The Most Valuable Pokemon TCG Cards In Paldean Fates

Special sets in the Pokemon TCG have become something of a regular occurrence now. These sets are filled with all sorts of reprints from the past few expansions and often bring a fun twist to some of your favorite Pokemon.

Paldean Fates is a set dedicated to giving as many Pokemon as possible the shiny treatment, letting the alternate color palette shine. Topping the charts are a bunch of special illustration cards that feature some absolutely stunning artwork on some of the best cards in recent years.

These prices reflect TCGplayer’s market values and are subject to change.

Updated February 25, 2025, by Andrew Scariati: Paldean Fates chase cards have seen major price fluctuations since release, with some of the top choices more than quadrupling in price from 2024 to 2025. We’ve adjusted Paldean Fates’ best cards based on these price changes and re-ordered them accordingly.

16

Koraidon Ex (Hyper Rare) – $11.55

Get Hyped

Koraidon lands on the list as Paldean Fates’ most valuable Hyper Rare, as Special Illustration Rares and Shiny Holos are the primary attractions from this set. While the coloration offers unusual color choices, the design receives the palette well, as Koraidon’s triumphant pose is still visible.

This card continues to have plenty of up and down points, typically trading between the $10 and $13 range, though this card typically hovers around the $11 mark except during its highest peaks.

15

Miraidon ex (Hyper Rare) – $11.86

One-Upping Its Twin

The Miraidon ex version of this unique Hyper Rare is more suited to this color palette, offering a logical Electric-typing to complement the yellow and aqua choices. While the ratio of each color is far more weighted to the aqua side, this card’s design makes more sense visually with the Pokemon.

This card went on a run up the price charts that seemed to indicate it might return to former highs around the $15 mark but has fallen short by a small margin. However, this card might continue to appreciate over the long term.

14

Clive (Special Illustration Rare) – $12.31

Group Photo

Clive has a legitimate argument as one of the best Special Illustration Rare trainer cards from the Scarlet & Violet era, boasting a big group of fellow trainers and Pokemon sharing the space.

In addition to the wonderful company and colors displayed in this stunning artwork, Clive’s rebound back toward the $15 mark is impressive, considering he fell below six dollars for a long time in 2024. However, this card’s incredible art ensures its value should continue to rise.

13

Ditto (Shiny Rare) – $14.63

Starting A Shiny Parade

Ditto needs no introduction, as this impostor Pokemon makes a name for itself as a crude copycat of your favorite Pokemon. However, Ditto rarely appears in its blue shiny form, giving this “baby shiny” an unusual artwork to appreciate.

As one of the best Paldean Fates chase cards, Ditto earns its place among the best on the back of a huge run up the price charts, soaring from the humble six-dollar range up into the teens.

12

Charmeleon (Shiny Rare) – $16.05

A Second-Stage Starter Shines

It can be hard to stand out in a set filled with shiny versions of all your favorite Pokemon. But Charmeleon, the often neglected middle child of the Charizard evolutionary line, takes the stage for the first time in a while.

The slightly offset pastel coloring of Charmeleon shines wonderfully on this card, with the stark white background and the shiny lasers and speckled stars helping the little lizard stand out among other cards in the Paldean Fates expansion.

11

Mimikyu (Shiny Rare) – $16.87

Losing Color, Gaining Terror

Mimikyu makes a spooky appearance in Paldean Fates as this Pokemon’s shiny color palette drains all color from it, turning this Ghost-type into a black-and-white horror movie monster.

The lack of colors might feel disappointing, but the thematic reasoning is sound.

Mimikyu once climbed into the $12 range, but 2024 saw it experiencing an even distribution of highs and lows, though the highs were short-lived. Mimikyu is in the midst of a rally that saw it rebound back to $11 after falling into the single digits; all that remains to know is how long this resurgence can last.

10

Arven (Special Illustration Rare) – $17.33

An Action-Packed Artwork

As one of Paldea’s featured new trainers, Arven has enjoyed a fair share of illustration cards in Scarlet & Violet, but this version is one of the best. Aside from the attention that the Poke Ball in the center commands, there are numerous other details to enjoy, from Mabosstiff to the other trainers.

Regardless of your feelings about Arven, the variety of subjects and attention to detail make this a special card with a gorgeous scene unfolding.

9

Mew ex (Shiny Ultra Rare) – $17.77

Bursting Blue Sparkles

Mew ex came from way down the pecking order to make its way into the top chase cards from Paldean Fates, as Mew’s shiny form makes quite an impressive name for itself in this set. While this Ultra Rare isn’t quite as cute as the best Mew card in the set, it still pops thanks to a white background for its pastel blue to shine on.

In mid-2024, this card was struggling to hit the seven-dollar plateau, but it continues its march toward the $20 mark into 2025, as many of the best cards from the Scarlet and Violet generation continue to rise.

8

Penny (Special Illustration Rare) – $19.30

Reaching For More

Much like Mew, Penny had a humble start in Paldean Fates, as this Special Illustration Trainer failed to stand out from the pack thanks to her similarity to Arven’s card. While they both revolve around the central Poke Ball, Penny’s popularity pushes her card’s price well above Arven’s.

Penny struggled to crack double digits in value but suddenly shot up into the $20 range before slightly settling down in price. However, despite the pullback, this Penny seems happy to hover around $20, where it makes a new home.

7

Snorlax (Shiny Rare) – $25.13

Bursting With Blue Brilliance

This Snorlax is a fantastic – albeit subtle – shiny Pokemon to get if you’re a fan of the set, though it’s far from one of Snorlax’s most valuable cards. Most of Paldean Fates’ best cards are shinies and this Snorlax is relatively affordable considering the cost of other options to come.

Whether you want to collect Paldean Fates’ top cards or are more concerned with some of your other favorite Pokemon, Snorlax should appeal to a variety of collectors and should maintain its demand over time. Snag this card while it’s down, as it tends to bounce around the $15 range.

6

Charmander (Shiny Rare) – $27.55

The Favorite Younger Sibling

Nobody can hate a Charmander, it is all but programmed in all Pokemon fans’ heads that the little red Lizard Pokemon is one of the cutest in the game. Now make his coloring a little softer and give him some glitter and you have one of the best shiny Pokemon around.

There’s no doubt that Charmander is a great Pokemon, but there’s also a pretty good chance that Charmander is getting a bump in value thanks to the Charizard Tax. Luckily, this Charmander continues to maintain a fairly consistent price.

5

Iono (Special Illustration Rare) – $32.39

Still Hanging Tough

Speaking of card advantage, Iono is a great card for both drawing cards when you’re behind or hampering your opponents if they’re ahead. When you play this Supporter card, both you and your opponent shuffle your hands and put them on the bottom of their respective decks.

This Special Illustration version of the streamer and Pokemon gym leader features her at a café, working on her laptop while a few of her Pokemon partners join her. While this card is gorgeous, its value has dropped heavily since its release.

4

Pikachu (Shiny Rare) – $50.78

An Iconic Shiny Mouse

The single most iconic Pokemon in the world gets its very own shiny card in Paldean Fates, with the slightly dark coloring of the Shiny Pikachu looking great against the all-white background of this card.

The big wide eyes, adorable smile, and lightning bolt tail all come together to help make this Pikachu one of the best iterations of the electric mouse Pokemon. If you’re a Pikachu fanatic or just like collecting the prettiest cards in each set, you’re going to want to grab one of these for your collection.

3

Gardevoir ex (Special Illustration Rare) – $89.32

A Stunning Scene For An Elegant Shiny

Gardevoir has been a popular Pokemon in the Trading Card Game in recent years and remains a popular one to collect. This Special Illustration has seen some ups and downs but always seems to bounce back and hold a $50 value based on the sheer demand it brings.

The Special Illustration version of Gardevoir ex features the Psychic Pokemon in their soft blue aesthetic, dancing in the moonlight at the edge of a small pond tucked away in the woods. A few sleeping Pachirisu are dozing on a tree branch, while a stunned Wooper pops up from the water’s surface.

2

Charizard ex (Special Illustration Rare) – $204.64

A Fierce Black Dragon Makeover

Charizard ex immediately took off as one of the most powerful Pokemon cards printed in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. With such a unique design, the demand for this card was high from the start but has since tumbled toward the $100 mark.

The Special Illustration of this shiny Tera version of Charizard takes the Pokemon and gives it a diamond or stained-glass look, making it a stunning card to add to your collection.

1

Mew ex (Special Illustration Rare) – $397.05

A Mischievous Blue Mew

Mew ex is a unique Pokemon card, fitting into all sorts of decks thanks to its special ability and generic attack cost. Giving it a Special Illustration version helps take the elusive legendary Pokemon to even rarer heights.

An energy field surrounds the pale blue Mew in the illustration and Mew floats whimsically above a few other Generation One Pokemon enjoying the day.

Mew is undoubtedly the most visually stunning card in the set, and it saw an unfathomable price rise in October, which saw this card soar from around $90 to over $140, one of the biggest single-month increases to ever occur in Paldean Fates. However, nobody could predict it would flirt with the $400 range.