We Ranked the 10 Best First Partner Pokémon TCG Cards of All Time

Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary has brought out a flood of nostalgia, and the cards that started it all are back in the spotlight. A new ranking of the 10 best First Partner Pokémon TCG cards of all time celebrates the artwork, affordability, and lasting impact of these original starters. The list runs through the history of the franchise with warmth and honesty about the prices attached to each.

The ranking, published ahead of the anniversary drop, pairs personal memories with current market numbers. It also points Trainers toward a reasonable path to get their hands on the latest release.

A Brief History of the First Partner Line

The ranking treats these cards as the foundation of the hobby, with some entries carrying far more weight than others. Each original First Partner Pokémon gets a gorgeous card, according to the list, and the ranking runs from Primarina at number 10 to Greninja ex at number 1.

The list runs from Primarina at number 10 to Greninja ex at number 1, with stops along the way for Mudkip, Charizard, Piplup, Venusaur and Snivy-GX, Scorbunny, Tepig, Torchic Star, and Pikachu ex. Each card carries its own story, from the artist who drew it to the moment a collector picked it up.

The Cards, In Order

10. Primarina — ME05: Pitch Black #088/084
    Satoma’s illustration of Alola’s siren starter shines with a golden sun and a beachy glow. The card’s affordability — $4.49 on TCGplayer — makes it a surprising value.

11. Mudkip — ME: Mega Evolution Promo #057
    Saboteri’s artwork packs Gen 3 lore into the background of this water-type starter. The card holds steady at $20.56 on TCGplayer, and it carries extra weight for collectors whose first game was Pokémon Ruby.

12. Charizard (Classic Collection #4/102)
    Mitsuhiro Arita’s Base Set Charizard remains the king of nostalgia. The Shadowless variant, missing the dark drop shadow along the right border of the art box, holds a market value of $1,160 on TCGplayer. The 30th Anniversary reprint has made this card accessible again.

13. Piplup (Secret) – SM – Cosmic Eclipse (SM12)
    Tomomi Kaneko’s illustration of Sinnoh’s Dawn and her stubborn Piplup at Canalave City docks has earned legendary status among Gen 4 fans. The card sits at $88.24 on TCGplayer.

14. Venusaur & Snivy-GX — SM Promos #SM229
    Artist Yuka Morii hand-sculpts every featured Pokémon out of physical clay before photographing them in real-world outdoor dioramas. Seeing the original sculptures at EUIC in 2025 was a highlight for the reviewer. The card runs around $146.63 on TCGplayer.

15. Scorbunny — ME: Ascended Heroes #225/217
    Yuu Nishida’s Galar First Partner illustration catches Scorbunny resting on a bed of leaves without flames. The Fire-type’s affordability — $9.26 on TCGplayer — makes it a steal.

16. Tepig — SV: White Flare #096/086
    Orca’s warm, golden lighting shows Tepig warming its belly amid crisp autumn leaves. The simple illustration commands a smile, and a copy costs around $52.50 on TCGplayer.

17. Torchic Star — EX Team Rocket Returns #108/109
    Masakazu Fukuda’s illustration breaks out of the frame, and the Gold Star card is a standout of Generation 3. Copies are ultra-rare, averaging around $4,500 on LimitlessTCG.

18. Pikachu ex — ME: Ascended Heroes #276/217
    Pikachu is a bit of a rogue choice for a First Partner list, but the reviewer makes the case for it as the very first partner in Pokémon Yellow and Let’s Go, Pikachu. USUMON’s electric-charged art style pushes the market price to $935.99 on TCGplayer.

19. Greninja ex – 148/128 – ME: 30th Celebration
    Artist GIDORA’s illustration caught everyone’s eye, and the Eevee and Lucario hiding in the background add a touch of humor. The card is simply awesome, and it closes the ranking with the most recent release.

What the Ranking Gets Right

The ranking succeeds because it refuses to treat these cards as pure collectibles. Each entry includes a personal story — a birthday gift, a trip to EUIC, a first game — that anchors the artwork to something real. The prices are also honest. A $4.49 Primarina sits beside a $4,500 Torchic Star, and the ranking does not pretend otherwise.

“This is genuinely one of my favorite cards of all time, let alone First Partner Pokémon!”

That line, from the reviewer’s opening, sets the tone for the whole list. It is a genuine expression of affection, not a marketing pitch.

The 30th Anniversary Reprint Push

The ranking points Trainers toward a specific path for the latest release. The best suggestion right now is to request an invite from Amazon for the ETB, priced more reasonably than other retailers. Invites will be sent out soon.

The Case for Pikachu ex

The Pikachu ex entry is the outlier. Pikachu is not part of the standard Grass/Fire/Water trio, but the reviewer argues that it was arguably our very first First Partner. That is a fair point, and it is the kind of reasoning that makes the ranking feel personal rather than mechanical.

The card’s high price — $935.99 on TCGplayer — reflects its rarity. The ranking does not make excuses for it, but it does explain why Pikachu ex belongs on the list.

A Ranking Worth Reading

The ranking is a mix of nostalgia, personal anecdotes, and honest prices. It respects the cards without pretending they are cheap, and it respects the collectors without pretending they are rare. The result is a list that anyone who ever opened a pack can enjoy, even if they disagree with the ordering.

The reviewer’s love for each card is obvious, and the prices are transparent. That combination makes the ranking a pleasure to read, even if you disagree with where a card lands.

The 30th Anniversary reprint push is still live, and the ranking offers a reminder that the range of prices is wide indeed.

Source material: “We Ranked the 10 Best First Partner Pokémon TCG Cards of All Time,” IGN.

30th anniversary · collectibles · Pokémon cards · Pokémon TCG · trading cards