The Best Pokémon games of all time

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Find your flow and fragrance and explore the scents@pura.com what is everyone packet again for a brand new week? So as I mentioned in the last podcast, I'm literally recording these things back to back this time because, well we're taking a week off because as I'm recording this or when we would normally record this, it would be Canada Day and well we're taking that week off because, well I don't want to record on Canada Day and my co host doesn't want to record on the 4th of July. So we're recording back to back. Or I'm recording back to back because my co host decided to pull a no show. Yeah yeah, gonna have to have a chat sometime about that. But anyways, I digress. Today we're going to be looking at the top 10 Paldea evolved, the quote unquote, best Pokemon games of all time, and the very last article of the most iconic Pokemon in TCG history with Mewtwo. Last week it was Mew. This week is Mewtwo. Then we're done. That. And I just remembered that the last week episode, I said that I was going to mention what I had planned at the end of that. That episode. As I'm recording this again back to back from the first one, I just remembered that I forgot to say what the hell I was thinking. Whoops. So I will say it right now after this week, technically, this episode comes out July 6th. Yeah, July 6th. The week after we will be will be the episode with the celebrity. The week after that. I'm thinking instead of the most iconic cards, because that will be done. I'm thinking each week my co host and I pick one Pokemon from the entire Pokedex and find the most either interesting or absurd Pokedex entry and read it. You know, sometimes they had, you know, depending on the Pokemon, they had some very, very sketchy Pokedex entries. Some of them were just a little odd and some of them were kind of boring. Yeah. But let's get into the paldea evolved. Number one, the illustration rare Magikarp at $425.30, a massive increase from last week's number one. Number two is the Raichu illustration rare. Number one, 2139. Or sorry, not 121. It's $121.39. Jeez, I. Am I illiterate? Number three is Mousehold, the illustration rare. Number one. Jeez, I did again, it's $105.87. Followed by number four, Tyranitar, the illustration rare at $79.48. I didn't screw that one up. All right. Number five is Iono, the special illustration rare at $70.22, followed by Sprigatito, the illustration rare at $63.50. Number seven is Tinkaton Ex, our first Ex, the special illustration rare at $61.83. Number eight is Merrill, the illustration rare at $55.09. Number nine is Fu Coco, the illustration rare at $55,09 as well. And finally, number 10 is Chi Yu Ex, the special illustration rare at $53.33, for a grand total of $1,036.01, a huge increase from last week. But let's look at the best Pokemon games of all time, apparently. You see, yeah, Pokemon Red and Blue were the classics that started it all. Red and Blue are the reasons this list exists, right? If it wasn't for Red, the Kanto region, and the original 151 monsters that resided within it, there wouldn't be a Pokemon franchise. Instead, fans would be would live in a dimension where Beyblade or Digimon were the dominant Japanese anime or video game franchise. I mean, there's nothing wrong with Beyblade and definitely nothing wrong with Digimon. Digimon was. Well, Digimon was good for the first couple seasons, and then it got kind of weird. Sorry, not sorry. The Red and Blue are primarily primitive to the modern standards, missing many of the quality of life features found in modern games, but they have a retro aura all to their own. Kanto feels alive in a way that many modern games could never hope to achieve, not with all the ray tracing in the world. Of course, the Kanto region might feel basic, but much like the story of Red's journey, it resonated with the fans, and it's still fun to boot up the game and wake up in Mom's house ready for a new adventure. Then, of course, Pokemon Sword and Shield let the Giants loose with the Dynamax. God, I love Dynamax. Sometimes. It's a shame that Pokemon franchise Mainline debuted on a console was married by the controversy of dctrix with the national decks being absent for the first time. Pokemon Sword and Shield are among the best entries in the franchise history, with Galar standing out with its rich history and expansive wild areas. The Dynamax or Gigantamax mechanic was also an amazing addition to the series, adding a truly epic feel to the battles that was needed thanks to Mega Evolutions and Z Moves not making the cut. Sure, Hop might be the worst rival in the series, but fans who don't mind whacking the A button as soon as his face appears will be able to get through the story just fine. Then X and Y brought the might of the Mega Evolution to the series. You see, X and Y marked the series jumped to the full 3D era, but that wasn't the only reason people are excited to enter the Kalos region. The Nintendo 3DS had much better wireless capabilities than the previous systems, making it much easier than ever to play with others online. The biggest reason people remember X and Y is due to the debut of the Mega Evolution, where existing Pokemon could temporarily gain a new form in battle. To say Mega Evolution shook up the battle system in Pokemon is an understatement, as it not only added to the spectacle, but also drastically changed team compositions and strategies. It helped that the Kalos region was a joy to explore, being based on Paris and surrounding area, resulting in one of the prettiest settings in the whole franchise, which even now with the Z8 call what it is a remake. It's a fun map. Pokemon Emerald topped every Kanto, Johto and Hoenn game before it. You see, Ruby and Sapphire were massive technical and mechanical jumps for the franchise, ones no longer hindered by the ancient hardware of the original Game Boy. There was still room for improvement though, and Pokemon Emerald did just that, adding an extensive post game while trying the stories of the Sorry. Tying the stories of the villainous teams together, giving the player the best of both worlds during their trip to the Hoenn region. Sure, Ruby and Sapphire received remakes on the Nintendo 3DS, which added mega Evolutions, but they suffered from a distinct lack of enemy trainer variety and the removal of most of the post game. Those who want the best Hoenn experience need to go back to the Game Boy advance for that trip, or maybe wait for the game to be brought back to the Nintendo Switch era, which I'm sure it probably will. Fire Red and Leaf Game Leaf Green Sorry brought Kanto up to the Game Boy Advance. It wasn't just the Hoenn region that was explorable in the Game Boy Advance. As Pokemon, Fire Red and Leafgreen returned to Kanto, Firered and Leafgreen not only improved the visuals and music from the Gen1 games, but but added new mechanics introduced in their later games like Abilities and the Dark Steel type which were used as a counter against the dominant Psychic type. Now of course, Firered and Leafgreen also added the expansive post game, something the original Gen 1 titles badly needed. Now players can explore the Sevii Islands and find creatures introduced in the later games. Those who want to visit the upgraded Cant of Region can do so without breaking the bank as Game Freak finally put them on the Nintendo switch here in 2026, making it easier than ever to go back home. And of course Platinum. It showed the dark side of the Cine region. You see, diamond and Pearl are excellent games, but they have few problems, the biggest of which is the torturous slow battle speed. The difficulty curve was also extremely punishing, especially when the player reached the Elite four, who are notorious for chewing up unprepared trainers and forcing a ton of grinding Pokemon. Platinum fixed pretty much all of the issues with its predecessors, speeding up the battle system and tweaking the enemy trainer levels. It also added a ton of content to the villainous team's storyline, tying them to the Giratina and giving them one of the darkest subplots in the series. One of the involved traveling to the dimension of Madness and facing the Lovecraftian legendary Pokemon at the very end. The fact that Pokemon Brilliant diamond and Shining Pearl didn't even attempt to adapt the storyline is a testament to how much they wasted the potential of their source material. Then you know we have Legends Arceus is the Sinnoh prequel everyone actually wanted. Which Pokemon Legends? The first one was kind of shitty. Sorry, not sorry. Pokemon fans have dreamed of a prequel since day one. It's a story that shows the world just before it became near utopia seen in Pokemon Red and Blue Legends. Arceus finally made that wish come true, with the protagonist being sent back in time to an ancient version of the Sinnoh region where wild Pokemon rule the land and humanity struggles to find a foothold in the dangerous frontier. Legends. Arceus took the series in more of an action stealth direction, with the player needing to use the environment to hide from powerful FO and use sneak attacks to take down the nastier foes. It makes for an electrifying gameplay loop with a setting that is extremely tense and exciting to explore, making it easily the best entry on this switch. Then. Well, then we have black 2 and white 2 are the ideal follow ups. Apparently Black and White were decent entities on their own, but they played through played things a little too safe. This was the point when fans were growing weary of the gameplay formula, even though the story was more interesting than its predecessors and people were hoping Game Freak would shake things up more than it did. Enter Pokemon block 2 and black white or, sorry, what? Block 2 and white 2. The first numbered sequels in the mainline entries set a few years after the originals, with a brand new protagonist and rival. Possibly the best aspect of black 2 and white 2 is the wide variety of wild Pokemon that players can encounter, making them possibly the best games for multiplayer multiple playthrough, Sorry or Nuzlocke challenges. There's just so much variety that each journey through the Unova region feels distinct, which is more than can be said for the many Pokemon tiles, especially the earlier ones. Then. Well, then we have Pokepia, which it puts the mainline games to shame, apparently. You see, the Kanto region makes its third appearance on this list, but this time it's emptier and it has even than it ever has been really. Pokopoeia is a story of a ditto that wakes up one day and takes human form. Finding themselves in a region with no people, only Pokemon is up to them to befriend and unite the Pokemon and hopefully rebuild the land that has since left to decay. Blah blah blah blah blah. Pokemon Pokepia is a building game that involves teaming up with Pokemon and creating a society for them, including building habitats and exploring the world's ruins. It pleases the creative muscles in the brain, allowing players to make little cities for their favorite monsters, while giving retro fans a sometimes shocking look at the world they loved so much as a kid. Pokopia might be the best game of 2026 and is easily the top Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive released so far. And finally, Heartgold and Soul Suit of Silver, sorry, are peak experiences. You see, Gold and Silver were incredible games, held back by the limitations of the Game Boy color hardware. The return to the Kanto region in the post game was amazing, but it was much emptier than fans had hoped. While many of the new Johto Pokemon were far too dark, difficult to catch, often being put in areas encountered late in the game in Heartgold and Soul Silver, though on the Nintendo ds, offered a ultimate Johto experience, fleshing out both regions, improving the visuals and adding even more content than before. To this day, they're the best Pokemon games ever made, and it's criminal that the series hasn't gone back to the Johto region since. If Game Freak put Heartgold and Soulsilver on a Nintendo Switch, they would print money as fans are gagging for a return to Gen 2 country. You're listening to this podcast, so I know you've got a curious mind. Here's a helpful fact you might not know yet. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over $900 on average. Pop over to progressive.com, answer some questions and you'll get a quick quote with discounts that are easy to come by. In fact, 99% of their auto customers earn at least one discount. Visit progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little cash back Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings by $946 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2024 and May 2025. Potential savings will vary. Everyone treats summer like it owes you happiness. Long days, pool parties. Your best life on a loop. So what does it mean when you feel worse? The summer blues are real. It's why summer is one of the busiest stretches of the year for people starting therapy. Grow Therapy is here for all the moments when you decide you want more. More support, more clarity, more tools. Grow connects you with thousands of high quality licensed therapists across the US offering both virtual and in person sessions, nights and weekends. The therapist you want takes your insurance on Grow grow accepts over 125 insurance plans. Sessions average $21 with insurance and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growtherapy.com acast today to get started. That's growththerapy.com acast growtherapy.com acast availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan and finally, the most iconic Mewtwo Cards in the TCG history well, the first Mewtwo card is of course Base set iconic hollow card, you know, iconic artwork from Ken Sugimori. The card was not very good like at all, but it looked cool. That's what really mattered back in the base set. This Mewtwo is a chase card for many collectors, especially the first edition version which is as just hard to find as the first edition Charizard. Next though was the Wizards of the coast promo, the one that had the stamp in the top right hand corner, but we have two of them. Okay, so the first we have two Wizards of the coast promo cards. The first one is the cheaper side, was released alongside the first movie. It also features Sigurmari's artwork, but due to how easy it was to get, it has remained at a remarkably affordable print price or, sorry, price point. This card was particularly impressive in its day due to the easy two turn setup and its powerful attacks. But then the truly impressive Mewtwo featured artwork by the legendary Christopher Rush, the same artist who drew Black Lotus for the Gathering, and for that reason alone it's included as well. This is the secondary wizard of coast promo 1 Number 12 I believe it was, but it's it's a hell of a lot better artwork, far more sinister and also very slight color, different ish. But Next is Rocket Mewtwo from Gym Challenge. The hollow rare Rocket Mewtwo is the most famous for being the first ever Pokemon card to have three attacks printed on the card. This was done by making the box for the artwork of the card smaller, which still made it relatively easy to read the text of the card. Then we had Rockets Mewtwo EX from Team Rocket Returns. A few years later Rockets Mewtwo EX was released in Team Rocket Returns and we got our first dark type Mewtwo. This card is super cool because we actually see the red in Mewtwo's eyes. This has been carried over to the modern games as well, with Pokemon Go's Shadow Pokemon having red eyes. Both of these Mewtwo cards are incredibly hard to find and big chases for any fan. Then we had Armored Mewtwo, the Sun and Moon promo. Okay, so technically, Armored Mewtwo isn't a Rockets Mewtwo card, but come on, it. It totally is, right? Think back to the anime. This is how anime fans were first introduced in Mewtwo. It was covered in this armor, which actually restricted its power enough for Giovanni to actually control it. This Armored Mewtwo card was the only time that the Armored Mewtwo has ever been featured in the tcg. So it demands a respectable price point for a card that came out in the Sun Moon series at a whopping $257, which is still pretty cheap compared to most modern cards. But then we get our kind of full art. Special illustration Rare the Team Rockets Mewtwo ex. So the special illustration Rare Team Rockets Mewtwo EX is easily the top chase card out of 2025's destined rivals. This card features Giovanni triumphantly grinning at the viewer as he controls the world's strongest Pokemon. This card is super freaking cool. And I think it can safely say that everyone who collects Pokemon wanted this card or its reprint in Ascended Heroes. Then we get shinies. Yeah. Shiny Mewtwo cards. The Shining Mewtwo in the Neo Destiny. This was one of the Pokemon TCG's first ventures into. Shiny Pokemon in the TCG. Of the seven shining Pokemon released in Neo Destiny, Mewtwo and Charizard are the most sought after because they're the two most iconic of all the Shining Pokemon that were ever printed. But then we got Hoenn Phantom's Mewtwo. So Mewtwo's star from Hoenn Phantoms is arguably the most expensive Mewtwo card right now. At the time of writing, there are only four listings of this card on TCG Marker Player, and a damaged copy of the card is listing for roughly 1400. This card looks super cool. Has artwork extending beyond the art frame, which wasn't common back then. And then, of course, we have the Mewtwo GX from Hidden Fates. The Shiny Vault. Yeah, the modern ish Shiny Mewtwo out of the Hidden Fates. The Shiny Vault version of Mewtwo GX is a super cool modern Mewtwo card featuring a battle ready Mewtwo. Simple put nice white ish card where Mewtwo kind of stands out with the green and gray. It's kind of cool. One of the most iconic cards though is the full art Mewtwo cards which the Mewtwo GX from Shining Legends. The Shiny Hollow Rare. That's really cool. I really hope I don't need to explain why this card has the nickname Test Tube Mewtwo. Just look at the card, right? The scene comes straight out of the anime showing when Mewtwo was first created. This card was incredibly difficult to pull out. Shining Legends, which was already a super limited set. Of course it features art by the legendary Mishishiru Aria. Neat little fact about this card though. It is mechanically the same Mewtwo as the Hidden Fates Shiny. And then of course we have the Mewtwo V from Pokemon Go. The ultra rare we have a unique alternate art Mewtwo from Pokemon Go. This is a chase card for the crossover set. This card shows the iconic moment when Mewtwo was first introduced into the game, which, yeah, I guess kind of hovering over top of a city. Ish. If you don't remember. The original trailer for Pokemon Go ended with the dramatization of a raid battle against Mewtwo as it descended into Times Square in New York City. This artwork pays homage to the iconic moment for that fandom. And then Mewtwo v Star. You know the one. You know Mewtwo versus Charizard, but from Mewtwo Stand Everyone treats summer like it owes you happiness. Long days, pool parties. Your best life on a loop. So what does it mean when you feel worse? The summer blues are real. It's why summer is one of the busiest stretches of the year for people starting therapy. Grow Therapy is here for all the moments when you decide you want more. More support, More clarity, More tools. Grow connects you with thousands of high quality licensed therapists across the US Offering both virtual and in sessions, nights and weekends. The therapist you want takes your insurance on. Grow grow accepts over 125 insurance plans. Sessions average $21 with insurance and some pay as little as $0 depending on their plan. Visit growtherapy.com acast today to get started. That's growththerapy.com acast growtherapy.com acacia acast availability and coverage vary by state and insurance plan. You've got social dialed in. Search is doing its thing. So why do your marketing results look the same as six months ago? That's because you're fishing in the same pond as everyone else. 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So these two cards have played roles in tons of tournament winning decks over the years, but one of them looms especially large in the player's memories. We have the Mewtwo Ex from Next Destinies is one of the most infamous cards from the competitive TCG history. This card changed the course of the TCG completely when it was released. Before this the game was in a really nice spot with these single prize decks with neat strategies that looked a while or sorry, took a while to set up. However, once Mewtwo Ex hit the scene, everything changed. Suddenly you had Pokemon that were hitting for huge damage immediately and all it needed was a trusty double colorless energy. Yeah, we have like two versions of the Mewtwo Ex, kind of the full art and regular art ish kind of thing. But again they did the same darn thing just at considerably different price tags. You know. Of course the lesser art was 2821 and the full art is 24081 so a hell of a lot. Now of course, while Mewtwo may not be as super cute as its counterpart Mew like we discussed last week, it is still incredibly popular Pokemon with plenty of cards worthy of its reputation. And finally, my card for Legend Maker. You see, Legend Maker was a hard set for me to pick for, but I decided to pick a stadium full flame, which when you look at this artwork, is it really a full flame? I mean it looks like, I don't know, I don't know. Like it looks like some kind of poltergeist ritual thing of like burning a pokeball into the ground. Kind of looks ominous. However, it's kind of cool on what happens with this. So of course, like I said, it's a stadium card however, when you play this card, you put four damage counters instead of two on each burned Pokemon between turns. The special condition burned can't be removed by evolving or devolving the burned Pokemon. Very cool. I love that you can't just simply, you know, devolve it or evolve it to remove the burn. I I love it. But that is why I picked that card just simply for the fact that, you know, simple mechanics of removing burn just doesn't work. It's so freaking cool. But on that note, thank you everyone for this or for watching and listening to this episode. Pokey Man Cave Podcast Stay tuned next week for our special episode where we sit down with a very interesting celebrity. Again, I know I'm being very, very vague about that, but I do not want to give anything away. It's going to be a interesting podcast for sure, but as I said, you have to wait for next week. So on that note, thank you and I will see you again next week with our special guest. Summer Smells like citrus in the sun. Turn your home into a daily getaway with Pura's new summer collection. Find your flow and fragrance and explore the scents@pura.com Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend. A photographer in Texas earns an extra $47,000 a year shooting Star wars cosplay portraits. 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