The 10 Rarest Cards from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Surging Sparks

This alone is enough to make Pokémon trading cards in this line stand out to collectors, but not all cards are made equal – and some are already fetching hundreds of pounds because of their rarity.

If you’ve bought one of the Surging Sparks expansion packs, you might already have one of these valuable cards in the palm of your hand. Here, we’ll walk you through the 10 sought after rarities released to date, from the gorgeous Special Illustration Rares to the striking Hyper Rares.

All estimated values are correct at the time of writing – visit Ninjatako for the most up-to-date Surging Sparks Card List.

10. Hyper Rare Alolan Exeggutor ex (248/191)

• Rarity: Hyper Rare
• Estimated Value: £33.95
• Type: Dragon
• Character: Alolan Exeggutor

The tropical vibes kick off straight away with this hyper rare card, that is – spoiler alert for further down this list – the first iteration of the Alolan Exeggutor ex to make the rankings. As a Terastal Pokémon, this Dragon-Type is immune to any attacks when it’s on your bench.

One of the great powers of this card is the Swinging Sphene move, which allows you to knock out an opponent’s card when used, all via the power of a coin flip. Very No Country For Old Pokémon, that.

9. Illustration Rare Latios (203/191)

• Rarity: Illustration Rare
• Estimated Value: £36.20
• Type: Psychic
• Character: Latios

One of the most visually stunning cards to be released with this expansion pack, the Illustration Rare Latios shows the Dragon/Psychic-type hybird taking to the skies above a picturesque seaside town.

If you have this in your deck, you could use its beauty to distract your opponent. This does 50 damage to one of their Pokémon if you choose the Skill Dive attack when in play, but they might be too busy taking in the excellent artwork to notice straight away.

8. Special Illustration Rare Jasmine's Gaze (245/191)

• Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
• Estimated Value: £50.00
• Type: Trainer Card

She may be stuffing her face in this special illustration rare card, but the steel-type trainer is still useful if used in battle. When Jasmine is brought into play, your opponent's attacks diminish in power to the tune of 30 points, meaning she can enjoy her lunchtime spread in peace.

7. Special Illustration Rare Alolan Exeggutor ex (242/191)

• Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
• Estimated Value: £54.63
• Type: Dragon
• Character: Alolan Exeggutor

Next up, we return to the Alolan Exeggutor, and the vibes here are even more tropical than before. This Special Illustration Rare card sees the Pokémon blend in perfectly amongst the palm trees on the beach, offering you the power of a “Tropical Frenzy” - letting you attach any number of basic energy cards to this one, in any way you like.

6. Hyper Rare Pikachu ex (247/191)

• Rarity: Hyper Rare
• Estimated Value: £67.98
• Type: Lightning
• Character: Pikachu

Any hyper rare Pikachu card is a must-have for a collector, and this one comes with a pretty great perk if it’s used in play. If this Pokémon still has its full health points (HP) when used, it can’t be knocked out no matter how strong an opponent’s attack – although the HP do dwindle down to 10, a lot less powerful than when he stepped into battle.

5. Special Illustration Rare Lisia's Appeal (246/191)

• Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
• Estimated Value: £68.31
• Type: Trainer Card

Next up, another trainer card, with this Special Illustration Rare card offering a simple trick that will confuse your opponent. When Lisia is in play, you can switch one of your rival’s benched Pokémon into the active spot, confusing the active Pokémon, and basically handing you a victory in the ensuing fight.

4. Special Illustration Rare Hydreigon ex (240/191)

• Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
• Estimated Value: £105.65
• Type: Darkness
• Character: Hydreigon

A mint condition edition of this Special Illustration Rare Hydregion ex card is the first on our list that already sells for three figures, currently estimated at £105.65 by collectors. You can understand why when it comes to the artwork, but its powers are nothing to be sniffed at either; the Crashing Headbutt attack can make your opponent discard the three cards at the top of their deck.

3. Special Illustration Rare Milotic ex (237/191)

• Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
• Estimated Value: £113.40
• Type: Water
• Character: Milotic

The ethereal elegance of Milotic is perfectly depicted in this card, which is a contributing factor in why collectors are already prepared to fork out over a hundred pounds for it. As well as gorgeous artwork, it boasts attacks including the Hypno Splash, which can send your opponent’s active Pokémon to sleep.

2. Special Illustration Rare Latias ex (239/191)

• Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
• Estimated Value: £154.35
• Type: Psychic
• Character: Latias

Take to the skies with this next rarity, which is in particularly high demand due to its stunning visuals. As with the other Latias card which made this ranking, this really shows off the surrounding world of Surging Sparks, with the seaside town depicted from above with a remarkable amount of detail.

1. Special Illustration Rare Pikachu ex (238/191)

• Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
• Estimated Value: £282.61
• Type: Lightning
• Character: Pikachu

When we started writing this list, the estimated value of this card was £216. Now, it’s at £282.61 and likely to keep climbing even further, in thanks due to its glistening artwork, which is the next evolution of the Pikachu card earlier on this list – it boasts the same powers but is far more striking when placed next to other cards in your deck.