{
  "url": "https://www.moonstonehq.com/articles/starter-pokemon-cards-by-generation",
  "slug": "starter-pokemon-cards-by-generation",
  "title": "Starter Pokemon Cards, Nine Generations Ranked",
  "summary": "1,046 measured starter printings across nine generations. Kanto asks 5.14x the cards beside it and Alola 0.93x. The dearest starter card is a $4,500 Torchic.",
  "section": "Quant research",
  "published": "2026-09-22",
  "readMinutes": 9,
  "publisher": "moonstone",
  "findings": [
    {
      "value": "5.14x",
      "measures": "Kanto starters and finals against their own cohorts",
      "basis": "264 measured printings across 67 sets, September 22 2026"
    },
    {
      "value": "0.93x",
      "measures": "Alola, the lowest of the nine",
      "basis": "85 measured printings; Galar sits at 0.94x"
    },
    {
      "value": "1,046",
      "measures": "starter printings measured inside a cohort",
      "basis": "of 1,153 priced English printings across all 54 species"
    },
    {
      "value": "$4,500.00",
      "measures": "the dearest starter ask on our tape, a Gold Star Torchic",
      "basis": "an ASK with no recorded PSA 10 sale behind it"
    }
  ],
  "tables": [
    {
      "title": "Starter lines by generation, in generation order, rows sum to 1,046 measured printings",
      "columns": [
        "Generation",
        "Priced printings",
        "Measured",
        "Sets",
        "Premium",
        "Above cohort",
        "Median ask"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 1, Kanto",
          "Priced printings": "301",
          "Measured": "264",
          "Sets": "67",
          "Premium": "5.14x",
          "Above cohort": "240 of 264",
          "Median ask": "$20.48"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 2, Johto",
          "Priced printings": "137",
          "Measured": "133",
          "Sets": "35",
          "Premium": "1.91x",
          "Above cohort": "114 of 133",
          "Median ask": "$5.34"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 3, Hoenn",
          "Priced printings": "153",
          "Measured": "143",
          "Sets": "37",
          "Premium": "1.71x",
          "Above cohort": "106 of 143",
          "Median ask": "$6.00"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 4, Sinnoh",
          "Priced printings": "116",
          "Measured": "98",
          "Sets": "32",
          "Premium": "1.34x",
          "Above cohort": "66 of 98",
          "Median ask": "$2.11"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 5, Unova",
          "Priced printings": "98",
          "Measured": "89",
          "Sets": "24",
          "Premium": "1.06x",
          "Above cohort": "50 of 89",
          "Median ask": "$1.85"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 6, Kalos",
          "Priced printings": "107",
          "Measured": "99",
          "Sets": "27",
          "Premium": "1.31x",
          "Above cohort": "63 of 99",
          "Median ask": "$2.55"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 7, Alola",
          "Priced printings": "88",
          "Measured": "85",
          "Sets": "27",
          "Premium": "0.93x",
          "Above cohort": "36 of 85",
          "Median ask": "$0.98"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 8, Galar",
          "Priced printings": "93",
          "Measured": "80",
          "Sets": "17",
          "Premium": "0.94x",
          "Above cohort": "34 of 80",
          "Median ask": "$0.97"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 9, Paldea",
          "Priced printings": "60",
          "Measured": "55",
          "Sets": "9",
          "Premium": "1.19x",
          "Above cohort": "33 of 55",
          "Median ask": "$1.11"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "The Kanto six, base forms and finals",
      "columns": [
        "Species",
        "Priced printings",
        "Measured",
        "Premium",
        "Median ask"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Species": "[Squirtle](/card/sv07-148)",
          "Priced printings": "31",
          "Measured": "30",
          "Premium": "6.66x",
          "Median ask": "$4.86"
        },
        {
          "Species": "[Bulbasaur](/card/sv07-143)",
          "Priced printings": "30",
          "Measured": "28",
          "Premium": "5.51x",
          "Median ask": "$8.42"
        },
        {
          "Species": "[Charmander](/card/ex3-98)",
          "Priced printings": "49",
          "Measured": "47",
          "Premium": "2.78x",
          "Median ask": "$3.21"
        },
        {
          "Species": "[Charizard](/card/neo4-107)",
          "Priced printings": "105",
          "Measured": "83",
          "Premium": "8.96x",
          "Median ask": "$68.57"
        },
        {
          "Species": "[Blastoise](/card/bw8-137)",
          "Priced printings": "43",
          "Measured": "39",
          "Premium": "2.69x",
          "Median ask": "$32.58"
        },
        {
          "Species": "[Venusaur](/card/ex6-112)",
          "Priced printings": "43",
          "Measured": "37",
          "Premium": "1.75x",
          "Median ask": "$22.42"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Dearest starter-line printings by raw ask, ranks 1 to 8 of 1,153",
      "columns": [
        "Rank",
        "Card",
        "Set",
        "Raw ask",
        "Cohort premium"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Rank": "1",
          "Card": "[Torchic](/card/ex7-108)",
          "Set": "EX Team Rocket Returns",
          "Raw ask": "$4,500.00",
          "Cohort premium": "49.18x"
        },
        {
          "Rank": "2",
          "Card": "[Treecko](/card/ex7-109)",
          "Set": "EX Team Rocket Returns",
          "Raw ask": "$2,400.00",
          "Cohort premium": "26.23x"
        },
        {
          "Rank": "3",
          "Card": "[M Charizard EX](/card/xy2-108)",
          "Set": "[XY Flashfire](/set/flashfire)",
          "Raw ask": "$1,501.23",
          "Cohort premium": "not in a cohort"
        },
        {
          "Rank": "4",
          "Card": "[Mudkip](/card/np-5)",
          "Set": "Nintendo Black Star Promos",
          "Raw ask": "$1,500.00",
          "Cohort premium": "20.82x"
        },
        {
          "Rank": "5",
          "Card": "[Shining Charizard](/card/neo4-107)",
          "Set": "[Neo Destiny](/set/neo%20destiny)",
          "Raw ask": "$1,495.00",
          "Cohort premium": "27.16x"
        },
        {
          "Rank": "6",
          "Card": "[Charizard](/card/bw8-136)",
          "Set": "[Plasma Storm](/set/plasma%20storm)",
          "Raw ask": "$1,150.00",
          "Cohort premium": "not in a cohort"
        },
        {
          "Rank": "7",
          "Card": "[Charizard](/card/ex15-100)",
          "Set": "EX Dragon Frontiers",
          "Raw ask": "$1,000.00",
          "Cohort premium": "23.53x"
        },
        {
          "Rank": "8",
          "Card": "[Charizard](/card/base1-4)",
          "Set": "[Base Set](/set/base%20set)",
          "Raw ask": "$919.98",
          "Cohort premium": "48.24x"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "The same nine generations restricted to Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution printings",
      "columns": [
        "Generation",
        "Printings",
        "Measured",
        "Premium",
        "Median ask"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 1, Kanto",
          "Printings": "56",
          "Measured": "43",
          "Premium": "2.62x",
          "Median ask": "$15.81"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 2, Johto",
          "Printings": "22",
          "Measured": "22",
          "Premium": "1.38x",
          "Median ask": "$0.96"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 3, Hoenn",
          "Printings": "5",
          "Measured": "5",
          "Premium": "1.40x",
          "Median ask": "$0.22"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 4, Sinnoh",
          "Printings": "14",
          "Measured": "13",
          "Premium": "1.09x",
          "Median ask": "$4.67"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 5, Unova",
          "Printings": "23",
          "Measured": "18",
          "Premium": "1.08x",
          "Median ask": "$1.36"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 6, Kalos",
          "Printings": "24",
          "Measured": "21",
          "Premium": "1.71x",
          "Median ask": "$2.37"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 7, Alola",
          "Printings": "18",
          "Measured": "17",
          "Premium": "1.03x",
          "Median ask": "$0.86"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 8, Galar",
          "Printings": "18",
          "Measured": "18",
          "Premium": "1.07x",
          "Median ask": "$0.80"
        },
        {
          "Generation": "Generation 9, Paldea",
          "Printings": "52",
          "Measured": "49",
          "Premium": "1.19x",
          "Median ask": "$1.11"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "charts": [
    {
      "title": "Starter line cohort premium by generation",
      "unit": "x",
      "note": "1,046 measured printings, six species per generation, September 22 2026",
      "points": [
        {
          "label": "Gen 1, Kanto",
          "value": 5.14,
          "basis": "264 printings, 240 above cohort"
        },
        {
          "label": "Gen 2, Johto",
          "value": 1.91,
          "basis": "133 printings, 114 above"
        },
        {
          "label": "Gen 3, Hoenn",
          "value": 1.71,
          "basis": "143 printings, 106 above"
        },
        {
          "label": "Gen 4, Sinnoh",
          "value": 1.34,
          "basis": "98 printings, 66 above"
        },
        {
          "label": "Gen 6, Kalos",
          "value": 1.31,
          "basis": "99 printings, 63 above"
        },
        {
          "label": "Gen 9, Paldea",
          "value": 1.19,
          "basis": "55 printings, 33 above"
        },
        {
          "label": "Gen 5, Unova",
          "value": 1.06,
          "basis": "89 printings, 50 above"
        },
        {
          "label": "Gen 8, Galar",
          "value": 0.94,
          "basis": "80 printings, 34 above"
        },
        {
          "label": "Gen 7, Alola",
          "value": 0.93,
          "basis": "85 printings, 36 above"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sections": [
    "The generational ladder",
    "Squirtle beats Charmander",
    "The dearest starter card is not a Charizard",
    "Two ways this could be wrong",
    "What this study cannot show",
    "What would overturn this"
  ],
  "method": [
    "Sources: the `cards` catalog and the daily `price_history` tape, read on day 20718, September 22 2026. Population, cohort and species attribution are identical to [the species premium](/articles/the-species-premium): products deduplicated on the TCGplayer product id, asks from the most recent daily market figure, cohorts of every other English product in the same set at the same printed rarity with a ten-other-member floor, species from the 1,025-name `pokemon_indices` table with both sides folded to one canonical key, cards naming two or more species excluded. The 54 species are the three starter base forms and their three final evolutions for each of the nine generations: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise; Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Meganium, Typhlosion, Feraligatr; Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Sceptile, Blaziken, Swampert; Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Torterra, Infernape, Empoleon; Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Serperior, Emboar, Samurott; Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Chesnaught, Delphox, Greninja; Rowlet, Litten, Popplio, Decidueye, Incineroar, Primarina; Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble, Rillaboom, Cinderace, Inteleon; Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly, Meowscarada, Skeledirge, Quaquaval. Middle evolutions are not included, and regional forms fold into their species because the matcher works on the card name. 1,153 priced English printings carry those names and 1,046 sit in a measurable cohort. A generation's premium is the median across all its measured printings of the card's ask over its cohort's leave-one-out median, upper-middle on even samples; it is not an average of the six species' medians, so a species with more printings carries more weight inside its generation, and the per-species figures are printed so that weighting is visible. Median ask is taken over every priced printing of the generation, a wider population than the measured one, and both counts are in the table. The modern-window rebuild keeps only printings whose card id places them in the Scarlet & Violet or Mega Evolution eras by the house era map and rebuilds nothing else, so cohorts are the full-population cohorts; its Hoenn row holds five printings and is flagged in the text. The dearest-printing table sorts on the raw ask across all 1,153 priced printings, ties broken on the card id ascending, and marks the two printings that sit outside a measurable cohort rather than omitting them. Not financial advice."
  ],
  "terms": "Figures are moonstone's own recorded measurements, dated as published. Quote them with the population stated beside them. The article at `url` is the human form of this file."
}