The Sun & Moon era features some of the most valuable booster boxesever seen in thePokemon TCG, with Burning Shadows bringing a bunch of heavy hitters to the table. Shiny Pokemon and Secret Rares are the theme of Burning Shadows, with many of the best cards in Burning Shadows falling under one of these categories.
With so many iconic cards in this generation, the connection between Kanto and Alola forms makes it natural to include Pokemon like Charizard in Burning Shadows, as this Fire-type favorite makes its home in the top tier.
The cards are ordered according to their market price onTCGplayer, which is subject to change.
Updated July 08, 2025, by Andrew Scariati:The top Burning Shadows chase cards remain mostly intact, with Charizard still leading the way. However, the best Burning Shadows cards received one newcomer to go along with some shakeups in price. Although most of the modern card market is soaring thanks tohyped sets like Prismatic Evolutions,Burning Shadows isn’t as hot.
10Machamp GX (Secret Rare) – $18.76
A Run For Their Money
Machamp might not have anything to do with the Sun & Moon era or fire, or shadows, but it still makes an appearance as one of the best Burning Shadows chase cards thanks to this solid Secret Rare design. Machamp’s simple color palette is the perfect canvas for this foil pattern, making this card visually appealing.
When it comes to dollars and cents, this card has long been flirting with joining the ranks among Burning Shadows' best cards and finally finds its way into the top spots. Though nothing is guaranteed, this set’s relative stability is likely to hold for the foreseeable future.
9Fire Energy (Secret Rare) – $20.85
A Sign Of Things To Come
It’s not often that an energy card makes the most valuable cards in a set, but the vibrant red Fire Energy Secret Rare deserves a top-tier selection.
Even more shockingly, this isn’t the only Energy among the most expensive cards in Burning Shadows, so stay tuned to see which Energy is worth more.
While it’s perfectly normal for cards to experience rising and falling in price,this card remains rock steady at about $20,as it only trades within a few cents on either side of that mark.
8Gardevoir GX (Secret Rare) – $26.62
Here Come The Secrets
Gardevoir follows up with this beautiful card, as this brilliant rainbow palette fits better on Gardevoir than on the Darkrai to come. Gardevoir is always a popular Pokemon for collectors to enjoy, and the shiny version gives even more appeal to this card.
While it’s not one ofthe best Gardevoir cards,this Secret Rare stands out in Burning Shadows as one of the set’s top chase cards.
Given its former heights, this Gardevoir is a prime contender to move up among the most valuable cards in Burning Shadows, as the next card on the list is only ahead by a small margin. There might be a Gardevoir uprising soon.
7Escape Rope (Secret) – $26.96
No Way Out
Escape Rope is an iconic item in the main series of Pokemon games, continuing its presence in the Pokemon TCG with a stunning Gold Secret Rare.
In the Pokemon games, Escape Ropes allow you to leave any cave or dungeon location and return to the entrance from any point within.
Escape Rope has fallen far from its former high of $50, dropping out of contention for the top spots, and settling for a middling position. However, the current market priceis still impressive for an item card,so Escape Rope still holds strong considering the usual cost of similar cards.
6Darkrai GX (Shiny Holo Rare) – $28.00
A Beautiful Shiny Glow Up
The first mythical Pokemon among the most valuable cards in Burning Shadows is the shiny Darkrai GX, featuringa brilliant, rainbow color palette for Darkraito match the earlier one from Gardevoir. This nightmare Pokemon gets a vibrant re-color, helping this card stand out from the pack.
While there’s a bit larger of a range for Darkrai, it trades comfortably in the high 20s, setting up a small but noticeable gap between it and the next card.
5Wicke (Full Art) – $34.19
Time For Class
Wicke’s warm, caring personality shines through with this beautiful full art card featuring warm, fall colors as the backdrop for Wicke’s light pastel-colored attire. While she may not be the most popular character in the series, Wicke is the most expensive Trainer card in Burning Shadows, earning hera spot among the top five cards in the set.
Unsurprisingly, Wicke has also fallen off from peaks in the high 40s but still maintains a relatively strong value compared to her direct peers.
4Darkness Energy (Secret) – $34.26
Another Rising Energy
The second Energy card to appear is the sinister Darkness Energy card, continuing the see-saw between beautiful, lighthearted designs and intimidating color palettes in this iconic set. While Darkness Energy puts a damper on the formerly bright color scheme, its value is pleasantly surprising.
Although it fell from its former high of $30,Darkness Energy has been on the rise again, breaking back into the 30s and seeming intent on making its home here with its new market price.
3Fairy Energy (Secret) – $54.72
The Most Popular Energy
Fairy Energy earns the distinction of being the most valuable Energy card in Burning Shadows. This rosy-pink artwork perfectly embodies the Fairy-type, with a bright, sparkling focal point accented by strong, dark borders.
This Energy breaks the downward trend in the last few cards, instead rising from $44 to maintain steady sales in the high-$40s range. As it continues into the 50s, you may expect Fairy Energy to remainthe most expensive in Burning Shadows.
2Acerola (Full Art) – $57.38
A Sweet Finish
Acerola is avaluable full art Trainer cardfeaturing the simple but stunning artwork of Acerola posing. This Ghost-type-loving gal is decked out in her signature purple-and-black outfit, complemented by the same colors in her background. All she’s missing is a Gengar or Gastly to add to the Ghostly color palette.
Unfortunately for Acerola, this card has continued to dip sharply,dropping from its former perch of $87 to below $60.While it’s uncertain if this card will continue to fall or level off in the $50s, Acerola won’t need to worry about missing out on the top two.
1Charizard GX (Secret) – $423.25
It’s Charizard All The Way Up
This card clocks in amongthe most expensive Charizard cards of all time, but it isn’t enough to take the top spot in Burning Shadows. This Rainbow Secret Rare boasts a striking Charizard-shaped canvas to work with, as this keystone Pokemon stands in an iconic pose.
As always, monochromatic designs are excellent pairings with the Rainbow Secret Rare color palette, allowing Charizard’s natural orange to shine through at the right angle. However, the burst of other colors isn’t enough to save this card from hard times, as itdipped into the $330 range before finding its home back above $400.
