Water-type is the quiet giant of the Pokemon TCG’s type chart. It isn’t just Squirtle, Vaporeon and the odd Magikarp — the TCG’s Water energy also covers most Ice-type Pokemon from the video games, and every Ice-type card in this guide — Articuno, Chien-Pao and Glaceon — carries the same printed Water symbol as Suicune and Blastoise.
This guide rounds up 12 Japanese Water-type cards we consider the standout prints across recent sets and promos, from a ¥9,306 Art Rare to a ¥1,100,000 promo. Every card here has Water printed as its energy type, checked directly on its Limitless TCG card page or, for two promo cards that Limitless doesn’t hold in its Japanese database, on Bulbapedia’s printed-type listing. A couple of famous cards that look Water-type at a glance — Greninja and Rapid Strike Urshifu — are printed Fighting-type instead, so they’re excluded here, not lumped in.
We source and grade Japanese singles out of Tokyo, so every price below is our own current listing, not a third-party market estimate.
Twelve Japanese Water-type cards, spanning 10 different sets and promo packs from 2021 to 2025. The PSA 10 Vaporeon VMAX Summer PokeCard promo (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) tops the list at ¥1,100,000 (~$6,918 at ¥159/USD), while the PSA 10 Glaceon V (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) leads the regular set cards at ¥57,156. Ice-type Pokemon such as Articuno and Chien-Pao print as Water — the card decides the type, not the species.
Prices are our own current PSA 10 listings as of September 2026, converted at ¥159/USD. We do not quote third-party market prices.
What Counts as a Water-Type Pokemon Card
A Pokemon TCG card’s type is printed on the card as its energy symbol, and Water is one of the broadest categories on the chart: it contains most Water-type and most Ice-type Pokemon from the main video-game series. That’s why Glaceon, Articuno and Chien-Pao — all Ice-type in the games — show up in this Water-type roundup rather than a category of their own. Every card below was checked directly on its Limitless TCG card page, with Bulbapedia used only for two 25th Anniversary promo cards that Limitless’s Japanese database doesn’t carry. These are our editorial picks, chosen for scarcity and demand across the sets we trade in daily — not an exhaustive database of every Water-type card ever printed.
Two frequently-asked-about cards get mistaken for Water-type. Greninja ex Special Art Rare (SV5a Crimson Haze, 090/066) is printed Fighting type — a Tera mechanic quirk, not a Water card; see our Greninja cards guide for the full lineup. Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX Hyper Rare (S5R 084/070) is also printed Fighting. Neither appears in the list below.
Lapras is another Water-type Pokemon worth knowing about, but it’s deep enough on its own that we cover every Lapras printing separately in our Lapras cards guide — our Quick Order page is the fastest way to source a specific Lapras print from our Japanese inventory.
Our Picks: 12 Japanese Water-Type Cards
Ranked loosely by how often collectors ask us about them, starting with the promo that anchors the whole category.
Vaporeon VMAX (シャワーズVMAX, Summer PokeCard Promo)
A Sword & Shield-era promo (S-P 187), art by Atsushi Furusawa, distributed through Japan’s Summer PokeCard campaign. We haven’t independently verified the exact campaign date, so we’re not stating one here — see our Summer PokeCard promo series guide for what is confirmed. This is the highest-value card in our entire Water-type roundup: a PSA 10 copy is currently listed at ¥1,100,000 (~$6,918) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order). Our Vaporeon VMAX Summer promo guide has more detail on this specific print.
Blastoise (カメックス, 25th Anniversary Promo)
From the Promo Card Pack 25th Anniversary Edition (S8a-P, released 22 October 2021), card 003/025 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), promo, printed Water — confirmed on Bulbapedia’s listing for this pack, which Limitless’s Japanese database doesn’t hold. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥29,964 (~$188) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order). For the full Squirtle-to-Blastoise evolution line across every set, see our Squirtle & Blastoise cards guide and our dedicated Blastoise 25th Anniversary 003/025 card guide.
Dark Gyarados (わるいギャラドス, 25th Anniversary Promo)
Same pack as the Blastoise above (S8a-P, 22 October 2021), card 005/025, promo, printed Water per Bulbapedia’s listing for this promo pack. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥22,660 (~$143). For the Magikarp-to-Gyarados line, see our Magikarp & Gyarados cards guide and our dedicated Dark Gyarados promo card guide.
Magikarp (コイキング, Master Ball Mirror)
Pokemon Card 151 (SV2a, released 16 June 2023), card 129/165, art by Kouki Saitou. The printed rarity is Common — the Master Ball mirror-foil finish is a print variant, not a rarity symbol, so it’s not a “rare” card by the numbers, but it’s one of the most requested Water-type cards from this set. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥32,678 (~$206). See our Magikarp & Gyarados cards guide for the full evolution line.
Glaceon V (グレイシアV)
Eevee Heroes (S6a, released 28 May 2021), card 077/069, illustrated by Narumi Sato. Collectors often call this an “SA” alt-art print, but Secret Rare (SR) is the rarity actually printed on the card. Glaceon is Ice-type in the games and, like the other Ice-type Pokemon covered in this guide, prints here as Water. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥57,156 (~$359) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), the highest price among the regular set cards in this guide. Our Glaceon cards guide, Leafeon & Glaceon cards guide and Eevee Heroes card list cover the rest of this set.
Vaporeon ex (シャワーズex)
Terastal Festival ex (SV8a, released 6 December 2024), card 205/187, Special Art Rare, art by Narano — the most recent Vaporeon printing on this list. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥17,752 (~$112) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order). See our Vaporeon, Jolteon & Flareon cards guide for the wider Eeveelution lineup.
Starmie V (スターミーV)
Battle Region (S9a, released 25 February 2022), card 083/067, Character Super Rare, art by Akira Komayama. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥49,720 (~$313) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), the second-highest price among the regular set cards behind Glaceon V.
Suicune V (スイクンV)
VSTAR Universe (S12a, released 2 December 2022), card 215/172, Special Art Rare, art by Atsushi Furusawa — the same illustrator behind the Vaporeon VMAX promo above. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥15,400 (~$97) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order). Our Suicune Japanese cards guide and Atsushi Furusawa artist guide go deeper on both.
Glaceon VSTAR (グレイシアVSTAR)
Same set as the Suicune V above (S12a, 2 December 2022), card 217/172, Special Art Rare, art by Gemi. A second Ice-type-as-Water print from the same release. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥14,256 (~$90) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order).
Chien-Pao ex (パオジアンex)
Snow Hazard (SV2P, released 14 April 2023), card 093/071, Special Art Rare, art by kodama. Chien-Pao is Dark/Ice in the video games, and this printing carries Water as its TCG energy type, matching the pattern for the Ice-type Pokemon featured in this guide. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥9,570 (~$60) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order).
Articuno (フリーザー)
Battle Partners (SV9, released 24 January 2025), card 102/100, Art Rare, art by Kuroimori — the most recently released card on this list, and another Ice-type Pokemon printed as Water. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥9,306 (~$59) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order), the lowest listing among all 12 cards here. See our Articuno Japanese cards guide for the wider lineup.
Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR (オリジンパルキアVSTAR)
Space Juggler (S10P, released 8 April 2022), card 081/067, Hyper Rare (Limitless labels the slot “Holo Rare”; we list it as HR), art by aky CG Works. Palkia is Water/Dragon in the games, and this Origin Forme print carries Water as its TCG energy type. We list a PSA 10 copy at ¥10,450 (~$66) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order). A related dual-type oddity worth knowing: Ice Rider Calyrex VMAX (S6H 085/070, Hyper Rare, released 23 April 2021) is also printed Water rather than Psychic or Dragon — we don’t have a verified image for that print, but a PSA 10 copy is listed at ¥97,196 (~$611) (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order). See our Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR guide and Calyrex cards guide for both lineups.
Water-Type Card Comparison
All 12 cards side by side, our own PSA 10 listings only:
| Card | Set | No. | Rarity | Listed price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaporeon VMAX (promo) | Summer PokeCard (S-P) | 187/S-P | Promo | ¥1,100,000 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
| Glaceon V | Eevee Heroes (S6a) | 077/069 | SR | ¥57,156 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
| Starmie V | Battle Region (S9a) | 083/067 | CSR | ¥49,720 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
| Magikarp (Master Ball mirror) | Pokemon Card 151 (SV2a) | 129/165 | Common | ¥32,678 |
| Blastoise (promo) | 25th Anniversary Promo (S8a-P) | 003/025 | Promo | ¥29,964 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
| Dark Gyarados (promo) | 25th Anniversary Promo (S8a-P) | 005/025 | Promo | ¥22,660 |
| Vaporeon ex | Terastal Festival ex (SV8a) | 205/187 | SAR | ¥17,752 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
| Suicune V | VSTAR Universe (S12a) | 215/172 | SAR | ¥15,400 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
| Glaceon VSTAR | VSTAR Universe (S12a) | 217/172 | SAR | ¥14,256 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
| Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR | Space Juggler (S10P) | 081/067 | HR | ¥10,450 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
| Chien-Pao ex | Snow Hazard (SV2P) | 093/071 | SAR | ¥9,570 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
| Articuno | Battle Partners (SV9) | 102/100 | AR | ¥9,306 (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) |
The spread runs from a ¥9,306 Art Rare to a ¥1.1M promo. Distribution channel is one visible pattern here — the Summer PokeCard promo and the two 25th Anniversary promos came from limited campaign channels, while the VSTAR Universe and Eevee Heroes cards came from a wider box-and-pack release — though we aren’t claiming that’s the only factor behind the spread.
View Product → (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order)
How to Buy Japanese Water-Type Cards from Tokyo
Every card linked here is a live PSA 10 listing shipped from Tokyo with tracked delivery. If the exact card, set, or grade you want isn’t listed above, our Quick Order page is the fastest way to request it — tell us the card, set code and number, and we’ll build a quote from our current Japanese inventory.
Two sets on this list produced multiple cards — VSTAR Universe (Suicune V and Glaceon VSTAR) and the 25th Anniversary Promo Card Pack (Blastoise and Dark Gyarados) — so buying a pair from the same release together is often the most efficient way to build out a Water-type binder in one order.
Start with the PSA 10 Glaceon V (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) if you want the highest-value regular set card, or the PSA 10 Suicune V (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) for a legendary at a lower entry price. For anything else, Quick Order is open for custom requests.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a Pokemon card “Water type”?
The energy type printed on the card itself, not the Pokemon’s type in the video games. Water is a broad TCG category that contains most Water-type Pokemon and most Ice-type Pokemon from the main series games, verified on each card’s Limitless TCG page.
Are Ice-type Pokemon cards Water-type in the TCG?
Yes, for the Ice-type Pokemon covered in this guide. Glaceon, Chien-Pao, Articuno and Ice Rider Calyrex are all Ice-type (or Ice-dual-type) Pokemon in the games, and each prints with Water as its energy type on the card.
What is the most valuable Japanese Water-type card in this list?
The Vaporeon VMAX Summer PokeCard promo (S-P 187), with a PSA 10 currently listed at ¥1,100,000. Among non-promo set cards, the Glaceon V Secret Rare (S6a 077/069) leads at ¥57,156.
Is Greninja a Water-type card?
Not the modern chase print. Greninja ex Special Art Rare (SV5a Crimson Haze, 090/066) is printed Fighting-type in the TCG despite Greninja being Water-type in the video games. Check our Greninja cards guide for the full lineup.
Where can I buy these Japanese Water-type cards from outside Japan?
Every card on this list is a live listing shipped from Tokyo with tracked international delivery. Use the product links above for graded PSA 10 copies, or our Quick Order page for other cards, sets, or grades from our Japanese inventory.
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