Pokémon cards by retreat cost — which retreat costs hold the most, and what do they cost?
The 17,240 English cards on file split into 5 retreat costs, and their typical prices run from $2.26 to $5.20.
5 retreat costs · 17,240 cards · 16,628 with a price on file · read August 14, 2026
How many retreat costs do Pokémon cards split into?
Sorted by retreat cost, the 17,240 English Pokémon cards on file fall into 5 retreat costs. The largest is Retreat cost 1 with 8,503 cards, and the dearest by typical price is Retreat cost 0 at $5.20. The cheapest is Retreat cost 4 at $2.26, and the single most expensive card anywhere in this list is Lugia 149 at $4,500.00.
Card facts are read from openly published card files; prices are read once a day from public marketplace listings into this site's own archive. Counts on this page were taken on August 14, 2026.
Retreat cost 5 retreat costs17,240 cards
Retreat cost summary for Pokémon cards
17,240 of the 20,444 cards on file carry one · 16,628 have a price · typical prices $2.26 to $5.20
8,503 of 17,240 cards sit in one group
What stands out across these retreat costs
- Scale 17,240 cards carry a retreat cost, which is 84.3% of the 20,444 English cards on file.
- Split The retreat cost biggest group, Retreat cost 1, holds 8,503 cards — 49.3% of the list.
- Price Half the retreat costs have a typical price under $2.46; the range across all of them runs $2.26 to $5.20.
- Record Every figure here is counted from 16,628 priced cards, not estimated. Cards without a price are left out of the price columns.
How concentrated are Pokémon cards across these retreat costs?
Across = retreat costs ordered by how many cards they hold · Up = share of cards reached so farThe biggest retreat cost alone holds 49.3% of the cards, and half the retreat costs (3 of them) hold 90.5%. "There are many retreat costs" and "the cards are spread evenly" are not the same statement.
Four things that split the price of these retreat costs — press a panel to reach the part of the page that shows it
Pokémon card retreat cost at a glance
- What this splits. The retreat cost is how many energy a card asks for to retreat, counted from the retreat cost recorded with each card in the card files this site reads. Cards with no retreat cost on file carry none, so this axis covers only the part of the archive that has one.
- How many groups. 5 retreat costs, holding 17,240 cards between them, of which 16,628 carry a price.
- How the sizes run. From 729 cards in the smallest group to 8,503 in the largest, with the middle group holding 2,168.
- How the prices run. Typical prices go from $2.26 to $5.20, and the middle of those is $2.46. Single cards inside the groups run from $0.02 to $4,500.00.
- What is not counted. Cards with no price on file are excluded from every price figure, so a group's card count and its priced count can differ. Graded prices, population counts and sealed product values are not published here.
- When it was read. The counts and prices on this page come from the archive as it stood on August 14, 2026.
Every Pokémon card retreat cost, biggest group first
1Retreat cost 1largest8,503 cards$2.46Pikachu ★ — Holon Phantoms 104
2Retreat cost 24,926 cards$2.64Umbreon VMAX — Evolving Skies 215
3Retreat cost 32,168 cards$2.32Lugia — Aquapolis 149
4Retreat cost 0dearest914 cards$5.20Mew ex — Paldean Fates 232
5Retreat cost 4cheapest729 cards$2.26Magikarp & Wailord-GX — Team Up 161There is no page to turn — all 5 retreat costs are on this one address. The price column is the typical price of that group, which is the middle price of the cards inside it. Prices were read on August 14, 2026.
Group size and group price do not move together. Retreat cost 1 holds the most cards (8,503), while Retreat cost 0 carries the highest typical price ($5.20) — and those are different groups.
A big group is a common one, so its cards are easy to find and usually cheap. A dear group is a scarce one. Reading both columns together is what tells you whether a card is expensive because of what it is, or because there are few of them.
How Pokémon card prices are spread across retreat costs
The 5 retreat costs on this page are cut from the 17,240 cards that carry a retreat cost. The grey slice is the rest of the archive, which this axis says nothing about.
Each slice is one size band: how many of the 17,240 cards the retreat costs in that band hold between them.
How many of the 5 retreat costs fall into each price band, counted by the typical price of the group.
Bands are read from the middle price of each group, not from single cards. A group can hold cards far above its own band.
| Group | Share | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price $1 to $5 | 80.0% | 4 retreat costs |
| Typical price $5 to $20 | 20.0% | 1 retreat cost |
How many of the 5 retreat costs fall into each size band.
Size is the number of cards on file in that group, whether or not each card carries a price.
| Group | Share | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 250 to 999 | 40.0% | 2 retreat costs |
| 1,000 and up | 60.0% | 3 retreat costs |
| Size band | Retreat costs | Cards they hold |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 and up | 3 retreat costs | 15,597 cards · 90.5% of the list |
| 250 to 999 | 2 retreat costs | 1,643 cards · 9.5% of the list |
The 5 retreat costs sorted into size bands, largest band first, with the number of cards behind each band.
| Band | Retreat costs | Cards | Share of cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price $1 to $5 | 4 | 16,326 | 94.7% |
| Typical price $5 to $20 | 1 | 914 | 5.3% |
| Group size 250 to 999 | 2 | 1,643 | 9.5% |
| Group size 1,000 and up | 3 | 15,597 | 90.5% |
The two halves of this table count the same groups twice — once by what they cost and once by how big they are. Shares are of the 17,240 cards in this list.
Half of the 5 retreat costs have a typical price below $2.46, and the whole set of typical prices runs from $2.26 to $5.20. Inside the groups the individual cards go much wider — from $0.02 to $4,500.00.
That gap between the group middle and the single cards is the point of this axis: a cheap group can still hold an expensive card. The group tells you what to expect, not what you will pay.
- Retreat cost 1 $2.46
middle half $0.41 – $14.24 - Retreat cost 2 $2.64
middle half $0.46 – $16.02 - Retreat cost 3 $2.32
middle half $0.45 – $14.97 - Retreat cost 0 $5.20
middle half $1.15 – $22.92 - Retreat cost 4 $2.26
middle half $0.55 – $16.53
Each notch is ten times the one before.
- Cheapest to dearest card
- Middle half of the cards
- Typical price (the middle card)
The tick inside the box is the middle card. The closer it sits to the box's left edge, the more the cards cluster at the cheap end of that range.
| Retreat cost | Cards | Cheaper quarter | Typical | Dearer quarter | Dearest card | Year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retreat cost 1 | 8,503 | $0.41 | $2.46 | $14.24 | $3,216.67 | +79.6% |
| Retreat cost 2 | 4,926 | $0.46 | $2.64 | $16.02 | $2,259.47 | +50.0% |
| Retreat cost 3 | 2,168 | $0.45 | $2.32 | $14.97 | $4,500.00 | +36.5% |
| Retreat cost 0 | 914 | $1.15 | $5.20 | $22.92 | $1,013.78 | +63.0% |
| Retreat cost 4 | 729 | $0.55 | $2.26 | $16.53 | $861.78 | +37.0% |
Read the three price columns together: a group where all three are close is dear all the way through, while a group with a low typical price and a very high dearest card is carrying one chased print. A dash means fewer than four cards in that group carry a price, which is too few to split into quarters.
Retreat cost 32,168 cards · a cheap one $0.45, the dearest $4,500.0010,000times wider ($0.45 to $4,500.00)2Retreat cost 18,503 cards · a cheap one $0.41, the dearest $3,216.677,846times wider ($0.41 to $3,216.67)3Retreat cost 24,926 cards · a cheap one $0.46, the dearest $2,259.474,912times wider ($0.46 to $2,259.47)The widest retreat costs on this page: how many times the dearest card inside costs more than a cheap one. A wide retreat cost is not an expensive retreat cost — it is one where the price of a single card tells you almost nothing about the next.
Back to summaryAre Pokémon cards going up in value, retreat cost by retreat cost?
| Reading date | Typical price | Where it started |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Sep 25 | 1.61 | |
| 10 Oct 25 | 1.66 | |
| 7 Nov 25 | 1.66 | |
| 5 Dec 25 | 1.68 | |
| 2 Jan 26 | 1.69 | |
| 30 Jan 26 | 1.77 | |
| 27 Feb 26 | 1.85 | |
| 27 Mar 26 | 1.94 | |
| 24 Apr 26 | 2.08 | |
| 22 May 26 | 2.24 | |
| 19 Jun 26 | 2.41 | |
| 17 Jul 26 | 2.5 | |
| 14 Aug 26 | 2.61 |
One line per retreat cost, each drawn against its own scale so the shapes can be compared rather than the heights. The figures beneath are the typical price now and the change over the 11 months on file; the ladder below ranks the same moves by size.
5 retreat costs tracked across the yearSee them all
- Retreat cost 1▲ +79.6%
- Retreat cost 0▲ +63.0%
- Retreat cost 2▲ +50.0%
- Retreat cost 4▲ +37.0%
- Retreat cost 3▲ +36.5%
Rose the most over 11 months
Fell the most over 11 months
Change in the typical price of each retreat cost between September 12, 2025 and August 14, 2026, counted from 5 retreat costs that carry a price on both dates.
Taken together, Pokémon cards sorted by retreat cost rose from a typical $1.61 to $2.61 over the 11 months on file — +62.1%. The ladder shows that the whole did not move as one: 5 retreat costs rose and 0 fell over the same window.
Which retreat cost holds the most valuable Pokémon card?
No. 1 Lugia at $4,500.00 is $1,283.33 above No. 2 Pikachu ★ at $3,216.67 — 1.4 times its price.
The four rows below are No. 2 to No. 5. Each bar is that card against Lugia at $4,500.00, the dearest card on this page.
LugiaRetreat cost 3 · Aquapolis 149 · Rare Secret$4,500.001,940× the group medianPikachu ★Retreat cost 1 · Holon Phantoms 104 · Rare Holo Star$3,216.671,308× the group medianUmbreon VMAXRetreat cost 2 · Evolving Skies 215 · Rare Rainbow$2,259.47856× the group medianMew exRetreat cost 0 · Paldean Fates 232 · Special Illustration Rare$1,013.78195× the group medianMagikarp & Wailord-GXRetreat cost 4 · Team Up 161 · Rare Ultra$861.78381× the group medianThe last column is that one card measured against the typical price of the retreat cost it belongs to, not against the other cards on this list.
A large multiple means the retreat cost is carried by a single chased print: the card is dear but an ordinary card of that retreat cost is not. A small multiple means the group is dear all the way through. Retreat costs that record no typical price are left out of this list rather than shown as zero.
The two rankings disagree, and that is the useful part. Retreat cost 3 holds the dearest single card at $4,500.00, but Retreat cost 0 is the dearest retreat cost by typical price at $5.20. One group has a chased card in it; the other is dear all the way through — and only the second of those makes an ordinary card of that group expensive.
Pokémon card retreat cost records — the biggest, the dearest and the fastest moving
Retreat cost 18,503 cardsTypical $2.46 → $5.20
Retreat cost 0$5.20Retreat cost 1 is the largest retreat cost with 8,503 cards. The remaining 4 retreat costs share what is left.
No single retreat cost holds every record. The largest is Retreat cost 1, the dearest by typical price is Retreat cost 0, and the one card that tops the list sits in Retreat cost 3 — three different places on this page.
The most valuable Pokémon card in every retreat cost
Market $4,500.00Lugia [149]2Market $3,216.67Pikachu ★ [104]3Market $2,259.47Umbreon VMAX [215]4Market $1,013.78Mew ex [232]5Market $861.78Magikarp & Wailord-GX [161]The dearest card of each of the 5 retreat costs, dearest first.
All 5 cards are on this one page — there is nothing folded away. Each picture opens that card's own price page; to open the retreat cost instead, use the list higher up. Prices were read on August 14, 2026.
Back to summaryOther ways to sort the same Pokémon cards
Pokémon cards in Retreat cost 18,503 cards · typical $2.46Dearest: Pikachu ★Pokémon cards in Retreat cost 24,926 cards · typical $2.64Dearest: Umbreon VMAXPokémon cards in Retreat cost 32,168 cards · typical $2.32Dearest: LugiaPokémon cards in Retreat cost 0914 cards · typical $5.20Dearest: Mew exPokémon cards in Retreat cost 4729 cards · typical $2.26Dearest: Magikarp & Wailord-GX
Pokémon cards by rarityRarity is the grade recorded with each card in the card files this site reads. Every English card carries one, so the archive splits into rarity tiers without anything left over.Pokémon cards by print variantA print variant is the finish a card was sold in. The same artwork can be issued in more than one finish, and each finish keeps its own price record, so the two are priced apart.Pokémon cards by Pokédex numberThe Pokédex number ties every print of the same Pokémon together, whatever the set is called and whatever extra words the card name carries. Grouping by the number keeps prints of one Pokémon in one place instead of scattering them by name.
Pokémon cards by regulation markThe regulation mark is the single letter recorded with each modern card. Older prints carry no mark at all, so this axis covers only the part of the archive that has one.
Pokémon cards by energy typeThe energy type is the element recorded for each Pokémon card. Trainer and energy cards carry none, so this axis covers only the Pokémon part of the archive.
Pokémon cards by setA set is the expansion a card was printed in, and every card in the card files this site reads names exactly one. Sorting by set puts each release back together the way it was sold, so a card can be read next to the cards it shared a pack with.
Pokémon cards by artistThe artist is the illustrator credited on the printed card, recorded with each card in the card files this site reads. One illustrator can appear across many expansions and many decades, so this axis cuts the archive by hand rather than by release.Pokémon cards by evolution stageThe stage is where a card stands in an evolution line, recorded with each card in the card files this site reads. Trainer and energy cards carry no stage, so this axis covers only the Pokémon part of the archive.
Pokémon cards by mechanicA mechanic is the special kind a card is printed as — V, VMAX and ex among Pokémon, Item, Supporter and Stadium among Trainers — recorded with each card in the card files this site reads. Evolution stages are counted on their own, and a plain card carries no mechanic at all, so this axis covers only the part of the archive that has one.Pokémon cards by attack costThe attack cost is how many energy a card's cheapest attack asks for, counted from the energy printed on each attack in the card files this site reads. Cards with no attack carry none, so this axis covers only the part of the archive that attacks.Pokémon cards by damage rangeThe damage figure is the highest number any of a card's attacks prints, gathered here into ranges rather than counted one number at a time. Attacks that print no number carry none, so this axis covers only the part of the archive that prints damage.What the Pokémon cards inside each retreat cost are like
Each dot is one retreat cost: further right means tougher cards, further up means harder-hitting ones. The size of the dot is how many cards that retreat cost holds. HP and damage are the averages of the Pokémon cards inside it, so Trainer and energy cards take no part in either figure.
| Group | Typical HP | Typical max damage | Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retreat cost 0 | 103 | 61 | 914 |
| Retreat cost 1 | 81 | 40 | 8,503 |
| Retreat cost 2 | 132 | 79 | 4,926 |
| Retreat cost 3 | 150 | 99 | 2,168 |
| Retreat cost 4 | 175 | 121 | 729 |
The most common weakness inside each of the 5 retreat costs that record one.
5 of the 5 retreat costs report a main weakness; the rest hold no Pokémon cards that print one, so they are not counted here rather than counted as zero.
| Group | Share | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | 40.0% | 2 retreat costs |
| Lightning | 20.0% | 1 retreat cost |
| Fighting | 20.0% | 1 retreat cost |
| Grass | 20.0% | 1 retreat cost |
| Retreat cost | Cards | Typical HP | Typical max damage | Main weakness | Most common stage | Usual retreat cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retreat cost 1 | 8,503 | 81 | 40 | Fighting | Basic | 1 |
| Retreat cost 2 | 4,926 | 132 | 79 | Fire | Basic | 2 |
| Retreat cost 3 | 2,168 | 150 | 99 | Fire | Basic | 3 |
| Retreat cost 0 | 914 | 103 | 61 | Lightning | Stage 1 | not recorded |
| Retreat cost 4 | 729 | 175 | 121 | Grass | Basic | 4 |
Typical HP and typical max damage are the averages across the Pokémon cards in that group. Main weakness, stage and retreat cost are the most common value in the group, not the only one.
Two groups can hold the same number of cards and still play nothing alike. Reading this table next to the prices above is what turns retreat cost from a label into a description — you can see whether a dear group is dear because its cards are strong, or only because there are few of them.
Pokémon card retreat cost — frequently asked questions
How many retreat costs do Pokémon cards split into?
Which Pokémon card retreat cost holds the most cards?
Which Pokémon card retreat cost is the most expensive?
What is the most expensive Pokémon card in the retreat cost list?
Do all Pokémon cards have a retreat cost?
Why do some Pokémon card retreat costs have no price?
How often are these Pokémon card retreat cost prices updated?
Are Pokémon cards going up in value by retreat cost?
Which Pokémon card retreat cost rose the most this year?
Which Pokémon card retreat cost holds the most valuable card?
How much does a cheap Pokémon card cost, by retreat cost?
Does retreat cost tell you what a Pokémon card is worth?
How these counts are made, and where you can check them
Primary official source
First-party official sources — the body that issues the data itself, such as a government agency, a statutory register or a rights holder publishing its own records.
Industry source
Second-party sources — marketplaces, trade associations, research institutes and companies that compile data about the market.
Before you rely on these figures
What this page counts when it counts retreat costs, and what it leaves out
- This page counts the 20,444 English cards this site holds on file, not every Pokémon card ever printed. Cards in other languages are not in these figures.
- Only 17,240 of those cards record a retreat cost at all, so the retreat costs below add up to that number and not to 20,444.
- Prices are read from 16,628 cards. The remaining 612 carry no price in the archive, so they are left out of every price figure rather than counted as zero.
- A retreat cost appears here only when it is big enough to stand on its own — at least 24 cards, 12 of them priced, and 10 with a card image. Smaller ones are still counted in the totals above.
- Every price is a median, not an average. One chased card can be worth thousands of times an ordinary one, and an average would let that single card speak for the whole group.
- These figures are a snapshot of a market that moves. Nothing here is an offer, a valuation or advice to buy or sell.
Prices read on August 14, 2026 · card facts counted on the same file.
Note: Prices on this page are asking and market prices for ungraded English cards, taken from a daily snapshot of public marketplace listings read on August 14, 2026. They are not offers, they exclude shipping, duty and marketplace fees, and they move. Counts cover only the English cards this site holds on file, so a retreat cost can hold cards that are not counted here. Graded prices, population counts, sealed product values and pack odds are not published on this site because no free commercial source provides them.
Last updated: 2026-08-14