Although the effect of the Air Balloon card originally released as part of Sword [S1W], half of the dual set that kicked off the Pokémon TCG’s eighth generation alongside Shield [S1H], completely differs from that of its video game counterpart, that hasn’t prevented this card from becoming a key part of many crucial decks across its time in the metagame—and now that it’s returned, expect to see a lot more of it going forward.

About Air Balloon (Sword [S1W] 075/060)

Air Balloon, a Pokémon Tool card, reduces the retreat cost of the Pokémon to which it’s attached by 2. As a result, it fits into just about any deck; of course, it works particularly well in decks which are built around Pokémon with hefty retreat costs.

This card was originally rotated out of the meta in 2023 as it was part of the “D” block which was then removed from tournament play. However, Air Balloon was recently reprinted as part of the “I” block in Black Bolt [SV11B], allowing it to return to tournament decks.

The most valuable iteration of Air Balloon is the Ultra Rare (UR) version from Sword [S1W]. As is the case with all cards of this rarity, the card has a gold holofoil background; the Air Balloon is itself outlined in gold as well. This provides the illustration with a visual impact that befits the card’s high rarity.

Release Details

In English, this card is card 213/202 from Sword & Shield.

An Air Balloon (Sword [S1W] 075/060) card sells for 6,590 JPY (~US$45).

Price Graph for Air Balloon (Sword [S1W] 075/060)

In other TCG-related news, check out the Roto-Stick card from the SV-P Promotional Cards. Alternatively, you can also head to the SNKRDUNK App via the banner below and find the top trending and latest single cards and boxes.

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