Few Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG players already selling new Iono card for over $1,000

The Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG is already infamous for having a "waifu tax," but some players have already spent over $1,000 on an Iono card. For those unware, female characters with good artwork tend to have cards that cost more than usual. However, they normally don't cost well over $1,000. There are several things worth noting here.

For starters, the new Iono card comes from the Clay Burst pack for Paldea Evolved in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG. This set was released in Japan on April 14, 2023, meaning that the demand for new cards will naturally peak high early on before falling off.

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Why the Iono card costs over $1,000 in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG

YouTuber Ptcgradio often shares the latest news regarding the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG. The video above was posted on April 24, 2023, and showed how the cards have all become cheaper since their release on April 14, 2023.

At the 2:00 mark, players can see one of the Iono cards costing 164,000 Yen. That's the equivalent of nearly $1,228 in USD. That's actually down from what it used to cost. Do keep in mind that not all Iono cards are worth that much. Only the Special Illustration Rare version costs over $1,000. Just for reference, her Full Art Secret Print variation was priced at 44,800 Yen (nearly $335 in USD) when this video came out.

The above video also shows how the Special Illustration Rare variation was once sold out at 198,000 Yen (nearly $1483 in USD), clearly showing its demand.

The above video was released on April 17, 2023, a few days after the new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG sets were released. Most notably, Iono's Special Illustration Rare card was selling for nearly $1,400 by then. That's worth more than the monthly rent in many parts of the world.

Other cards from Clay Burst and Snow Hazard can be costly, but none match up to Levincia's Electric-type Gym Leader. It is worth noting that she's only available in Clay Burst. Players cannot get her from Snow Hazard.

"Cheap" (using that term loosely here) buyouts of this particular Special Illustration Rare card were around the $1,100 price range, based on Ptcgradio's findings back when this video came out.

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What does this Iono card do in the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet TCG?

They all have the same effect (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Competitive TCG players curious about its effect should know that this card does the following:

"Each players shuffles their hand and puts it on the bottom of their deck. If either player put any cards on the bottom of their deck in this way, each player draws a card for each of their remaining Prize cards."

Remember that Trainers can only use one Support card per turn. Of course, this particular card's high price is likely due to Iono's popularity as one of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's most memorable characters.

The English version is expected to become much cheaper since they're usually less expensive than their Japanese counterparts. Readers should also know that the above prices were relevant when these videos were posted. Hence, it's possible that these cards will no longer cost over $1,000 in the future.