cards depicting Terastallized Pokémon.

Now that you know why the Pokémon TCG fandom so adores Iono and why her cards are often huge pulls, why not browse the SNKRDUNK App for cards related to Iono? They’re sure to charge up your collection or zap your opponent’s decks.

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