Table of Contents
- 1. Pikachu ex (Special Illustration Rare)
- 2. Latias ex (Special Illustration Rare)
- 3. Milotic ex (Special Illustration Rare)
- 4. Pikachu ex (Hyper Rare)
- 5. Hydreigon ex (Special Illustration Rare)
- 6. Lisia’s Appeal (Special Illustration Rare)
- 7. Alolan Exeggutor ex (Special Illustration Rare)
- 8. Latios (Illustration Rare)
- 9. Jasmine’s Gaze (Special Illustration Rare)
- 10. Ceruledge (Illustration Rare)
- What else should you watch out for?
Surging Sparks, released at the end of 2024, is the Scarlet and Violet era’s high-voltage exploration of Tera-type Pokémon. Adapted from two different Japanese sets, Supercharged Breaker and Paradise Dragona, the set pays homage to some much-loved Lightning-types and an array of dazzling dragons.
Launched against a backdrop of feverous hype, Surging Sparks lit the touchpaper for a series of expansions that sent fans into a frenzy – and because of this, the demand for Surging Sparks’ chase cards sent shockwaves throughout other Pokémon TCG sets.
Featuring nine regular ex Pokémon, 23 Illustration Rares, 11 Pokémon and Supporter cards, and six Secret Rares, Surging Sparks – with Pikachu the face of the set – delivered some of the standouts from our recent era. So, what are the 10 most expensive cards from this electrifying expansion?
1. Pikachu ex (Special Illustration Rare)
Pikachu ex, the undoubted face of the franchise, tops the list with aplomb thanks to an alluring Special Illustration Rare that displays the Electric-type attacker looking almost ethereal under a glistening Tera crown.
Designed by the illustrator GIDORA, this Pikachu ex bears all the hallmarks of a pricey modern chase card. Popular Pokémon? Tick. Incredible artwork? No doubt. Pull rates that make this Surging Sparks figurehead a little elusive? Yes siree. It’s got the lot. That’s why, after its release, it was unsurprising to see the market duly placing a triply-figure price tag on Pikachu ex.
While it is certainly a card for collectors to proudly display in a binder or slab, you can also factor in Pikachu ex’s competitive viability. For example, it’s been built into Lost Zone decks (pre-rotation) to give us another archetype in the meta.
2. Latias ex (Special Illustration Rare)
Next up is Latias ex – an unsurprising inclusion high on the list as it has heritage fetching huge prices with cards such as the Latias & Latios GX Tag Team card from the Sun & Moon era and the Latias ex from Plasma Freeze from the Black & White days.
Now, this Special Illustration Rare designed by OKACHEKE has moved itself into the upper echelons of the most expensive Latias cards ever, commanding an ungraded price tag of over £180 at the time of writing.
In the artwork, we see the Eon Pokémon taking to the sunlit skies above Paldea, hovering gracefully as beams of light flitter down from the top left hand corner. Aside from this glorious design, the card’s other USP is that it forms half of a combined art story. When placed next to its compatriot, Latios, we see that the two cards from Surging Sparks create an adjoined scene with each legendary slowly banking toward one another.
3. Milotic ex (Special Illustration Rare)
Milotic as a Pokémon is full of mystique and allure, evoking a sense of serenity and grace befitting its tag as a Hoenn’s creature of beauty. Kuroimori does the lore total justice with a design that shows off everything we love about Milotic.
The bottom of the illustration is dedicated to the underwater as we see Milotic’s serpentine-like body cutting through the emerald aqua. Budding seagrass and bubbles make up the bottom of the frame, giving the Water-type Pokémon a strong sense of place. Above water, we see Milotic’s top half reaching towards the sun and light refracting off the new-evolved Pokémon.
Aside from the sheer class of the artwork, the Special Illustration Rare earns acclaim in the market because it forms part of a two-piece picture – just like our Latias ex and Latios combination – pairing up with an Illustration Rare of Feebas.
4. Pikachu ex (Hyper Rare)
Pikachu ex returns, though this time the instantly-recognisable figure is drenched in gold as a Hyper Rare card. Despite sharing the same card name as our list-topper, this Pikachu features a variation in artwork too.
Here, we see the Hyper Rare Pikachu ex front on to frame. Above its head, the colours of its Tera crown smash through the background of gold, popping out with depth thanks in part to the thick felt-like edging used by the artist. The card features an almost-immersive holographic effect, with light reflecting off Pikachu and the surrounding elements, creating an eye-catching shine. All of this is enough to see collectors clamouring, and the market giving it its worth.
5. Hydreigon ex (Special Illustration Rare)
We said that Surging Sparks was a set premised around dazzling dragons – and boy did we mean it. Hydreigon ex, which makes an appearance with its Tera crown, looks terrifying and immaculate in equal measure.
Hydreigon’s crystalline body is placed against the dark depths of the card. Facing to the right, its trident of heads, topped with punchy purple fur, scream into the abyss. For a Pokémon that is known to be violent and destructive, the artwork is enough to make you believe the stories that this Dragon-type has had its name etched into lore for destroying villages.
Unsurprisingly, this card, endowed with a level of darkness, has been etched by AKIRA EGAWA – the creative who also gave us the money-spilling V Star four-piece of Arceus, Giratina, Origin Forme Dialga, and Origin Forme Palkia. I guess we can always look forward to this artists' cards, and keep a keen eye on them as valuable pulls.
6. Lisia’s Appeal (Special Illustration Rare)
The first Support card on the list, Lisia’s Appeal brings a level of glitz, glamour and partner Pokémon appeal that reminds us this contest star from Hoenn isn’t one to shy away from the big stage.
Almost breaking the fourth wall with an outstretched hand, Lisia is shown firmly in the limelight, mid theartics with a cheerful look of excitement that the camera brings. Alongside Lisia, peering over shoulder, is Altaria – her left-hand Dragon-type that embodies that spirit of the protagonist’s character.
Drawing them together, En Morikura creates a stunning Support card that has fetched prices as high as £50. Hardly surprising because of its glorious elegance.
7. Alolan Exeggutor ex (Special Illustration Rare)
Alongside Pikachu, Alolan Exeggutor became a posterface for the Surging Sparks set, featuring on both the pack artwork and display boxes. Thankfully, we were given a mesmerising print that truly did Alolan Exeggutor ex justice.
In front of skies blushed with a rose pink, Alolan Exeggutor is seen half-bent, stomping around among the palm trees of Alola (or maybe Paldea, who knows). The dimming light also serves as the perfect reason for the Dragon-type Pokémon to light up the scene with its Tera crown and illuminate tail ferns.
As far as artworks go, Yuriko Akase has really nailed down the summer festival vibes and given Alolan Exeggutor ex a rightly home among its brethren. No wonder the card has reached highs of over £70 when ungraded.
8. Latios (Illustration Rare)
We’ve already touched on this one, but it deserves mention in its own right. The Illustration Rare of Latios in Surging Sparks broadens to shot given to use by Latias ex and shows a sunrise of the cusp of the horizon behind Latios.
With light fracturing through the frame and Latios high above the buildings, you really do get that long-standing air of mystique around the Pokémon – something that has existed since generation three when they were first introduced.
For that reason, this Latios card is soaring into the most valuable positions in the Surging Sparks set, and also muscling in on the rankings for the most valuable Latios card ever printed in the Pokémon TCG. A really nice Dragon-type addition for us to try to rip’n’find.
9. Jasmine’s Gaze (Special Illustration Rare)
The second Support card on the list that pairs Pokémon and partners together is the Special Illustration Rare, Jasmine’s Gaze.
Jasmine, the Gym Leader from Johto, is pictured mid-sandwich-munch with her eyes fixed toward the front of the frame. It’s a subtle reference to the role sandwich making plays in the Scarlet & Violet era, and a unique visualisation of Steel-type Trainer.
Despite Jasmine typically being associated with the likes of Steelix and Magneton, Fujimoto Gold opts to depict a teenie, tiny Alcremie in frame, hinting to the fact Jasmine is likely sitting in one of the region’s best bakeries. It’s a neat easter egg add that only makes the card more desirable.
10. Ceruledge (Illustration Rare)
Touted by some Trainers in the community to become a Pokémon held in esteem with other chase cards, à la Umbreon, Gengar and Giratina, Ceruledge is a fiend ready for the big time. And this Illustration Rare is likely just the start of where things could be heading.
Artworked by Rond, the Ceruledge card features all the trademarks of the artist who made their debut in Temporal Forces after winning a Pokémon Illustrator Contest. By combining soft lines, a cosmic colour palette, and blur effects, Ceruledge is given a ghostly look befitting a Pokémon who ‘cuts its enemies to pieces without mercy.’
Ungraded, Ceruledge is worth approximately £25 – though if fanfare ensues then the card could very well find itself moving up in the market.
What else should you watch out for?
There’s so much to look out for in the Surging Sparks set that this footnote could be crammed full with an extensive list of worthy illustrations too. But to pick out a few, you may want to keep an eye on what’s punching for its weight in the market.
Top of these honourable mentions is the Special Illustration Rare of Archaludon ex, which stands tall mid-frame looking proud of its destructive force. This card no doubt earns merit partly due to its artwork, and partly due to its competitive viability.
Another Steel-standout is Skarmory. Perched on top of an RV is the desert, the Skarmory’s sheen, painted by Takumi Wada, is enough to make it one of the most striking interpretations in the set. Its wings look impenetrable, and the duality with the airstream vans is a stroke of genius.
But let’s end on a friendly nudge to keep an eye out for that Feebas Illustration Rare, which shows the feeble Water-type skirting amongst dark reed-filled depths. That said, you throw this down next to that pricey Milotic ex and you’ve got yourself a pair set for market success. Don’t sleep on the Basic Pokémon.
What have you been chasing from Surging Sparks? Is it one of the most memorable sets of the Scarlet & Violet era for you?
Shop Surging Sparks and our full collection of Pokémon TCG, including boosters, elite trainer boxes and battle decks right here at Gathering Games.
