Most Expensive Cards in Prismatic Evolutions - Pokémon TCG

10 Most Expensive Cards in Prismatic Evolutions - Pokémon TCG

Nick Witts Nick Witts
11 minute read

The further we venture into the Pokémon TCG sets from Paldea and Scarlet and Violet, the more feverous excitement there seems to be. And 2025 is going to continue that trend with Prismatic Evolutions. We are heading on an upward trajectory.

There's a good reason for this. Set to release on the 17th of January, Prismatic Evolutions is an Eeveelutions-focused special set containing six ACE SPEC Trainer cards, 10 Pokémon ex and 15 Tera Pokémon ex, 12 ultra rare Supporter cards, 32 special illustration rare Pokémon ex and Supporter cards.

Not only that, but the Prismatic Evolution cards will include two sets of reverse holo cards: Pokémon with either a Poké Ball or Master Ball etched in the card background. The latter, a concept previously used for the Japanese 151 set, is only fuelling excitement more.

Combined, this means the set contains fan-favourite Pokémon, such as Umbreon ex, the introduction of unique prints, and a litany of chase cards designed by some of Pokémon’s iconic artists.

From the set, these are the 10 most valuable Prismatic Evolutions cards:

Table of Contents

1. Umbreon ex (Special Illustration Rare)

embed::[[Umbreon ex (sv8pt5-161)]]

The Umbreon ex special illustration rare. Now being dubbed Sunbreon, Umbreon ex is seen as the follow-up to the illustrious Moonbreon card from Evolving Skies, which has a consistent track record of selling for four figures. Naturally, there is hope that Prismatic Evolutions’ Umbreon ex will pick up where Moonbreon left – and go to the Moon, value-wise.

Already, the card has a lot going for it. The sparkling artwork, illustrated by Yashiro Nanako, gives true testament to this generation’s terastalization mechanic with Umbreon adorning that famous multi-colour crown, perched in front of a glowing harvest moon (and no, the Sunbreon name doesn’t really make sense, does it?). It’s ready-made to become a figurehead of the Scarlet and Violet era.

Then there’s the fact this card could genuinely be competitively viable. Its attack, Onyx, is unlike anything we’ve really seen before and lets you discard all Energy attached to Umbreon ex to straight up take an opponent’s Prize card. While this specific print might not see huge amounts of deck play because of its value, it definitely adds to its appeal.

And finally, because Terastal Festival has already been released in Japan – essentially the Japanese like-for-like of Prismatic Evolutions – we have an idea of how the card is performing in the market. The Japanese prints have been selling for well north of £200, so if that’s anything to go off, then Sunbreon ex will be one to watch.

2. Sylveon ex (Special Illustration Rare)

embed::[[Sylveon ex (sv8pt5-156)]]

Jumping ahead of Umbreon’s counterpart Eeveelution on this list is the Sylveon ex special illustration rare. Illustrated by Cona Nitanda, the fairy-type variant marries the crystalline effects of terastal mechanic with the sweeping curvatures of Sylveon’s many ribbons. Popping pink colours perfectly encapsulate the character of the card and helps Sylveon ex to stand out in its own right. 

Just like Umbreon ex, Sylveon ex is blessed with a quirky, competitive moveset. Angelite, its secondary attack, lets you choose two of your opponent’s benched Pokémon and shuffle them, along with all attached cards, back into their deck. This kind of disruptive play harks back to Sylveon GX from Guardians Rising, which could use its Plea GX to enact similar retribution. This means the new print has a bit of legacy behind it, too.

The Japanese print of Sylveon ex from Terastal Festival is already performing well, with market values reaching triple figures. The English release should no doubt live up as well.

3. Leafeon ex (Special Illustration Rare)

embed::[[Leafeon ex (sv8pt5-144)]]

The next Eeveelution on the list is the Leafeon ex special illustration rare. Designed by Jiro Sasumo, the card does absolutely everything you’d want from a Leafeon ex card.

It draws you into its jungle-like setting, making you feel as if you'd truly stumbled across a wild Leafeon in the moment. The background helps the Pokémon to feel as if it is camouflaging itself from the world among flora and fauna while also popping out to the trainer as a potent tera-type attacker.

Early indications from the Japanese release suggest that Leafeon ex will more than hold its own with the other Eeveelutions in terms of value. And upon seeing the artwork, it is quite easy to understand why.

4. Espeon ex (Special Illustration Rare)

embed::[[Espeon ex (sv8pt5-155)]]

I bet you were wondering where Umbreon’s other half was going to place. Well, we’ve finally got to it. The Espeon ex special illustration rare is another example of artwork that has left fans thinking, ‘Pokémon went too hard with this set.’

Looking to the skies while leaping forward from a background swept with hues of violet purple, Espeon ex is elegance embodied. The mix of rocky crops and Lupin-like flowers is also very on-point for the story of Paldea.

In spite of these looks, the card is the most devastating of the set if used in the right competitive conditions. Espeon ex’s attacks, Psych Out and Amazez equip you with the ammunition needed to pull your opponent’s strategy and set-up apart. It’s certainly not one to sleep on, and expect to see Espeon ex in Eevee toolbox decks.

But all that matters here is that the Japanese market tells us that Espeon ex will be something big once the English prints release. We now await this with bated breath.

5. Vaporeon ex (Special Illustration Rare)

embed::[[Vaporeonex (sv8pt5-149)]]

The next of the eevee-lutions on the list is Vaporeon ex. This water type Pokémon again features the terastral crown in a beautiful underwater backdrop that will surely have everyone watering from the mouth.

Although not in this list pre-release of Primsatic Evolutions, this one snuck on much like the remaining eevee-lutions on the list.

6. Flareon ex (Special Illustration Rare)

embed::[[Flareon ex (sv8pt5-146)]]

The final of the eevee-lution line is none other than Flareon ex. This fire type fox is surrounded by spirals of fire and is easily on of the hottest cards available in this set.

7. Glaceon ex (Special Illustration Rare)

embed::[[Glaceon ex (sv8pt5-150)]]

Following the lead of the other Eeveelutions and Pikachu ex will likely be Glaceon ex – one of the more glorious, grand cards of the set. The ice-type variant sports a very on-theme winter background, with snowflake pattern halos making the design feel like an artwork that would be equally at home in an art gallery as a binder. Up front, Glaceon ex, showing off its terastal crown, blends at home into the shuddering theme.

Those looking to pull this card outright may be left shivering at both the prospect of pulling and the cost of potentially buying outright.

8. Umbreon (Master Ball Reverse Holo)


It’s not often that an special illustration cards are usurped is a most-expensive cards list. And when it is, it’ll only be topped by Umbreon – this time, that’s the Umbreon Master Ball reverse holo.

One of the reasons this card tops the list is the clamour for these unique Master Ball shimmering cards. There’s reportedly less than one Master Ball in a box, but over 100 cards can take the slot, so each Master Ball card is rarer than the set’s secret rares. The odds are what make it a truly prized pull.

The other reason is that this will be the first time Master Ball reverse holo cards will be printed in the English Pokémon TCG since they created a storm with the in-demand Japanese 151, seeing overall set value absolutely skyrocket. We are looking at that Japanese reverse holo Master Ball Gengar from 151 to see what a frenzy the cards can whip up. 

Then there’s the allure of Umbreon cards in the TCG. From the POP series 5 Gold Star Umbreon to the Evolving Skies secret rare alternate art Moonbreon, this Masterball Reverse holo is just another huge hit to add to the list. 

Combine these factors together, and you have a bona fide budget-breaking Pokémon card. 

9. Jolteon ex (Special Illustration Rare)

embed::[[Jolteon ex (sv8pt5-153)]]

It's unsurprising why this list is almost a list of eevee-lution SIRs. Just like it's cousin counterparts, Jolteon ex get's a flashy SIR, showing the electric type Pokémon bolting across the arena backdrop of the card.

I'd call this blindingly beautiful...

10. Roaring Moon (Special Illustration Rare)

embed::[[Roaring Moon (sv8pt5-162)]]

We've had a few prints of Roaring Moon in Scarlet & Violet so far, but this is arguably the prettiest to look at. Roaring Moon ex get's a beautiful sketched art style SIR that can only be found in Prismatic Evolutions.

Illustrated by Shinji Kanda, the Ancient Pokémon is painted like something out of a years-old Japanese book detailing the lore of these creatures that once existed. It feels more like something you’d find on a tapestry rather than in a card in your deck box.

What else should you watch out for?

Not to forget the pre-evolution of Umbreon, Sylveon and Sylveon. That is, of course, Eevee ex, which has been one of the cards teased as part of early launch artwork. While not in the top 10 currently, it follows very closely behind.

embed::[[Eevee ex (sv8pt5-167)]]

There are a number of iterations of Eevee ex in this set, though here we are putting the card number 167/131 under the lens as it looks set to edge out the other versions. This version is a beautiful water-coloured version of the beloved first-gen Pokémon in Terastal from.

Beyond the artwork, this Eevee ex will likely see some competitive play thanks to its ability, Rainbow DNA. This lets Eeeve ex evolve into one of its Eeveelutions despite already being an ex Pokémon. It’s a bit of a trendsetter with its ability. Will it be a trendsetter in the market?

While there are other valuable Eeveelutions to watch out for – such as the Master Ball reverse holos of Jolteon, Umbreon, Sylveon & Espeon – there is much more to Prismatic Evolutions than this line of Pokémon. In fact, the artwork on some of the other options are truly incredible.

Take the Dragapult ex special illustration rare, for example. The stained glass interpretation of the powerful dragon-type Pokémon created by the illustrator Jerky is one of several truly unique pulls that will snatch trainers' attention– and likely demand this from the market, too.

embed::[[Dragapult ex (sv8pt5-165)]]

If you haven’t already heard, Pikachu ex really popped off in Surging Sparks. Things all got a bit nuts, with the face of the franchise sending arrows on pricing charts toward the sky. And just as things were about to begin to calm down, Pokémon has gone on to give us yet another Pikachu ex. This time, we have the Pikachu ex gold ultra rare.

embed::[[Pikachu ex (sv8pt5-179)]]

Back to the future, we end with Iron Hands ex. The electric-type, ‘Amp You Very Much’ attacker will no doubt create a buzz with a unique representation of an extremely viable card. Its price will no doubt be boosted by its usability.

In short, you could go on all day about the potential of the cards in Prismatic Evolutions. But what will you be trying to pull? Are there cards that you think will grow in value as time goes on? Are you ready for the Eeveelutions to storm the TCG?

Shop the Prismatic Evolutions release here. Browse our full collection of Pokémon TCG including booster boxes, elite trainer boxes and battle decks here at Gathering Games.

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