Ice-type Pokémon arguably bear the unfortunate tag of “the most overlooked Pokémon type”, with types like Dragon, Fire, Water, Psychic, and Dark hogging the “Solgaleo’s share” of the spotlight. The type’s status as perhaps the weakest overall type in the Pokémon video games doesn’t help its cause, either.

However, as far as human characters are concerned, there’s one Ice-type specialist who happens to be rapidly gaining in popularity: Grusha. As a result, demand for the Grusha Pokémon TCG card from Snow Hazard [SV2P] has been increasing rapidly.

This Super Rare (SR) card bears a Full Art illustration depicting the Glaseado Gym Leader fully clad in winter wear on the slopes of Glaseado Mountain. The card’s holofoil and silver border enhance the visual impact of the snowy background, adding to the vibe that one would expect from an Ice-type specialist’s card.

What’s interesting about this card is that although Grusha is a man, his card nevertheless benefits from the value boost afforded to most cards of female characters. The visual effect of his somewhat androgynous upper facial features and hairstyle is compounded by the scarf that covers the lower half of his face. In fact, many Pokémon TCG collectors have mistaken Grusha for a woman and thus inadvertently contributed to the card’s elevated value.

On a related note, those same qualities have led to speculation surrounding the character’s sexuality. While nothing on this matter has been canonically confirmed, that hasn’t stopped many LGBTQ+ Pokémon fans from claiming Grusha as “one of their own”—and this appeal to a specific crowd further increases the card’s overall desirability.

The English version of this card is card 253/193 in the Paldea Evolved [PAL] set.

A copy of a Grusha (Snow Hazard [SV2P] 090/071) card of SR rarity costs (a nice) ¥6,900 (~US$45).

In other TCG-related news, check out the Red-Eyes Black Dragon card from Quarter Century Chronicle side:Pride. 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.