🥚 Mega Evolution Cards Make a Comeback, Language Markets Expand With Chinese Pikachu, Shrouded Fable - Previous "Underwhelming" Sets Find Their Footing

📋 TLDR

This week saw continued momentum in both modern and vintage Pokémon markets, with Chinese exclusives commanding strong premiums and thematically relevant Tag Team cards from the Sun & Moon era breaking key price thresholds. CT-scanned Base Set packs are testing new boundaries for sealed confidence, while sets like Black Bolt & White Flare are creating ripple effects across older SKUs. The sealed market remains active with even sets that were considered “underwhelming” and overlooked making a strong come back, and savvy investors are watching for under-appreciated products with short-term scarcity or thematic tie-ins to current hype cycles.

📦 Sealed Product Market Highlights

• The Pokemon Company International has revealed the next set featuring mega evolutions like Lucario, aptly named Mega Evolution (Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia for Japanese). More information will be revealed on July 10th and will feature 132 cards in addition to secret art rares.
• A pack of base set English cards sent into a CT scanning service, revealed to contain a shadowless Charizard. The listing for the pack is currently up on eBay listed at $30,000

  • This listing reflects a growing trend of CT-scanning sealed packs to verify chase card presence without breaking the seal — a controversial but a technique that is seemingly starting to grow in popularity among high-end collectors. It should be noted that the cost of these services is not insignificant (ex. $75 to scan one pack). While it offers confidence for buyers, it also raises questions about transparency, and long-term effects on sealed market value. If this pack sells near the asking price, it could further legitimize scan-verified sealed listings — potentially shifting how high-stakes sealed products are evaluated and traded.
  • Similarly, a CT scanned pack of base set English cards revealing a Raichu is also listed for sale at $3800.
• To commemorate the opening of Pokemon Centers in three key locations around Japan (Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Tohoku), The Pokemon Company released three special Pikachu boxes featuring a promo card centered around the region they are released in and only available via lottery on the Pokemon Center website in Japan. These boxes are currently at around $14. There has been some question by enthusiasts as to the investability of these boxes especially for those who may have missed the boat on similar releases such as the Mario & Luigi Pikachu boxes or the Pikachu Poncho boxes. In fact, some sold listings on eBay are as high as $500-$600. However, The Pokemon Company recently announced that they would be printing additional inventory of this item to be announced at a later date, potentially signifying a shift in Pokemon’s release strategy to help meet the ever increasing demand for Japanese exclusive promos but also demand for Pokemon as a whole.
• Shrouded Fable has recently seen an uptick in price despite being seen by many as underwhelming (mainly due to the lack of chase cards), specifically the booster bundle display box which recently sold for $430, a near $200 jump compared to a month ago.

💎 Singles & Graded Cards Highlights

• Chinese exclusive releases continue to show strong performance further cementing their foothold in the market as a viable option for potential investors, where investing only in English cards and in some cases Japanese was seen as the only option for getting a solid ROI. With the next wave of Chinese Pokemon 151 release, a new Chinese exclusive Pikachu featuring Psyduck has finally made its way into the market selling at well over $700 raw looking at last sold listings.

  • The success of the Pikachu & Psyduck Chinese exclusive underscores a broader shift: language barriers are no longer investment barriers. As global collectors chase scarcity and unique art, Chinese promos are carving out space once reserved for English and Japanese cards. With limited print runs, exclusive artwork, and increasing international demand, these releases are challenging old assumptions — and may represent the next frontier of asymmetric upside for collectors willing to look beyond traditional markets.
  • The Victini Championship card released only in Thai, Indonesian, Korean, and Chinese is another solid example.
• Continuing on the topic of language exclusive cards, the Korean Ditto Promo released as a part of the Pokémon Town Metamong Project (a campaign launched by Pokémon Korea in 2025 which focuses on Ditto specifically) also shows signs of solid growth but hovering around $50-70 and may possibly continue rising steadily despite the supply.
• With the release and popularity of chase cards from the new Black Bolt and White Flare set, related cards from previous sets are potentially riding the wave as well. The Pikachu and Zekrom tag team (in a PSA 10) from Sun & Moon has recently crossed the $1000 line mark. Similarly, a copy of a black star promo featuring Reshiram and Charizard from Sun & Moon recently sold for $2900

  • The surge in popularity around Black Bolt & White Flare is seemingly creating a ripple effect across thematically linked legacy cards (not necessarily super profound), particularly Tag Team pairings like Pikachu & Zekrom and Reshiram & Charizard. This kind of thematic momentum illustrates how new set hype can reignite demand for older, related grails, especially when they feature iconic duos. For investors, it’s a reminder that staying ahead of narrative waves — not just individual card trends — can often offer timely entry points into rising segments.

🕰️ Vintage & Niche Market Highlights

• A copy of the 2015 XY Battle Fiesta Japanese Promo Event Organizer Stamp featuring Pikachu in a PSA 10 is currently up for bid on Goldin at $10k
• A base set 1st edition Italian booster box sold for $57.7k on eBay

The vintage market remains incredibly strong, especially around Gold Star and Crystal cards, which have a track record of consistent sales. However, ultra-rare vintage cards or booster boxes don’t come up for auction frequently due to scarcity — so it’s hard to establish solid pricing trends outside of private sales.

📚 Educational Commentary – Collector’s Corner

Why do English Pokémon cards often hold their value better, even though their print quality is usually worse than Japanese cards?

One major reason is the difference in hit structures: Japanese booster boxes—like Pokémon 151—come from 10-pack boxes with guaranteed hits (e.g. one SAR and several ARs per box, along with occasional “god packs”) . English boxes, by contrast, have no guaranteed rare pulls, making chase cards scarcer and more prized in the secondary market. This structural scarcity enhances English long-term value. Of course there are exceptions to this such as language exclusive cards.

🫐 Berries For Thought

💭 Will you start collecting other language exclusives?

💭 What do you think about CT scanned packs and how they might impact Poke-investing?

Feedback/Questions?

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