Top 10 Most Valuable McDonald's Pokémon Promo Cards

In what is becoming a semi-annual tradition, McDonald’s and Pokémon are teaming up again for a Happy Meal promotion that includes a set of toys and cards for the popular Trading Card Game for fans to collect. Unlike the fervor for the seasonal return of the McRib sandwiches that has calmed down through the years, the scheduled return of Pokémon cards to Golden Arches has yet to normalize. Stories of people buying up dozens of Happy Meals and leaving the food at the restaurants have persisted and only grown around the world. Thankfully, your friends at Sole Retriever are nothing of the sort, but we were hungry for some nuggets, so we stocked up on some Happy Meals and got some cards to boot.

While the cards from the past few years barely have any value beyond a few dollars in ungraded form, PSA 10 copies for popular characters like Pikachu can go for hundreds, and elusive BGS 10 Black Label cards can even creep into the thousands. Imagine buying a Happy Meal and getting a card that’s worth a few thousand dollars because the condition was pristine. That’s the thought process behind everybody who buys these Happy Meals in bulk.

While collectors and investors chase down those cards in perfect condition, the cards that have grown in value even in ungraded form all follow the familiar pattern of time and lack of interest. The first McDonald’s Pokémon Happy Meal collab in the US took place in 2011, when the series was on an upswing but still years away from the spark of renewed interest thanks to games like Pokémon X and Y for the Nintendo 3DS and the viral moment that was Pokémon Go.

Meanwhile, McDonald’s Japan has released Pokémon cards since the early 2000s, when kids were more interested in playing with the cards and less about keeping them in good condition. It follows the same pattern as the Burger King Pokémon promo cards, where the most valuable cards emerged from the era when people cared the least.

Prices are according to Card Ladder in PSA 8 Near Mint condition as of the week of November 9, 2026.

10. Slowpoke (2018 - US)

Average Price: $301

The 2018 McDonald’s Pokémon Happy Meal collection uses a confetti pattern for its foil/holo treatment. While the effect is not exclusive to McDonald’s collabs, it is the signature look for the slightly rarer cards from the product. The art features Slowpoke in its signature pose of doing nothing very slowly. Drax the Destroyer would be proud of Slowpoke’s abilities.

9. Chikorita (2002 - Japan)

Average Price: $427.49

One of the Generation 2 starters is also the first to make the list from the jaw-dropping 2002 McDonald’s set that nobody could have predicted to be this sought-after. The art is slightly reminiscent of the Ancient Mew promo from Pokémon the Movie 2000 as it depicts Chikorita almost like a mythical figure.

8. Larvitar (2002 - Japan)

Average Price: $510

Sure, it’s not Tyranitar, Pokémon’s closest analog to Godzilla, but think of Larvitar as the franchise’s version of Minilla, Godzilla’s adopted son, except way more useful and helpful to the cause. While Larvitar’s time in the anime was short-lived, it’s gone on to become a fan favorite because, again, it evolves into Tyranitar, and Tyranitar is basically a Pokémon kaiju.

7. Slowpoke (2002 - Japan)

Average Price: $520

Slowpoke makes a second appearance on this list with a style similar to that of the Chikorita, as Taku Anekawa handled art duties for both cards. The mystical look does nothing to give Slowpoke aura because its face appears to be stuck in perpetual awe of aura, but it is another desirable card from the McDonald’s Japan Happy Meal collab that no kid in 2002 could have ever anticipated would become this valuable today.

6. Pikachu (2018 - US)

Average Price: $803.65

With so many cards printed of this 2018 Pikachu from the McDonald’s Happy Meal, it does not seem likely that this card and the Slowpoke will retain their value over time. There are not only way too many graded examples already out in the wild, but the number of cards with higher grades than a PSA 8 means that this ranking should be taken as a moment in time and probably nothing more.

5. Mew (2002 - Japan)

Average Price: $921

As part of a second wave of the 2002 McDonald’s Japan Pokémon Happy Meal, the odds of getting this card were a little bit tougher than the cards in the first wave, as there were more cards in the checklist. Mew was already a popular character to begin with, so pulling one from these packs, e-Series Booster packs, was probably considered a “hit” back in those days.

4. Charmander (2002 - Japan)

Average Price: $950

Thanks to being the first step in the evolution to Charizard, Charmander has maintained a strong level of popularity through the years in its own right. It’s not surprising to see this OG starter Pokémon on the list, although it is a little shocking that it’s not ranked a little bit higher.

3. Umbreon (2002 - Japan)

Average Price: $1,050

Featuring Umbreon as they’re about to take a nap after a night doing whatever it is that Umbreon does (reaching for the moon?), this card is the alternate art version of the Umbreon card from The Town on No Map expansion in Japan. The unique nature and the duality of the art make this one an easy fan favorite.

2. Pikachu (2002 - Japan)

Average Price: $1,140

Pikachu riding out an electric wave might not look that special in the grand spectrum of card art featuring the franchise’s mascot, but give them to a bunch of kids with their Happy Meal and chances are not a lot of them are going to end up in mint condition after they’ve been played with or even forgotten. The price is not shocking (pun not intended) as it is a testament to Pikachu’s popularity, but it is surprising that it’s not at the top of the rankings.

1. Squirtle (2002 - Japan)

Average Price: $2,325

Artist Asuka Iwashita probably had no idea that 25 years after they drew up this adorable artwork for Squirtle for a McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion, it would outpace every other card in the set in terms of popularity and resale. Actually, nobody was thinking about their popularity and resale value back in 2002, and that’s why the cards go for as much as they do now. But the reception to the Squirtle art is a key driver of why the card has exploded in value lately.

Juan Martinez

From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. His current hot take is that people are really underrating the Psyduck trading card market. Email: juan@soleretriever.com Instagram | Twitter | Bluesky | Threads : @ezyville