Trophy Trainer Pokémon Card Guide

Pokemon Trainer cards are one of the three different varieties of cards available in the TCG. Like Energy cards, Trainer cards have several different types. There are Stadium, Item, Supporter, Pokémon Tool, Ace Spec, Technical Machine, Goldenrod Game Corner, Trophy, and Rocket’s Secret Machine Trainer cards.

There are hundreds of Trainer cards, and each of them has different mechanics. Believe it or not, many Trainer cards sell for thousands, and sometimes millions of dollars. The most expensive is the Trainer trophy cards because they have such a low population and hold a lot of significance.

Here are the top 10 Pokémon Trainer card values.

1998 P.M Japanese Promo Illustrator- Holo Corocoro Comics

The Pikachu Illustrator card is considered to be the rarest and by far the most expensive Pokémon card yet. Between 1997 to 1998, this card was given to the winners of an art competition by the CoroCoro Comic. This card is technically a “TRAINER” card but says “ILLUSTRATOR” for the title instead. This is the only Pokémon card that has this title change. Because this was an art competition, the card features Pikachu drawing Charmander and other Pokémon. Officially, only 39 of these cards were given out with this card holding the highest sale price for an individual Pokémon card.

PSA Population Report:

This card has a PSA population of 24 cards. The lowest grade given, with 4 cards, is an Auth condition. The most common grade, with 8 cards, is a Mint 9 condition. Only once has this card been graded a perfect Mint 10 condition. 41 of these cards have been verified, even though only 39 were officially distributed.

2001 P.M. Japanese Promo No.2 Trainer Neo Spring Battle

The 2nd place winners of each regional Neo Spring Road tournament were given this card. This tournament was held between February and March of 2001. This Trainer card has the name and regional conference of the winner on the card, as well as a male or female shown on the front of the card. Because there were no female winners at the tournament, the female version of this card was not given out. Winners that were awarded this card were also eligible for entry into the “Best in Japan” finals.

PSA Population Report:

This Neo Spring Battle Trainer card has only 3 cards graded by the PSA. All 3 graded cards were given a Mint 9 condition.

1997 P.M. Japanese Promo Trophy Pikachu Bronze 3rd- 1st Tournament

The 3rd place winners of the Japanese Pokémon TCG Championship of 1997 were awarded this card. The tournament was held on June 14-15, 1997 at the Makuhari Messe Event Hall in Chiba, Japan. This event was the start of the official Pokémon Card Game Championship. This event had a huge turnout with over 1,000 kids, up to age 15, taking part in the event. All three of the Trainer cards awarded during this championship are very rare and worth a substantial amount of money.

PSA Population Report:

This card has an extremely low PSA population of 5 cards. The lowest grade given, with 1 card, is an Auth condition. The most common grade, with 3 cards, is an NM-MT 8 condition. The highest grade given is a Mint 9 condition, with only 1 card.

1997 P.M. Japanese Promo Trophy Pikachu Gold 1st- 1st Tournament

This Gold 1st place Pikachu Trainer card was given to the 1st place winners for the Japanese Pokémon TCG Championships in 1997. This card was awarded on the second day of the championship at the Makuhari Messe Event Hall. The three Trainer cards awarded at this event marked the start of the No.1, No.2, and No.3 Trainer Trophy cards. Because this event was the first Pokémon tournament for international and national play, these cards are very valuable.

PSA Population Report:

This 1st Tournament Trainer card has a low population of only 5 cards. The lowest grade given, with 1 card, is an NM-MT 8. The most common grade, with 3 cards, is a Mint 9. This card has 1 PSA Mint 10 grade.

2001 P.M Japanese Promo Tropical Wind Tropical Mega Battle

This card was awarded during the Tropical Mega Battle in 2001. The Tropical Mega Battle was a tournament that took place every year from 1999 to 2001 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, Hawaii. After 2002, The Tropical Mega Battle would be replaced by the Annual World Championships. This card is the 2001 finals participation prize for the third international championship event.

PSA Population Account:

This Tropical Mega Battle Trainer card has a PSA population of only 3 cards. The lowest grade given is an EX-MT 6. The other two grades are an NM-MT 8 and Mint 9 condition.

2014 Pokémon Promo Pikachu World Champ. Trainer No.1

The 2014 Pokémon World Championships were held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. This event took place from August 15-17, 2014, and was the 11th Pokémon TCG championships. What is special about this Trainer card is that it was the first Full Art card and also contains a gold border. This card is very rare, with only 2 cards officially PSA graded, and still packs a punch at auction.

PSA Population Account:

Only 2 of these 2014 World Champ No. 1 Trainer cards have been graded by the PSA. One card is a Mint 9 condition and the other is a Mint 10. This is an extremely rare card that was awarded as a trophy for the 2014 winners of the World Championships.

2013 Pokémon Promo No.2 Trainer Holo- World Champs.

The 2013 World Championships took place at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from August 9-11, 2013. This card also broke the record for a lot of “firsts”. This was the first time that the Pokémon World Championships took place out of the United States. 2013 was the first year that Pokémon awarded a trophy to the No. 4 trainer. It was also the last year that the competition’s trophy cards were half art, they were updated in 2014 to Full Art. With all of the history for this card, combined with only 1 PSA graded card, this card would be an amazing card to see in person.

PSA Population Account:

This Holo World Champs Trainer card has a population of only 1 card, with a Mint 9 condition. The PSA has stated that only 3 of these cards were issued during the competition. Because of this card’s extreme rarity, it hardly is ever up for sale. Making this card’s value continue to increase.

1999 P.M Japanese Promo Tropical Wind Tropical Mega Battle

This card was released as a participation prize in the 1999 Tropical Mega Battle tournament. This tournament was held every year from 1999-2001 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, Hawaii. This was the first Trainer card that was awarded for this tournament. This card has a higher population than most of the other Trainer cards on this list. But because it has only 3 Mint 10 cards and was awarded at the first Tropical Mega Battle Tournament, this card is still very valuable.

PSA Population Account:

This Japanese Tropical Mega Battle Trainer card has a graded PSA population of 71 cards. The lowest grade given, with 8 cards, is an Auth condition. The most common grade, with 16 cards, is a Mint 9 condition. There are only 3 of these cards that have been graded a perfect Mint 10 condition.

1999 P.M. Japanese Promo No.1 Trainer Super Secret Battle

This No.1 Trainer card was given to the 1st place competitors in the 1999 Super Secret Battle tournament. The Super Secret Battle took place at a secret location in Tokyo on August 22, 1999. This card features the logo for the Japanese name “Pocket Monsters Trading Card Game”. This Trainer card is very rare and valuable at auction. Besides the artwork on this card, another cool thing is that it serves as an entry ticket to future tournaments. The name for this card was because the location of the tournament was a secret.

PSA Population Account:

The PSA is showing that this card currently has a graded population of only 8 cards. 2 of these cards have been graded a Mint 9 condition. While the other 6 are perfect Gem Mint 10 conditions.

1999 P.M Japanese Promo No. 2 Trainer Tropical Mega Battle

This card was awarded to the 2nd place contestants at the 1999 Tropical Mega Battle, the 2nd world championship for the TCG. This event was held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and was only for Japanese and American children ages 6-12. This card also allows the cardholder special treatment at official Pokémon TCG events. This card is also a very rare and valuable Trainer card.

PSA Population Account:

This Trainer card has a graded PSA population of only 6 cards. The lowest grade, with 1 card, is an Auth condition. The most common grade, with 3 cards, is a Mint 9 condition. Only 2 cards have been graded a perfect Gem Mint 10 condition.

What is the most expensive Trainer Trophy Card?

1998 Pikachu Illustrator card is the most expensive, currently the PSA values this card at $6M.

Are Pokémon Trainer cards worth anything?

It depends on the card. There are Trainer cards worth millions, and others only worth $30.

Are Pokémon Trainer cards rare?

Depending on the card they can be. NO.1 Trainer is the rarest group of Trainer cards.

Do Pokémon Trainer cards go up in value?

Yes, especially the more in-demand cards.

What do Trainer cards do in the TCG?

Trainer cards allow players to draw cards, search their deck, or other special features.

Are Japanese Trainer cards worth more?

Some Japanese cards are worth more, mainly the older Japanese Trainer cards.

Are Trainer cards good in the TCG?

Yes, they are very helpful and valuable due to the specifications that each one has.

How do you get Trainer cards?

You can find them online.