The Generation 2 Pokemon games brought many changes, including holdable items, myriad new Pokemon to catch and train as well as the addition of two new typings in Steel and Dark. In the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokemon Trading Card Game, Neo 💫Gene🤡sis was the first set to feature these now-iconic new critters.

While collectors don’t race to obtain Neo Genesis cards quite as much as they do Genera🍌tion 1 Pokemon TCG cards, the cards on this list still demand hefty sums on the secondary market. From legendary Pokemon featured on the games’ box art to starter ‘mons final evolutions, this list has the most expensive cards from Pokemon TCG’s Neo Genesis expansion. Like Lugia,👍 the Diving Pokemon, let’s dive in!

The card prices quoted all come from ’s Mark🤪et Price History over the past calendar year and may fluctuate over time. Also, no First Editions are included on this list even though they are extremely rare and, thus, wildly more expensive than the Unlimited versions of these cards.

10 💃 Steelix – Ho൩lofoil

Market Price: $26.24

Jumping straight in is one of the first-ever Steel-type Pokemon (or in TCG parlance, “Metal” type): Steelix. Onix was a not🔯able Pokemon in Gen 1 as it was one of Brock’s partner ‘mons in the anime, as well as Gym Leader Brock’s most important weapons in Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow. Many an early game run came to a screeching halt because the only attacks your critters knew were normal type.

Gen. 2 debuted an even more threatening evolution for Onix. Jasmine, the steel-type gym leader from Pokemon Gold and Silver, was tough thanks in no small par🦋t to her level-35 Steelix. Steelix’s high price point showcases just how imposing and intriguing “metal&r൲dquo; types were when they debuted.

9 Slowking – Holofoil ༒

Market Price: $32.80

Another notable part of Pokem🐓on’s Gen. 2 was the inclusion of new evolutions (as well as pre-evolutions, more on those later) for Gen. 1 ‘mons. One such ‘mon was Slowking, an interesting evolution for Slowpoke that only occurred (in-game) when it was traded holding a new item – a King’s Rock.

In the TCG, Slowking was incredibly strong as its Pokemon Power:ꦏ Mind Games ability forced opponents to flip a coin whenever they played a Trainer card. If tails, the card failed and 💛was put back on top of their deck. This ability also stacked with multiple Slowking in play (due to a Japanese-to-English mistranslation), so it was incredibly annoying to deal with. That lingering power level surely affects Slowking’s still-high price tag nearly 25 years later.

8 ꦐ Meganium (10) – Holofoil ⛄

Market Price: $38.36

One interesting aspect of Neo Genesis is th𓃲at it featured two different cards of the same Pokemon – in this case, each final evolution of the Johto starters has two different verꦦsions with different abilities, attacks, artwork, etc. The lowest-priced of those six cards is grass-type starter Chikorita’s final evolution: Meganium.

Underpowered in the games themselves, Meganium is certainly stronger in the TCG, but it still doesn’t quite have the cache of the other two Gen. 2 starters, nor does it rea𝄹ch the importance or power level of its grass starter forebear, Venusaur. Still though, Meganium does have a beautiful design, and this card commanding nearly $40 on the secondary market is mighty impressive.

7 🌠 Pichu – Holofoil 📖

Market Price: $47.22

Baby Pokemon made their debut in Gen. 2 (and, by extension, in Neo Genesis in the TCG) with Pichu, Igglybuff, Cleffa, Togepi, Tyrogue, Magby, Smoochum and Elekid marking the first-ever pre-evolutions of existing Pokemon (save for Togepi, which🐽 debuted in this generation). Incredibly cute, these Pokemo𓃲n were immensely popular upon release and were marketed heavily after Gen. 2’s release.

In the TCG, baby Pokemon had a special rule in which opposing player attacking them had to flip a coin before the attack. If tails, their turn ended with no attack at all. Com෴bine that with strong, non-energy-intensive attacks and you’ve got some powerful cards that continue to demand high price tags, with Pichu taking the cake, as it’s the only one that received the holofoil treatment in Neo Genesis.

6 Ferali❀gatr (4♔) – Holofoil

Market Price: $49.83

The first appearance (but not the last) for Generation 2’s final evolution of its water-type starter, Totodile clocks in at just under $50 a pop. Just like the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:most valuable cardsꦦ from the TCG’s Base Set, final evolutions of starter Pokemon command a premium🦄 on the secondary market.

And th🥀at’s understandable. The starter ‘mons are among the most highly marketed (and beloved) creatures throughout the history of Pokemon. They’re normally the first Pokemon revealed when a new game releases, and in the TCG, their cards are often extremely powerful (the current reign of Charizard ex attests to that) or immensely sought after due to both scarcity and nostalgia.

5 Meganium (11) – Holofo🦩il 𒈔

Market Price: $53.76

The last appearance by Meganium on this list is surely the more offensively powerful one in the TCG. Its Pokemon Power: Wild Growth ability effectively doubles the amount of grass energy that you have in p𓆏lay. As such, its Soothing Scent attack only costs two energy, which was a bargain when this card released – 40 damage and guaranteed sleep for only two energy? Terrific.

While this card wasn’t eminently popular competitively, it did pair well with the more defensive-minded Meganium card (number eight), as it could come into play and remo🥃ve all damage counters from your grass-type ‘mons, all while this Meganium geared up your grass-type Pokemon to attack quickly. A good combo!

4 Feraligatr 𒀰(5) – Holofoilꦯ

Market Price: $57.82

The final appearance from a Feraligatr card on this list delivers slightly better, more action-filled Ken Sugimori artwork as well as an interesting “Rain Dance” style ability (a la Base Set Blastoise’s Poke🐼mon Power). Feraligatr’s Pokemon Power: Downpour allows you to dump as many water energies into you discard pile as you want to help fu💝el its Riptide Attack.

Riptide deals ten damage, plus an additional 10 damage multiplied by the number of water energy in🌞 your discard pile, so the synergy is strong, though all those energies do have to go back into your deck after using the attack. Still, though, Professor’s Research-style cards were not Supporter cards at this point, so fueling up Riptide again would’ve been trivial.

3 ꩲ Typhlosion (18) – Holofoil

Market Price: $73.75

Now we’re getting to the big guns. Just like in Pokemon TCG’s Base Set, the most expensive starter cards belong to the fire type. Typhlosion is certainly a popular starter ‘mon, and its pre-evolution Cyndaquil even made an appearance as a starter in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokemon Legends: Arceus with a brand-new Hisuian 𝓡vaℱriant as its final form.

This Typhlosion features classic Ken Sugimori artwork, though its ability and attack pale in comparison to its direct fire-type starter predecessor (the mighty Base Set Charizard). This is still a flavorful and fun card, however, and one that certainly deserves its whopping $70-plus priceꦰ tag.

2 Typhlosion (17) – Holofoil 🔯

Market Price: $100.12

One oꦏf only two cards on this list to break the triple-digit threshold (and just barely at that), this card again shows the incredibly high value that fire-type starters have in the TCG’s first two generations. This artwork isn’t quite as impressive to me as the other Typhlosion, but maybe that’s because I had the other card in a before Ne𒅌o Genesis released in the U.S.

It’s notable that only two cards, this one and the card in the number-one spot, command a market price above $100, despite all 10 cards on the list of the most expensive cards from the🍷 TCG’s Base Set reaching the $100 threshold. Nostalg🙈ia🍷 is a powerful force (as is market scarcity).

1 Lugia –🥀 Holofoil

Market Price: $240.16

As you can see, one card from Neo Genesis stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to curr🌊ent-day market value: Lugia. This gorgeous holofoil card had the strongest baseline three-energy attack of any card released in the TCG up to this point, though its drawback of tossing all three disparate energies into your dis༺card pile was quite steep.

This card is incredibly scarce, and Lugia’s popularity has only risen over the years, as this legendary psychic/flying-type Pokemon has graced the cover of multiple games including Silver, SoulSilver and even 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness for Nintendo GameCube – lending a price point that climbs higher and higher for Neo Genesis copie🍎s of this card in good cond🥃ition.

Beyond that, Lugia has long bee🍒n an impressive competitive🌳 card in the TCG, as its recent run at the higher end of the meta with Lugia V and Lugia VSTAR can attest. A fitting ‘mon for the top spot on this list.