Originally given as a reward for those who had a winning entry in the Japanese Pokemon Card Game Illustration Contest that started in 1997, one copy is known to be held by the Official Pokemon TCG Blog, meaning only five are actually doing the rounds out there

Here's the price evolution of the top 3 most expensive cards: Pikachu Illustrator Price History (PSA 10) Source: Goldin Auctions, eBay Sales Data Charizard 1st Edition Shadowless Price History (PSA 10) Source: PWCC Marketplace, Goldin Auctions Key Price Drivers (2019-2025) 2020-2021 Pandemic Boom : Prices increased 200-400% across vintage cards Celebrity Purchases : Logan Paul, Logic, Post Malone drove mainstream attention Social Media Influence : YouTube/TikTok opening videos viral exposure Investment Funds : Fractional ownership platforms (Rally, Collectable) entered market Grading Backlog : PSA submission delays created artificial scarcity The market as investment TL;DR: Pokmon cards returned +3,261% over 20 years vs S&P 500's ~300%
From Cids to Sunmons, Final Fantasy is bringing all kinds of new cards to Magic: The Gathering
If you had $5,000 laying around, would you rather go for Nidoking or Mewtwo