Blastoise

Blastoise in the games: Kanto's Water starter, fully evolved

Blastoise is the final stage of the Squirtle line, one of the three starter Pokémon in Pokémon Red and Blue. Squirtle evolves into Wartortle at level 16, and Wartortle becomes Blastoise at level 36. The whole line is pure Water. Blastoise stands 1.6 meters tall and weighs 85.5 kilograms.

Its standard ability, Torrent, powers up its Water-type moves when its HP runs low, and its hidden ability, Rain Dish, restores a little HP each turn in rain. Pokémon X and Y gave it Mega Blastoise, and Sword and Shield added a Gigantamax form; both stay pure Water.

Blastoise on cards: Base Set holo to special illustration rare

Blastoise's first card is Base Set #2 (1999), a holo rare illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Team Rocket added Dark Blastoise in 2000, the EX era printed Blastoise ex in FireRed & LeafGreen (2004), and Crystal Guardians (2006) printed Blastoise δ, a Delta Species card that makes it a Fighting and Metal Pokémon instead of a Water one. Plasma Storm (2013) included a Secret Rare Blastoise.

The XY era printed Blastoise more than any other era in our catalog (10 cards), among them Blastoise-EX and M Blastoise-EX, the card version of its Mega Evolution, in the XY base set (2014). Sun & Moon brought Blastoise-GX in Unbroken Bonds (2019) and the tag team Blastoise & Piplup-GX in Cosmic Eclipse the same year, in Ultra Rare and Secret Rare versions. Celebrations' Classic Collection (2021) reprinted the Base Set card, Pokémon GO (2022) added Radiant Blastoise, and 151 (2023), the Scarlet & Violet set built on the original 151 Pokémon, printed Blastoise ex as a special illustration rare by Mitsuhiro Arita. Stellar Crown (2024) added a Double rare Blastoise ex.

5ban Graphics holds the most Blastoise credits in our catalog (8), ahead of Mitsuhiro Arita (6) and Eske Yoshinob (4).

Why collectors care about Blastoise

Blastoise has cards in every era from Base Set through Scarlet & Violet, and many of its landmark printings arrived beside matching cards for the other Kanto starters, Charizard and Venusaur: the Base Set holos, the XY-era Mega EX cards and 151's special illustration rares.

Cards to know

• Blastoise (Base Set #2)

  Blastoise's first card, a 1999 holo rare illustrated by Ken Sugimori.

• Blastoise δ (Crystal Guardians #2)

  A 2006 Delta Species card that prints Blastoise as a Fighting and Metal Pokémon.

• Blastoise & Piplup GX (Cosmic Eclipse #253)

  The rainbow Secret Rare version of the Blastoise & Piplup tag team GX (2019).

• Blastoise (Celebrations Classic Collection #CC001)

  A 2021 Classic Collection reprint of the Base Set Blastoise.

• Radiant Blastoise (Pokémon GO #018)

  A 2022 Radiant Rare, illustrated by Masakazu Fukuda.

• Blastoise ex (151 #200)

  A 2023 special illustration rare by Mitsuhiro Arita from the 151 set.