The first new Pokémon Trading Card Game set of 2024 has arrived with the release of Paldean Fates. Instead of a new full set like Obsidian Flames or Paradox Rift, Paldean Fates is the next mini-set in the Fates series of TCG sets – which includes the Sword and Shield era Shining Fates and Hidden Fates – which introduce new cards featuring beloved Shiny Pokémon. This time, it’s Paldea’s turn to get some lovely new sparkly cards, with highlights including several new Padean Pokémon as well as some beautiful new gold and Alternative Art cards. Oh, and of course there’s a new Shiny Charizard card.
With 245 cards, 131 of which are Shiny Secret Rares, Paldean Fates is certainly one of the most focused sets. Previously, regular Shinies would belong in the Shiny Vault category but, here in Paldean Fates, they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with more traditional secret rares like Alternative Art Trainers and Pokemon. If you’re a Shiny Hunter looking to collect a new batch of noth iconic Shinies and never-before-seen Shinies, Paldean Fates has you covered. With so much variety, though, some cards are going to be worth more than others, especially when so much of the set is dominated by rare cards. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the most expensive cards as of the release of Paldean Fates to decide which are worth your money or attention.
Here are the 10 best and most valuable cards in Pokémon TCG Paldean Fates, the second mini-set of the Scarlet and Violet. We’ll mainly be using the TCGPlayer listings of the Paldean Fates to determine this list.
Want more Pokémon TCG content? You can find more, including our other set guides, here on KeenGamer:
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- 10 Best and Most Expensive Pokémon Obsidian Flames Cards | Pokémon TCG
- 10 Best and Most Expensive Pokémon TCG Paldea Evolved Cards
- 10 Best and Most Expensive Pokémon Scarlet and Violet TCG Cards
- Pokémon TCG Gardevoir EX Deck Guide | How to Build and Play Gardevoir EX
10 Most Expensive Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates Cards
Charmeleon, Shiny Rare
The first card on our list and the tenth most expensive card currently in Paldean Fates is the Shiny Rare version of Charmeleon. Shiny Rares make up the bulk of the Paldean Fates TCG set and are the same as the Shiny Vault subset seen in Shining Fates and Hidden Fates. While Charmeleon is the first one to pop up on this list, it certainly won’t be the last time we see a Shiny Rare card or a Pokemon belonging to the Charizard line. Shiny Rare Charmeleon is number 110 in the Paldean Fates setlist.
Illustrated by Kouki Saito, the Charmeleon card is one of the best examples to show the appeal of the Shiny Rare cards in Paldean Fates. Between the crisp white background which remains simple and stylish while allowing the Pokemon themselves to stand out and the charming pastel stars which are reminiscent of the sparkle Shiny Pokemon have in the games, these cards gain so much from being so simple.
A few days after the release of Paldean Fates, Shiny Rare Charmeleon is going for between $16 to $18, making it by and large one of the most expensive Shiny Rares in the set.
Charmeleon, Shiny Rare
Clive, Special Illustration Rare (Alternative Art)
The ninth most expensive Pokemon TCG Paldean Fates card is one of the few Alternative Art Trainer cards in the set: Special Illustration Rare Clive. Like all modern Pokemon TCG sets, special Trainer cards have both a Full Art and Alternative Art version, with the latter usually being very stylised, making them extremely desirable. As we can see, the same goes for this Clive card, which is number 236 in the Paldean Fates setlist.
Drawn by the incredibly talent Taiga Kayama, the artist also behind the adorable Vanilish Illustration Rare from Paradox Rift, this Clive card feels like something ripped straight from Animal Crossing. There are so many charming little touches and details in this card that you could gawk over – the cute Applins on the tree, the chibi forms of all the Team Star members, the highly saturated colour – that it makes it a marvel to just admire.
As for how much this lovely card will cost you, Clive’s Alt Art is currently going for about $20 a few days after release. Despite being the ninth most expensive Paldean Fates card, this seems like one of the more sleeper hits from the set so make sure you grab a copy.
Clive, Special Illustration Rare
Charmander, Shiny Rare
Coming in at number eight on the list is the pre-evolution of our first card, Shiny Rare Charmander. The Charmander line is the most popular and iconic starter line in the entire Pokemon franchise (something we’ll certainly see pop up again later) so seeing both Shiny Charmeleon and Shiny Charmander shouldn’t be that big of a surprise. As you’d expect, Shiny Rare Charmander is number 109 in the Paldean Fates TCG setlist.
Sowsow’s Shiny Charmander is another which massively shows off the appeal of these Shiny Rare cards, with Charmander’s goofiness out in full glory against the stark white background and pretty pastel sparkles. There’s something inviting about Shiny Pokemon which makes them a joy to look at and Charmander’s Shiny Rare is the same way.
As of a few days after the release of the Pokemon SV TCG Paldean Fates set, Charmander’s Shiny Rare variant is going for anywhere upwards of about $20. Nostalgia certainly sells and Charmander makes that clear.
Charmander, Shiny Rare
Nemona, Special Illustration Rare (Alternative Art)
At number seven on our list is Nemona’s Special Illustration Rare. Nemona is one of the most important characters in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet as she’s your main rival, something that this card aims to capture. Nemona’s Alternative Art is number 238 in the set.
Drawn by aspara, an artist you’ve likely seen in the Horsea and Seadra cards from Pokemon 151, this card just comes to life because of how dynamic it is, perfectly reflecting Nemona’s personality and character. The energetic pose and framing of the picture, especially with the Poke Ball, make it feel like you’re about to enter battle with Nemona, whereas the exaggerated gusts of wind and bright colours make it all sing. This card is simply fantastic.
Nemona’s Special Illustration Rare card from Paldean Fates is going to set you back about $20 to $22.
Nemona, Special Illustration Rare
Penny, Special Illustration Rare (Alternative Art)
Following on from Nemona is another one of Scarlet and Violet’s major characters, Penny, as the sixth most expensive Paldean Fates card is Penny’s Special Illustration Rare.
Illustrated once again by aspara, the artist behind Nemona’s Special Illustration Rare and Arven’s Illustration Rare, this card shows off a more muted and gloomy look at Penny. The majority of the card is bathed in darkness with these small shots of highly saturated colour that make everything readable through the shadows: Penny’s hair, Umbreon’s stripes, and the bright fluorescent lights. While not as animated or energetic as aspara’s previous work, it perfectly captures the duality of Penny’s character and is an excellent card all around.
Penny’s Alternative Art card is currently selling for anywhere between $23 and $25.
Penny, Special Illustration Rare
Pikachu, Shiny Rare
The next card on our list is also the last Shiny Rare card to make the top 10 most expensive Paldean Fates card list, which means that the fact that it’s Shiny Pikachu makes for a fitting end. Pikachu’s Shiny Rare card is number 131 in Paldean Fates and the first Lightning-type Shiny card in the set.
Just like with the Charmeleon and Charmander cards, Pikachu’s Shiny Rare makes the Pokemon pop like it never really has before. Compared to the more drastic colour changes of other Shiny Pokemon, Pikachu’s has always been a little lacklustre but this card turns that around, exaggerating Pikachu’s shift to a darker orange with Nuu Ishida’s amazing artwork which encapsulates everything Pikachu is about.
As the most expensive Shiny Rare card from Paldean Fates, Shiny Pikachu is going to cost upwards of $30 or more, befitting the mascot of the entire franchise.
Pikachu, Shiny Rare
Iono, Special Illustration Rare (Alternative Art)
The last Special Illustration Rare Trainer card on our list is Iono’s Special Illustration Rare, someone who isn’t unfamiliar with the top spot when it comes to expensive Pokemon cards seeing as Iono’s previous Alternative Art remains the most valuable card from Paldea Evolved. This time, Iono is back with a new illustrator and a new Alternative Art card to grace the packs of Paldean Fates, sitting at number 237 in the setlist.
Iono’s Paldean Fates card was illustrated by hanabushi and it shows Iono in a moment of calm between livestreams. Hanabushi’s simple but sharp colour palette really pops, making every character and Pokemon in the scene stand out in their own way, whereas the lineless illustrations themselves exude a level of skill that helps carry the whole card. This is just one of many Paldean Fates cards which is a treat to look at.
If you want to complete your Iono collection and snag this snazzy card for yourself, Paldean Fate’s Special illustration Rare Iono will cost around $70, a massive price jump from the Shiny Rare Pikachu. From here on out, the three remaining cards are all heavy hitters who are going to cost you a pretty penny.
Iono, Special Illustration Rare
Gardevoir ex, Special Illustration Rare (Alternative Art)
The third most expensive card Paldea Fates is the Special Illustration Rare variant of Gardevoir ex, the first Alternative Art Pokemon to make the list. Gardevoir, like the other two Special Illustration Rare Pokemon, has already received an Alternative Art card in a previous Scarlet and Violet era set – for Gardevoir, specifically, that was during base SV where they received a much-beloved storytime card alongside Raltz and Kirlia – which this new card is based on.
With art by the talented Kuroimori, this card aims to depict the graceful beauty of Gardevoir, something only highlighted by the Pokemon’s tranquil blue Shiny colouration. The soft tranquil blue which passes over the entire image gives it a calming quality, one only matched by the graceful way Gardevoir itself is drawn. Oh, and there’s a funny Wooper too, making this card ten times better. Every bit of this card is full of detail and beauty, making it a no-brainer why it came close to the top of the list.
Gardevoir ex Special Illustration Rare is currently going for around the same price as Iono’s Alternative Art, meaning that you’re going to have to fork over about $70 to add Gardevoir ex to your collection.
Gardevoir ex, Special Illustration Rare
Mew ex, Special Illustration Rare (Alternative Art)
Just narrowly missing out on the bragging rights to the most expensive Paldean Fates card is Shiny Mew with the Mew ex Special Illustration Rare, which is number 232 in the setlist. As the second, but not final, Special Illustration Rare Pokemon in Paldean Fates, Mew ex’s Alt Art was always going to score high, but the card itself, which is a joyful creation highlighting Mew’s fun-loving nature, only pushed it further up the list.
This card, illustrated wonderfully by USGMEN, captures Mew’s playful energy perfectly. The soft colours and lack of shading give it an almost child-like sense of wonder and charm, whereas the collection of other Kanto Pokemon just hanging out gives out a great sense of joy. Then, of course, there’s Shiny Mew itself, one of the most iconic Shiny Pokemon net to Charizard and Umbreon, whose cute, cat-like features are exaggerated fully to make this card such a delight to witness.
As the second most expensive in the Pokemon Paldean Fates TCG, Special Illustration Mew ex is going to cost a lot of money. Currently, Mew ex’s Alternative Art is going to set you back roughly $100, another big jump in price from the previous two cards.
Mew ex, Special Illustration Rare
Charizard ex, Special Illustration Rare (Alternative Art)
At number one as the most expensive card in Pokemon Paldean Fates is, of course, Charizard ex’s Special Illustration Rare. As soon as this card was revealed alongside the Paldean Fates, there was never any doubt that it would easily become the most sought-after and expensive in the set, as all Charizard cards seem to do. This version of Charizard ex, number 234, is an alternative version of the Obsidian Flames Charizard, a card whose Alternative Art was also the most expensive card in its set.
Paldean Fate’s Charizard ex Alternative Art follows the same theme as the Obsidian Flames card, both of which were masterfully illustrated by AKIRA EGAWA. Shiny Charizard’s iconic black scales are beautifully lit up by Scarlet and Violet’s Terastal transformation, giving this card an aura of menace and majesty in equal measure. Between the gorgeous adaptation of the Dark Tera type to the wicked framing and amazing use of colour, EGAWA’s latest work is another all-timer and a must-have card for any collector, Charizard fan or not.
Charizard ex’s rise to the top of the charts isn’t a surprising one, at least if you’re knowledgeable about Pokemon cards in the slightest. Just like in Obsidian Flames, Special Illustration Rare Charizard ex eclipses all the competition and, if you want to purchase one to add to your collection, prepare to spend upwards of $170 to secure Charizard’s Paldean Fates Alternative Art.
Charizard ex, Special Illustration Rare
Those were the 10 best and most expensive cards in the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Paldean Fates TCG set. The next major Scarlet and Violet era TCG set, Temporal Forces, is set to release in March, which marks the first anniversary of the SV era of Pokemon cards.
