Sixteen sets, one mostly repeating pattern: a Special Illustration Rare or Illustration Rare tops 14 of the Scarlet & Violet era's sets, and Prismatic Evolutions' Umbreon ex leads every set's flagship at $1,384.05.
In 14 of the Scarlet & Violet era's 16 sets, the most expensive chase card is a Special Illustration Rare or an Illustration Rare. The two exceptions are the closing pair, Black Bolt and White Flare, where a Black White Rare Victini tops each set.
Prismatic Evolutions' Umbreon ex is the single highest-priced flagship the era produced, at a TCGplayer market price of $1,384.05 as of September 26, 2026. The next-highest, Paldean Fates' Mew ex, sat at $870.85 on the same read.
What follows prices the top chase card from every one of the era's 16 sets on that one date, ranks them side by side, and shows how the era's structure, ten numbered mainline sets plus six special releases, shapes where the value lands.
The Scarlet & Violet era covers 16 mainline expansions, from Scarlet & Violet's own release on March 31, 2023 through Black Bolt and White Flare, both released July 18, 2025. That range comes from Cardboard Alpha's card catalog, itself sourced from TCGdex and spot-verified live for the era's opening set and its two closing sets, whose July 18, 2025 launch date The Pokemon Company confirms.
Across those 16 sets, the catalog counts 2,396 officially numbered cards and 3,414 total cards once secret and hyper rares are included. In every set, the highest-priced chase card comes from one of three top rarity tiers, the same kind of pattern the 151 set page shows for one set inside the era.
Nine of the 16 flagship cards are Special Illustration Rares and five are Illustration Rares. The remaining two, one each in Black Bolt and White Flare, are Black White Rares.
The Mega Evolution era succeeded Scarlet & Violet, its first expansion launching September 26, 2025, a little over two months after White Flare closed this one out.
Every set's flagship chase card, priced
Every price below is each set's own highest-priced chase-tier card: a Special Illustration Rare, an Illustration Rare, or, in the two closing sets, a Black White Rare. Each figure is TCGplayer's market price for a near-mint raw copy as recorded in Cardboard Alpha's daily price bar for September 26, 2026, one date for all 16 sets.
Set
Released
Cards (official/total)
Flagship chase card
Rarity
TCGplayer price
Scarlet & Violet
2023-03-31
198/258
Gardevoir ex 245/198
Special Illustration Rare
$69.78
Paldea Evolved
2023-06-09
193/279
Magikarp 203/193
Illustration Rare
$368.75
Obsidian Flames
2023-08-11
197/230
Charizard ex 223/197
Special Illustration Rare
$98.36
151
2023-09-22
165/207
Charizard ex 199/165
Special Illustration Rare
$348.31
Paradox Rift
2023-11-03
182/266
Groudon 199/182
Illustration Rare
$114.52
Paldean Fates
2024-01-26
91/245
Mew ex 232/91
Special Illustration Rare
$870.85
Temporal Forces
2024-03-22
162/218
Gastly 177/162
Illustration Rare
$97.53
Twilight Masquerade
2024-05-24
167/226
Greninja ex 214/167
Special Illustration Rare
$337.24
Shrouded Fable
2024-08-02
64/99
Persian 078/64
Illustration Rare
$74.20
Stellar Crown
2024-09-13
142/175
Squirtle 148/142
Illustration Rare
$99.35
Surging Sparks
2024-11-08
191/252
Pikachu ex 238/191
Special Illustration Rare
$285.22
Prismatic Evolutions
2025-01-17
131/180
Umbreon ex 161/131
Special Illustration Rare
$1,384.05
Journey Together
2025-03-28
159/190
Lillie's Clefairy ex 184/159
Special Illustration Rare
$96.18
Destined Rivals
2025-05-30
182/244
Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex 231/182
Special Illustration Rare
$399.18
Black Bolt
2025-07-18
86/172
Victini 171/086
Black White Rare
$627.44
White Flare
2025-07-18
86/173
Victini 172/086
Black White Rare
$560.43
The table splits cleanly into two groups. Nine sets have a flagship card priced at $285.22 or more, and the other seven all sit between $69.78 and $114.52, with nothing in between.
The era's biggest chase card by far
Umbreon ex's lead over the field is not a marginal one. It priced roughly 59 percent above the era's second-highest flagship card, Mew ex, and about 12 times the tenth-highest, Paradox Rift's Groudon at $114.52.
Top flagship chase-card prices, Scarlet & Violet era
Umbreon ex, Prismatic Evolutions1,384.05USD
Mew ex, Paldean Fates870.85USD
Victini, Black Bolt627.44USD
Victini, White Flare560.43USD
Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex, Destined Rivals399.18USD
Magikarp, Paldea Evolved368.75USD
Charizard ex, 151348.31USD
Greninja ex, Twilight Masquerade337.24USD
Pikachu ex, Surging Sparks285.22USD
Groudon, Paradox Rift114.52USD
TCGplayer market price for each set's flagship chase card, near-mint raw, from Cardboard Alpha's daily price bar for September 26, 2026 (priceDataEffectiveDate 2026-09-26).
Prismatic Evolutions' depth is as unusual as its peak. Its second-highest chase card, Sylveon ex 156/131, was at $514.88 on the same read, above the flagship card of 12 of the other 15 sets.
Paldean Fates shows a steeper drop behind its leader. Its second-highest chase card, Charizard ex 234/91, was at $265.45, less than a third of Mew ex's $870.85. The Prismatic Evolutions set page breaks Umbreon ex down against the rest of that set's chase tier.
Magikarp's Illustration Rare is the highest-priced Illustration Rare among these flagship cards. At $368.75, it sits ahead of every other Illustration Rare compared here and above six of the nine Special Illustration Rare flagships.
TCGplayer market price $368.75 as of September 26, 2026, the highest-priced Illustration Rare in this era-wide flagship-card comparison.
Black Bolt and White Flare break the pattern
The era's closing pair is the one place where the Special Illustration Rare is not the top of the chase tier. In both sets, two Black White Rare printings price above every Special Illustration Rare.
Black Bolt: Victini 171/086 at $627.44 and Zekrom ex 172/086 at $617.19, against $276.95 for the set's top Special Illustration Rare, Zekrom ex 166/086.
White Flare: Victini 172/086 at $560.43 and Reshiram ex 173/086 at $483.61, against $189.38 for the set's top Special Illustration Rare, Reshiram ex 166/086.
A comparison limited to Special Illustration Rares and Illustration Rares would have understated both sets by more than half. Black Bolt's flagship is about 2.3 times its best Special Illustration Rare, and White Flare's is roughly three times its own.
TCGplayer market price $627.44 as of September 26, 2026, Black Bolt's highest-priced chase card and the era's third-highest flagship overall.
Mainline sets vs. special releases
The Scarlet & Violet era did not release its 16 sets on one even schedule. Three release patterns sit inside it:
Ten numbered mainline sets: Scarlet & Violet through Destined Rivals (sv01 through sv10), spaced roughly two to five months apart.
Four special ".5" sets: 151, Paldean Fates, Shrouded Fable and Prismatic Evolutions, each slotted between two numbered sets rather than replacing one.
One same-day closing pair: Black Bolt and White Flare, both released July 18, 2025, the only two of these 16 sets that share a release date.
That structure lines up with where the money sits. Four of the era's five highest-priced flagship cards, Umbreon ex, Mew ex and the two Victini cards, come from the six special releases, even though those sets are outnumbered ten to six by the numbered mainline sets.
Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex, at $399.18, is the highest-priced flagship of any numbered set. Six of the ten numbered sets have flagship cards under $115, while five of the six special releases have flagships above $340. Shrouded Fable, at $74.20, is the exception.
What ended the era
White Flare and Black Bolt, both released July 18, 2025, were the Scarlet & Violet era's final sets. The Mega Evolution era began a little over two months later, when the Mega Evolution expansion launched on September 26, 2025.
This guide covers only the 16 sets inside the Scarlet & Violet era boundary. Cards printed in the Mega Evolution era fall outside its scope.
What this guide does not price
Every figure above is a raw, ungraded TCGplayer market price. No PSA, CGC, TAG, ACE, BGS or SGC graded price appears anywhere in this guide, because grading population and premium data were outside this pass's scope.
These are also single dated reads, not a trend line. A set's flagship card today may not hold that rank next quarter, and the comparison here reflects one daily read on September 26, 2026, not a permanent order.
What is the Scarlet & Violet era in the Pokemon TCG?
It is the 16-set run of mainline English-language expansions from Scarlet & Violet's release on March 31, 2023 through Black Bolt and White Flare on July 18, 2025. That count excludes energy, promo and McDonald's tie-in releases, and the era was succeeded by the Mega Evolution era, whose first expansion launched September 26, 2025.
Which Scarlet & Violet era set has the most valuable chase card?
Prismatic Evolutions. Its Umbreon ex had a TCGplayer market price of $1,384.05 as of September 26, 2026, the highest price of any set's flagship chase card across all 16 sets in this comparison. The next-highest flagship, Paldean Fates' Mew ex, sat at $870.85 on the same read.
Why are Black Bolt and White Flare's top cards not Special Illustration Rares?
Both sets carry Black White Rare printings that price above their Special Illustration Rares. On September 26, 2026, Black Bolt's Victini 171/086 was at $627.44 against $276.95 for its Zekrom ex Special Illustration Rare, and White Flare's Victini 172/086 was at $560.43 against $189.38 for its Reshiram ex Special Illustration Rare.
Are Black Bolt and White Flare part of the same set?
No, they are two separate sets that both released on July 18, 2025, the only same-day release pair among the era's 16 mainline sets. Black Bolt carries 86 officially numbered cards and White Flare carries 86 as well, with different total card counts once secret rares are included, 172 and 173 respectively.
What came after the Scarlet & Violet era?
The Mega Evolution era. Its first expansion, Mega Evolution, launched September 26, 2025, a little over two months after White Flare closed out the Scarlet & Violet era.
Does this guide cover graded card prices?
No. Every price in this guide is a raw, ungraded TCGplayer market price. PSA, CGC, TAG, ACE, BGS and SGC graded prices and population data are outside this pass's scope and do not appear anywhere in it.
Sources
Gardevoir ex - 245/198 - Scarlet & Violet, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Magikarp - 203/193 - Paldea Evolved, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Charizard ex - 223/197 - Obsidian Flames, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Charizard ex - 199/165 - 151, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Groudon - 199/182 - Paradox Rift, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Mew ex - 232/91 - Paldean Fates, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Charizard ex - 234/91 - Paldean Fates, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Gastly - 177/162 - Temporal Forces, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Greninja ex - 214/167 - Twilight Masquerade, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Persian - 078/64 - Shrouded Fable, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Squirtle - 148/142 - Stellar Crown, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Pikachu ex - 238/191 - Surging Sparks, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Umbreon ex - 161/131 - Prismatic Evolutions, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Sylveon ex - 156/131 - Prismatic Evolutions, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Lillie's Clefairy ex - 184/159 - Journey Together, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex - 231/182 - Destined Rivals, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Victini - 171/086 - Black Bolt, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Zekrom ex - 172/086 - Black Bolt, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Zekrom ex - 166/086 - Black Bolt, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Victini - 172/086 - White Flare, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Reshiram ex - 173/086 - White Flare, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Reshiram ex - 166/086 - White Flare, TCGplayer Official / primary source · accessed September 27, 2026
Ryan Shugars is an avid Pokémon card collector who builds the market-data tooling behind Cardboard Alpha. He collects across multiple eras, tracks population reports and price movement as a matter of habit, and started building Cardboard Alpha to get a straight answer to questions the existing price guides couldn't: what's actually trading, what's just an asking price, and what a grade is really worth on a given card right now. He writes from that same collector's vantage point, close to the data, skeptical of hype, and always checking a claim against the ledger before it goes in an article.
Ryan Shugars is a collector and the builder of Cardboard Alpha's data systems, not a licensed financial advisor. Articles he writes or edits describe market history and mechanics; they are informational and are not personalized investment advice.
