Water is the setting illustrators keep coming back to, and it’s one of the most consistently beautiful corners of the hobby. Depth and light do a lot of the work, so even a common sitting in the middle of a set list can end up looking like a painting.
We’ve gathered the best underwater Pokémon cards here, sorted by how deep they go, from the fully submerged full arts down to the ones just paddling around at the surface!
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Underwater Full Arts & Illustration Rares
This is the deep end, where the Pokémon is fully under and the water is doing all the work. The modern illustration rares carry this theme, and there are enough of them now that you could fill a binder page or two with nothing but submerged cards.
Our Picks:
- Omanyte · 151 #180 on eBay
- Wattrel · Twilight Masquerade #178 on eBay
- Wugtrio · Paldean Fates #224 on eBay
- Wiglett · Scarlet & Violet #206 on eBay
- Lapras · Crown Zenith #GG05 on eBay
- Phione · Twilight Masquerade #175 on eBay
- Mantyke · Paradox Rift #189 on eBay
- Wartortle · 151 #171 on eBay
- Horsea · Shrouded Fable #067 on eBay
- Goldeen · Pitch Black #087 on eBay
- Clawitzer · Mega Evolution #141 on eBay
- Clauncher · Scarlet & Violet #205 on eBay
- Bruxish · Surging Sparks #200 on eBay
- Vaporeon VMAX · Sword & Shield Promos #SWSH182 on eBay
- Palafin · Paldean Fates #225 on eBay
- Feebas · Surging Sparks #198 on eBay
- Basculin · White Flare #108 on eBay
- Chi-Yu ex · Paldea Evolved #259 on eBay
- Manaphy · XY Promos #XY113 on eBay
- Veluza · Paradox Rift #192 on eBay
- Blastoise ex · 151 #200 on eBay
- Wailord · Journey Together #162 on eBay
- Lumineon V · Crown Zenith #GG39 on eBay
- Lumineon V · Brilliant Stars #156 on eBay
- Wishiwashi · Cosmic Eclipse #240 on eBay
- Wishiwashi-GX · Guardians Rising #38 on eBay
- Golisopod ex · Paradox Rift #246 on eBay
- Relicanth · Temporal Forces #173 on eBay
- Lapras · 30th Celebration #131 on eBay
Swimming & Floating Pokémon Cards
Up at the surface now, where it’s less about depth and more about a Pokémon enjoying the water. There’s natural crossover with our roundup of beach Pokémon cards if you’re building a summer page!
Our Picks:
- Marill · Paldea Evolved #204 on eBay
- Dewott · White Flare #106 on eBay
- Squirtle · Stellar Crown #148 on eBay
- Squirtle · 151 #170 on eBay
- Misty’s Psyduck · Destined Rivals #193 on eBay
- Oshawott · White Flare #105 on eBay
- Simipour · Black Bolt #102 on eBay
- Vaporeon · Brilliant Stars #TG02 on eBay
- Psyduck · Ascended Heroes #226 on eBay
- Vaporeon V · Sword & Shield Promos #SWSH181 on eBay
- Dondozo · Scarlet & Violet #207 on eBay
- Dragonair · 151 #181 on eBay
- Manaphy · Crown Zenith #GG06 on eBay
Vintage Underwater Pokémon Cards
Underwater art goes back a long way. The e-Card series does a lot of the lifting here, and Southern Islands was a tropical island set to begin with, so water was never going to be far away. The Squirtle line turns up more than anyone else, which tracks!
Our Picks:
- Blastoise · Expedition #37 on eBay
- Wartortle · Expedition #92 on eBay
- Wartortle · Southern Islands #15 on eBay
- Snorlax · Skyridge #100 on eBay
- Psyduck · Wizards Black Star Promos #20 on eBay
- Mantine · Skyridge #77 on eBay
- Misty’s Tentacool · Gym Heroes #57 on eBay
- Squirtle · Team Rocket #68 on eBay
- Squirtle · EX FireRed & LeafGreen #83 on eBay
- Feraligatr · Expedition #47 on eBay
- Wartortle · EX Crystal Guardians #42 on eBay
- Squirtle · EX Crystal Guardians #63 on eBay
- Dragonair · Base Set 2 #22 on eBay
- Light Dragonair · Neo Destiny #22 on eBay
- Lapras · Skyridge #71 on eBay
- Lapras · Southern Islands #12 on eBay
Commons & Affordable Underwater Cards
There are enough water types in every set that you can fill most of a binder page from the commons alone. These all sit in the main run of their sets rather than the secret rare back half, so they tend to turn up on their own while you’re collecting something else.
Our Picks:
- Seadra · Lost Origin #036 on eBay
- Seaking · 151 #119 on eBay
- Lumineon · Lost Origin #041 on eBay
- Mantyke · Paradox Rift #039 on eBay
- Mantine · Mega Evolution #032 on eBay
- Veluza · Paradox Rift #054 on eBay
- Lumineon · Unified Minds #40 on eBay
- Wishiwashi · Dragon Majesty #31 on eBay
- Azumarill · Stellar Crown #034 on eBay
- Buizel · Obsidian Flames #048 on eBay
- Croconaw · Temporal Forces #040 on eBay
- Tynamo · Ascended Heroes #059 on eBay
- Azumarill · Burning Shadows #35 on eBay
- Psyduck · Ascended Heroes #039 on eBay
- Lapras · Brilliant Stars #031 on eBay
That’s our roundup of underwater Pokémon cards! Which one’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
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