The year 2025 has been one of the more interesting years in recent memory for Pokémon card fans. Coming out of a surging market (no pun intended) at the end of 2024, this year has seen sets rise and fall as inventory has been difficult to secure, new rarities have been introduced, and we've kicked off a new era. In this list we will be taking a look at the top 10 Pokémon chase cards by value that were released in 2025.
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10. Sylveon ex Special Illustration Rare - $326.72
Set: Prismatic Evolutions
Card Number: 156/131
Kicking off our list is a card from one of the most sought-after sets of the entire year with the Prismatic Evolutions Sylveon ex Special Illustration Rare. Prismatic Evolutions kicked off the year as our January Special Set and focused primarily on Terastal Eeveelutions. While Prismatic Evolutions did include other great hits like the Roaring Moon ex and Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex, this Eevee-centric set was incredibly difficult to get your hands on early in the year with incredibly harsh pull rates. After multiple reprints, it's much easier to secure now, but the market price on an Elite Trainer Box is still up there.
9. Reshiram ex Black & White Rare - $366.02
Set: White Flare
Card Number: 173/086
Coming in at number nine is the first of a brand-new rarity introduced later in the year with the launch of Black Bolt & White Flare. This duo of Special Sets catered to the nostalgia of Generation Five fans of the Pokémon franchise. Along with launching a new rarity, these sets also were the first split English sets meaning there were two completely separate set lists to track down with only one shared card art between them. We'll get to that soon, though.
8. Mega Lucario ex Mega Hyper Rare - $403.95
Set: Mega Evolution
Card Number: 188/132
The latest addition to new rarities in the Pokémon TCG, the first set of the new era, Mega Evolution introduced the Mega Hyper Rare! Obviously a beefed-up version of the traditional gold Hyper Rare full arts we've seen in the past, this Mega Lucario ex caught the community's collective attention when officially revealed. With one of, if not the hardest pull rate we've ever seen, this Mega Lucario ex will remain a chase card for years to come.
7. Victini Black & White Rare - $411.87
Set: White Flare
Card Number: 172/086
Remember when we talked about the only shared card art across Black Bolt & White Flare? Here it is! At least the first one. The Victini BWR has held down the spot as the top Black Bolt & White Flare chase card since the sets launched and is the only card featured in both sets. The only difference? The card number and set stamp in the bottom corner. This card was a huge chase due to the Japanese version only being available as either a competitive promo or via lottery.
6. Zekrom ex Black & White Rare - $427.27
Set: Black Bolt
Card Number: 172/086
Moving over to the Black Bolt side of the duo set, Zekrom also received a BWR treatment with an intense monochromatic black coloring and top-notch texture, this card really does feel like more of a work of art than just a Pokémon card. It's interesting to see it outpace the White Flare Victini before the year ended, which can only mean one thing for our number five spot.
5. Victini Black & White Rare - $429.08
Set: Black Bolt
Card Number: 171/086
The last entry from the Black Bolt & White Flare duo is the Victini BWR from Black Bolt. With only the number and symbol difference, this card still somehow commands an almost $20 edge over its White Flare counterpart. Once again, a beautiful card with amazing texture, it's no surprise this new rarity was such a massive hit.
4. Mega Charizard X ex Mega Hyper Rare - $451.69
Set: Phantasmal Flames
Card Number: 130/094
The last set released in 2025, Phantasmal Flames was poised to be the number one most hyped set of the year when it was announced the main Pokémon was going to be Mega Charizard X. Another addition featuring the new Mega Hyper Rare rarity, it came as no shock that the Mega Hyper Rare Mega Charizard X ex would would be a top chase, unlike Mega Evolution however, it wasn't THE chase.
3. Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex Special Illustration Rare - $458.78
Set: Destined Rivals
Card Number: 231/182
If one “Trainer’s Pokémon” card was going to make its way onto this list, it was destined to be Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex from Destined Rivals (no pun intended, again). The return of “Trainer’s Pokémon” had many collectors excited. The first set to mark the return, Journey Together, didn’t resonate with collectors as much as the subsequent set, Destined Rivals, which featured the return of Team Rocket as well as fan favorites like Ethan and Cynthia. It was a no-brainer that a card featuring Rocket boss Giovanni and his ace Pokémon, Mewtwo, would take the top spot.
2. Mega Charizard X ex Special Illustration Rare - $607.14
Set: Phantasmal Flames
Card Number: 125/94
What has been heralded as one of the best Charizard card arts ever, our number two spot is the Special Illustration Rare Mega Charizard X ex. This is THE hit from Phantasmal Flames I mentioned earlier. Unlike Mega Evolution, the biggest Phantasmal Flames hit is not the Mega Hyper Rare, but when you see the card art for this SIR, was there really any question?
1. Umbreon ex Special Illustration Rare - $1.049.99
Set: Prismatic Evolutions
Card Number: 161/131
We kicked off the list with Prismatic Evolutions, and we'll be finishing the list with it as well. Umbreon ex was obviously going to be the top chase of an all-Eeveelution set. Dubbed by fans as “Sunbreon,” this card is an absolutely beautiful piece of work, as were many of the Eeveelutions in the set. It’s set against a vibrant, glowing moon that looks almost solar, with a psychedelic darkness that complements it perfectly.
Final Thoughts
Many incredible cards released in 2025 were far more affordable than the ones on this list, but an interesting trend emerged: every card featured here is either a special type of Pokémon, such as a Trainer’s Pokémon, Mega Pokémon, or Terastal Pokémon, or belongs to an all-new rarity like Mega Hyper Rare or Black & White Rare. This highlights the premium that collectors placed on uniqueness throughout the year.
