"The Pokemon Trading Card Game" has established itself as one of the most fun and popular trading card games available today. Through the years, several very rare Pokemon cards have also been placed in the wish list of serious players around the world. Here are some of the most coveted and most expensive Pokemon cards at the moment.

The Shiny Charizard is among the First Edition prints of "The Pokemon Trading Card Game.' There is a first edition stamp on the left hand portion of the stats, and a card in good condition is valued at $300 at least. The ShadowlessCharizard, which does not have a first edition stamp, costs around $125, while the shadowed version costs $60. The Shiny Espeon is another rare Pokemon card, which can cost anywhere between $1,000 and $2,000. The card was only available via the Pokemon Players Club, for members who joined various club events.

According to Kotaku, Gold Star Cards are identified by a golden star outline after the Pokemon's name. These usually cost $30 to $80, although the graded versions are at least $150. The Gold Star Cards showcase art by Masakazu Fukuda, with the creatures appearing to move out of the card frame.

Shining Cards are different from Shiny Pokemon. These debuted in the Neo Evolutions deck, and the values depended on the featured creature. Tropical Mega Battle Cards were only available during one event in Hawaii in 2001. Some of these were valued at over $5,000. The Southern Island Card Set is most valuable if all 18 original cards are available. Individually, the cards are not worth much.

Pokemon Snap Cards allowed players of the Nintendo64 game submit their in-game snaps to be featured on cards. Some of the resulting cards were priced at over $8,000. Number 1, 2 and 3 Trainer Cards were awarded to the winner of the Pokemon Trading Card Game world finals. The original cards from 1997 to 1999 are the most expensive.

The Pikachu Illustrator Card, with only six known existing copies, are among the rarest and most expensive Pokemon cards. The upgraded version can cost over $20,000, the non-mint version can cost at least $50,000, while the mint version is at least $100,000. The Pre-Release Raichu card, which allegedly only has 15 copies, are among the rarest Pokemon cards. Some of these reportedly sold for over $10,000 each. More updates and details are expected soon.