The Biggest Pokémon Card Crashers And Climbers This Week - August 4

Prices for Hidden Fates and Paldean Fates Pokémon cards have been all over the place lately. A few of my favorite Special Illustration Rares are on the rise such as Mew ex and Charizard ex from Paldean Fates, and some older Hidden Fates cards are also making a quiet comeback as attention swings back to Shiny Vault classics.

Mew ex is the top story this week (because it's awesome), jumping an incredible 76% to $389.45. Gardevoir ex and Charizard ex aren’t far behind either, both seeing strong climbs driven by demand from collectors and competitive players. The Paldean Fates set has proven to have real staying power, especially at the high end of the market.

Hidden Fates hasn’t been left behind either. Charizard GX and Umbreon GX are seeing steady climbs over the past 12 months, while some of the smaller cards from both sets, like Eevee, Glaceon GX, and Charmander are starting to slide. The market is clearly leaning toward SIRs and prestige, but who doesn't want a complete baby shiny collection?

Pokémon Card Crashers

Pikachu (Paldean Fates) has taken the biggest hit this week, falling 48% to $25. It’s a fun card with nostalgic appeal, and the Shiny Rare sparkle makes it a natural favorite for casual collectors. But from a play perspective, it just doesn’t do enough. Growl can stall a bit, reducing incoming damage, and Pika Bolt hits for 30, but that's hardly game-changing. It's clearly meant to be a novelty pull, and as more of them hit the market, demand hasn't kept up. The artwork is solid, bright, cheerful, and instantly recognizable, but it’s not quite enough to justify holding the high price tag it once carried.

Charmander (Paldean Fates) has slipped 19% this week, now down to $20.80. Like Pikachu, it's a fan-favorite thanks to franchise history more than competitive play. Its attacks are simple: Blazing Destruction discards a Stadium, and Steady Firebreathing does 30 damage. Neither adds much strategic value. That said, the shiny art is adorable. Charmander’s always been a crowd-pleaser, and the card still looks great in a binder. But it feels like a classic case of supply overtaking the early hype. Players want more impact from their singles, and right now this just doesn’t cut it outside of completing an evolution line.

Glaceon GX (Hidden Fates) is down 33% from its peak, now sitting at $40.30. This drop surprised me a bit because the card used to be one of the more disruptive GX attackers. Freezing Gaze shuts off abilities from your opponent’s EX and GX Pokémon while Glaceon is Active, which was great during its heyday. Frost Bullet lets you chip damage across the board, and Polar Spear GX can absolutely delete big threats with the right setup. But with newer formats moving on and EX/GX relevance fading, Glaceon GX has lost some of its punch. That icy blue shiny art still looks amazing, though, and it's one of the best from Hidden Fates in terms of visual polish.

Moltres & Zapdos & Articuno GX (Hidden Fates) has dipped slightly too, down 4% to $33.68. The Trinity Burn attack still hits for 210 which isn’t bad, and it can potentially nuke three targets at once if you’ve stacked the right energies. It’s flashy, but maybe a little slow for today’s meta. What still holds up is the artwork, and those three birds glaring down like they’re ready to strike is iconic. But when cards like this become easier to find and don't see much tournament play, their value tends to slide.

Eevee (Hidden Fates) rounds out the list of crashers. It’s down 8%, now priced at $33.13. The Energy Evolution ability was a fun mechanic in the Sun & Moon era, letting you evolve Eevee immediately depending on what type of Energy you attached. But without fresh support or updated synergy, it’s mostly a collector’s piece now. The shiny art is pretty wholesome with Eevee looking like it's mid-bounce, but it doesn’t have the wow factor of other Shiny Vault stars (bar being Eevee). The dip here isn’t huge, but it reflects a slow shift away from some of the mid-tier Hidden Fates pulls.

Pokémon Card Climbers

Mew ex is the biggest story this week, and honestly, it deserves the spotlight. The card has jumped 76% since October, now sitting at $389.45, and for good reason. Its Restart ability lets you draw until you have three cards in hand once per turn, which is incredibly helpful in decks that burn through resources fast or get stuck top-decking.

On top of that, Genome Hacking gives Mew a flexible attack option, letting it copy any move from your opponent’s Active Pokémon. That means you can adapt your strategy mid-game depending on the threat you're facing. It's a bit of a wildcard but in the best way. The Special Illustration Rare artwork is a stunner too. Mew floats in a cute pose inside a bubble in its blue shiny form, giving off real mythical energy. It's playful, mysterious, and just the kind of card that looks amazing on display while still having a real role in gameplay.

Gardevoir ex continues to climb, up 51% to $78.99, and I think it still has room to grow. Psychic Embrace is one of the best Abilities in modern TCG. It lets you recycle Psychic Energy from your discard pile and attach it to your Psychic Pokémon as many times as you want during your turn. That means you can accelerate energy quickly, set up big attackers, and power up in a way that other decks can’t keep up with.

You take two damage counters per attachment, but Gardevoir has enough bulk to absorb the hit. Its attack, Miracle Force, hits for 190 and clears any Special Conditions on itself, which helps you stay active and reliable on the board. The Special Illustration Rare has real emotional pull too, showing Gardevoir in a peaceful forest setting, reaching out like it's ready to protect its trainer. It feels powerful but serene, and that balance fits the card’s gameplay identity perfectly.

Charizard ex is back on the rise too, now up 36% to $160. This version from Paldean Fates isn’t just another Charizard hype train, it actually plays well. Its Infernal Reign Ability triggers when you evolve it, letting you grab three Fire Energy from your deck and attach them however you like. That’s a huge momentum swing, especially if you’re building around Fire-heavy attackers.

The Tera rule means it can sit safely on your Bench without taking damage, giving you time to power it up before striking. Once active, Burning Darkness deals 180 plus 30 more for each Prize card your opponent has taken. It’s a strong closer that scales in intensity the longer the match goes on. The artwork here is wild too. Charizard looks like it’s emerging from a vortex of fire and shadows, with a snarl that makes it look borderline unstoppable. I love how much personality it has. It’s intimidating without being overdesigned.

Charizard GX and Umbreon GX from Hidden Fates are also trending up, climbing 12% and 19% respectively. Charizard GX is still a fan favorite because of its massive 300-damage Crimson Storm attack, though it costs a lot of Fire Energy and you have to discard three. Its GX move, Raging Out, can mill ten cards off your opponent’s deck, which can actually turn games in certain control builds. The shiny version of this Pokémon is classic, black Charizard with fstars erupting behind it. You just can’t go wrong with that.

Umbreon GX is more strategic. It has Strafe for repositioning, Shadow Bullet for sniping Benched Pokémon, and Dark Call GX for energy denial. It’s sneaky and disruptive, and its all-black shiny form with a blue glow looks just as slick today as it did when Hidden Fates dropped. Massive throwback to generation two with this bad boy.

Last Weeks Crashers and Climbers

Prices for Scarlet and Violet 151 cards have been shifting quickly as more booster boxes are opened and singles hit the market. Illustration Rares of early Kanto starters like Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur have dipped by up to 18%, with their evolutions following close behind as the market corrects. Meanwhile, big Special Illustration Rares of Charizard ex, Blastoise ex, and Venusaur ex are seeing steady climbs, with prices rising by up to 28% thanks to standout art and competitive viability. Zapdos ex and Alakazam ex are climbing too, driven by strong abilities and growing collector interest.

Pokémon TCG Price Watch

Whilst there's a couple of savings on Amazon right now, TCGplayer is knocking big box retailers out of the water. The White Flare binder box is a couple of dollars cheaper on Amazon, but looking at older sets like Destined Rivals show a clear gap in market value and the notorious Amazon mark ups of 2025. Destined Rivals Elite Trainer Box is currently sat at $85 on TCGplayer, for example, which is cheaper than the Amazon sale price last week of £88.

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.