When I saw the trailer for Extradimensional Crisis, it immediately pulled me back to the Sun and Moon era. That was when I started paying attention to how strange and creative the Pokémon TCG could get.
Seeing Ultra Beasts show up in Pocket with all their weird designs and chaotic energy reminded me of cracking open Crimson Invasion packs and not knowing what dimension half those creatures came from. It was messy, bold, and (kind of) perfect. So I thought, let’s go for a trip back to Alola and go over some of my favorite cards from the Sun and Moon expansions.
My Favorite Sun and Moon Pokémon Cards
This new set feels like it’s pulling threads from all over that era. Buzzwole, Nihilego, Type Null, even Lusamine with her oddly specific energy effect, it feels familiar in the best way. It reminds me of Forbidden Light’s unpredictability, Ultra Prism’s flash, and the shiny overload from Hidden Fates.
Cosmic Eclipse
Cosmic Eclipse closed out the Sun and Moon era and went out with something special: Character Rares. I saw the Arceus, Dialga and Palkia GX card laid out at a trade table and it looked so epic.
Rosa’s Full Art card had this gentle strength to it, and the Pikachu Character Rare genuinely made me smile the first time I saw it. There was a warmth to that artwork that felt different from anything else.
Hidden Fates: Shiny Vault
Hidden Fates hit in August 2019 and instantly rewrote the hype meter. The Shiny Vault was stacked. Shiny Charizard GX was the crown jewel.
I never pulled it, but I saw someone do it at a local and the table just froze. I opened a few packs, pulled a shiny Rowlet, and immediately realized how deep the rabbit hole went.
Between shiny Umbreon GX, Mewtwo GX, and the full art birds trio, every pack felt like it could explode.
Unified Minds
Unified Minds kept the trend going strong. Mewtwo and Mew GX felt like something out of a fan fiction crossover that actually worked.
I never owned it, but I’ve played against it enough to know it was no joke. Slowpoke and Psyduck GX made me laugh the first time I saw it, then made me nervous once I saw what it could do.
Cherish Ball also came from this set and it became one of those cards you needed even if it didn’t look flashy. It just worked.
Unbroken Bonds
Unbroken Bonds leaned even harder into the tag team idea. Reshiram and Charizard GX was the big pull and one of my friends at the time had one. He looked completely stunned when he pulled it, like he wasn’t even sure if it was real.
Gardevoir and Sylveon GX had some real visual chemistry and felt like a card that would beat you politely. Dedenne GX, bless it, became a must-have in so many decks. I traded for one later just to have it and immediately understood the hype. It was the utility knife in most decks.
Detective Pikachu
Detective Pikachu came out in April 2019 riding the wave of the movie hype. If I’m being honest, it was one of the stranger sets I’ve opened. Every card in the set used the live action CGI designs from the film, which meant you were pulling ultra-realistic Bulbasaurs and slightly unnerving Charmanders that looked like they’d blink at you.
I didn’t open much of this set myself, just a few promo packs from one of those mini tins, but I remember someone at a card night pulling the Mewtwo GX and getting way too excited about how menacing it looked.
Team Up
Team Up came next and it changed the game with Tag Team GX cards. I remember seeing Latias and Latios GX for the first time and thinking it looked like a poster for an anime movie. The synergy, the art, it just clicked.
Pikachu and Zekrom GX was a monster on the competitive scene and I saw more than one deck built around that combo alone. Gengar and Mimikyu GX was pure chaos and I loved it. That weird mix of spooky and playful made it instantly memorable.
Lost Thunder
Lost Thunder was huge, literally. At the time it was the biggest set Pokémon had ever released and it felt like it. Lugia GX is still one of my favorite artworks from the Sun and Moon era even though I’ve never owned one. It just has that majestic, don’t-mess-with-me energy.
Alolan Ninetales GX made another appearance here and it was just as gorgeous and useful as the earlier version. Zeraora GX was one of those cards that felt like it should be faster just by looking at it. I saw someone build an entire lightning deck around it and you could tell they were having way more fun than they should be allowed to.
Dragon Majesty
Dragon Majesty dropped in September 2018 and the name alone had me interested. You say dragons, I show up. Like Shining Legends, it wasn’t available in booster boxes, only in special products like pin collections and premium boxes, which made opening the packs feel like a treat rather than a routine. I never had amazing luck with this set, but I still remember seeing someone pull the gold Ultra Necrozma GX at a local event and everyone went nuts.
Dragonite GX was another standout and I’ve always loved how unapologetically big and bold the artwork felt. Reshiram GX and Salamence GX rounded out the heavy hitters, looking like they were drawn with maximum drama in mind. I’d still love to add a Shiny Charizard from this set to my collection one day. It’s shiny, it’s Charizard, and basically Pokémon cardboard royalty.
Celestial Storm
Celestial Storm felt like it had one foot in the past and one in the present. Rayquaza GX was the big headliner, I still remember the first time I saw someone lay it down during a game as an absolute flex. Lisia’s Full Art card was also a big one and it has this bright pop to it that makes it feel instantly collectible. Articuno GX was part of this set too and even though I’ve never pulled one, I always liked how icy and elegant it looked. It has a quiet kind of power.
Forbidden Light
Forbidden Light had a really cool focus in Ultra Necrozma GX. I’ve never pulled one myself but I remember a kid showing it off at league night and being so pumped he forgot to put it in a sleeve. We fixed that quickly. Greninja GX is another one that stuck with me as it’s one of the best starters from later generations. Diantha’s Full Art card is also in this set and it has this understated beauty that makes it one of the nicer looking Trainer cards.
Ultra Prism
Ultra Prism was a turning point. Prism Star cards were a new concept and they added some real excitement to pulls. I’ve never pulled the Full Art Lillie from this set but I did once get to look at one up close during a local binder trade session and honestly, I wasn’t even mad it wasn’t mine. It just looked too good. Cynthia’s Full Art was another head-turner. I’ve only seen that card once in person at a tournament, and I swear everyone who passed by the table took a second look. The gold Solgaleo GX and Lunala GX were in this set too. I haven’t seen either in person, but they’ve become that dream duo I quietly hope to find for a good price one day.
Crimson Invasion
Crimson Invasion was a little more muted in hype but still had its moments. The Ultra Beasts made their debut and while they were a bit of a weird fit thematically, I kind of appreciated the chaos. I saw a Gyarados GX from this set early on and thought, yeah, this is what Gyarados should always look like. Fierce, sharp, and just a little bit dangerous. The Full Art Lusamine and Olivia Trainer cards brought some much needed flair to the set, but it wasn’t the best pack opening experience I’ve had at all.
Shining Legends
Shining Legends came out in October 2017 and felt a little different from the start. It wasn’t part of the usual release lineup, more of a special mini set. I never pulled anything wild from the few packs I opened, but I did see someone hit a Shining Mew at a card night once which was cool. That card glows in a way no scan or photo really captures. The Secret Rare Mewtwo GX in the test tube is one I’ve only ever seen behind glass at a vendor table. Shining Rayquaza and Shining Arceus also stood out in the set, and while I haven’t been lucky enough to own either, I still check listings once in a while, just in case the stars align. Shining Legends may have been small, but the hits were mighty, and it’s one of those sets that aged really well.
Burning Shadows
Burning Shadows showed up in August 2017 and let’s be honest, this set will forever be defined by one thing. Rainbow Rare Charizard GX, which was a bugger to pull. I did pull a Gardevoir GX which was actually one of the top deck building chases at the time and the Secret Rare Fairy Energy, which is stunning, but let’s not pretend those things helped ease the sting. That Charizard still mocks me from behind its graded slab in someone else’s collection.
Guardians Rising
Guardians Rising came out a few months after Sun and Moon base, and this was when Tapu Lele GX started showing up everywhere. I didn’t pull one, but I remember watching someone get one from their third pack and just casually shrug like it wasn’t one of the most playable cards at the time. I did see an Alolan Ninetales GX up close at a card show that summer and I swear the holo looked better under those awful overhead lights than it had any right to. Sylveon GX was another standout from this set. It was one of those cards that came with its own fanbase. And of course, that Secret Rare Double Colorless Energy was pure gold, but it would be nice to see more epic Pokémon GX’s in the earlier Sun and Moon sets rather than energies and trainers.
Sun and Moon Base
Sun and Moon Base Set dropped in early 2017 and honestly, it felt like the beginning of something fresh. Alolan forms showed up with weird haircuts and bright colors, and I was into it. The GX mechanic was new at the time and it hit hard. I don’t own many cards from this set personally, but I remember seeing a Full Art Lillie in someone’s trade binder at my first real local event and it oddly reminded me of Evolutions Misty’s Determination. Then someone pulled the Secret Rare Ultra Ball at the same event and immediately double-sleeved it like it was a newborn. I’ve only ever pulled a regular Lunala GX from a random pack at a game store checkout, and even that felt like a win. Those early GX cards had real presence. They didn’t just shine, they looked like they meant business. Probably because I was the only one who wasn’t interested in gold item cards.
This Weeks Crashers And Climbers
It’s becoming abundantly clear that buying up singles on the Pokémon TCG collector market is the way forward for trainers right now.
Some chase cards that have crashed recently are cheaper than some overpriced booster bundles currently.
Some of the prices above look crazy, but some of them we’re nearly double just a couple of weeks ago, with the latter 5 cards climbing higher and higher.
If your heart is set on ripping open booster packs, let’s get into the best way to do just that without destroying your life savings (much).
More Pokémon TCG Sealed Products
If you’re desperate for some big box retailer products, here you go.
Just make sure to be savvy before buying, as 9 times out of 10 TCG Player will be cheaper in this climate.
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.
