Tinkaton ex
Quick take
- First Tinkaton ex and its first Special Illustration Rare
- One of three Tinkaton ex variants in Paldea Evolved (Double Rare, Full Art UR, SIR)
- Illustrated by Tika Matsuno in a loose, character-forward style
- A core target for Paldea Evolved master-set builders
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Paldea Evolved
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 262/193 · $55.45 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyTinkaton's debut ex and its first Special Illustration Rare
This is the card that introduced Tinkaton as an ex Pokemon. Paldea Evolved was the second main Scarlet & Violet set, and it leaned hard into the new Gen 9 starters and regional favorites. Tinkaton got the full treatment here: a standard Double Rare ex, a Full Art Ultra Rare, and this Special Illustration Rare at 262/193.
“First Tinkaton ex and its first Special Illustration Rare”
The SIR is the one collectors chase. Tika Matsuno's art drops the rigid full-art frame for a loose, storybook scene that fits Tinkaton's mischievous personality. It is not a grail in the Charizard sense. It is one of the more beloved character SIRs from the early Scarlet & Violet run, and a near-mandatory pickup for anyone completing a Paldea Evolved master set.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This sits in the mid-tier of Paldea Evolved Special Illustration Rares. It is not a top-of-set card like the chase Charizard or the most popular SIRs, but it holds a comfortable price and trades regularly. Think popular character SIR, not blue-chip grail.
Prices softened from the set's launch hype, then settled into a stable range as supply normalized. Raw copies have seen short upward moves tied to renewed Tinkaton interest. The broader trend is flat to gently firm rather than explosive.
A solid hold for fans and set builders rather than a speculative flip. Character SIRs of well-liked Pokemon tend to age well, and Tinkaton has staying power in the fandom. Upside is modest and gradual. Do not expect it to behave like a marquee chase card.
PSA 10 and CGC or BGS gem copies carry a clear premium over raw, as with most SIRs. The textured full-art surface shows whitening and edge wear easily. The raw-to-gem gap is meaningful but not extreme for a card in this tier.
In Scarlet & Violet sets, any Special Illustration Rare lands at roughly 1 in 90 packs. The other tiers run shorter. Any Double Rare comes around 1 in 5, any Illustration Rare around 1 in 12, any Ultra Rare around 1 in 15, and any Hyper Rare somewhere in the 1 in 300 to 700 range. Those odds are for hitting any card of that tier. Because each set has many different SIRs, pulling this specific Tinkaton ex runs far longer, often into the hundreds of packs. Most collectors buy the single rather than chase it from sealed product.
It is rarer to pull than the Full Art Ultra Rare Tinkaton ex from the same set, and on par with the other character SIRs in Paldea Evolved. It is more common than the set's Hyper Rares.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Tika Matsuno debuted as a Pokemon TCG illustrator in Darkness Ablaze and has drawn a good run of cards across the modern game. She also worked as a Holowear designer for Pokemon UNITE and has done illustration work for the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo. Her TCG work leans toward warm, character-focused scenes rather than cold full-art renders.
The SIR shows Tinkaton with its oversized metal hammer, the prop that is famously larger and heavier than the Pokemon itself. The composition plays up Tinkaton's reckless, playful streak instead of posing it like a battler. It is a personality piece, the kind of art that rewards collectors who actually like the Pokemon.
Special Illustration Rare, so it is borderless full-art with the holo and texturing treatment used on SV-era SIRs. The numbering runs above the set's printed total, 262 of 193, which is the standard placement for the secret-rare SIR slot.
It captures Tinkaton's character better than the more static Full Art version. For a Pokemon defined by its goofy menace, getting an artist who draws it with attitude is the whole appeal.
BackgroundAbout Tinkaton ex
Tinkaton is a Fairy/Steel Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the final evolution of Tinkatink and Tinkatuff. Tinkaton is an all-female species known for swinging a crude metal hammer that weighs over 100 kilograms, larger than its own body. In Pokedex lore it knocks rocks into the sky to take down flying Corviknight, and it is the signature user of the move Gigaton Hammer. Note that the TCG card itself is a Psychic-type ex, which is how this Pokemon is slotted into the game.
- ›Memorable design, a small pink goblin lugging an absurdly huge hammer
- ›Strong personality, intelligent and reckless, which translated into memes and fan art
- ›Competitive relevance in the video games from Gigaton Hammer's high base power
- ›Quickly became one of the more beloved new Paldea Pokemon
- ›Debuted in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (2022) as a Gen 9 Pokemon
- ›First appeared as an ex in the Paldea Evolved TCG set (2023)
In the video games, Tinkaton's Gigaton Hammer hits hard and made it a popular pick. In the TCG, the ex variants saw some play during the early Scarlet & Violet format, though Tinkaton was never a defining meta card.
Own it wellCollector guide
The full-art textured surface is the weak point. Whitening on the borderless edges and corners shows fast, and the holo can scuff. Inspect under angled light before buying raw, and check that corners are sharp and the surface is free of print lines or scratches.
Worth grading only if you have a genuinely clean copy. Given the mid-tier value, grading fees eat a real chunk of the upside unless it gems. Send copies you are confident will hit PSA 10 or equivalent. Otherwise raw NM is a fine way to hold it for a master set. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve in a perfect-fit inner sleeve plus a penny sleeve, then a top loader or one-touch. SIRs ride in binder pages fine, but the textured edges rub, so for long-term storage favor rigid holders over loose binder slots. See the storage guide →
Buy the single. Pulling this specific SIR from packs is inefficient. Look for raw NM copies with clean edges, or a graded gem if you want the display piece. Double-check you are getting the SIR at 262/193 and not the cheaper Full Art Ultra Rare, since listings sometimes blur the two. See the singles buying guide →
Modern SV-era SIRs are faked far less often than vintage chase cards, but still verify a few things: correct 262/193 numbering, sharp text and dot printing, proper SIR texturing, and a holo pattern consistent with genuine copies. Cross-check against listings on TCGPlayer or PkmnCards if anything looks off.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Generally well liked. Tinkaton is a popular Gen 9 Pokemon, and this SIR is regarded as a fun, characterful card rather than a hyped grail. Set builders treat it as a satisfying pickup, and Tinkaton fans specifically seek it out.
Tinkaton itself generated a lot of fan affection and memes after Scarlet & Violet's launch, mostly around the giant hammer and its bully-the-Corviknight lore. That goodwill carries over to the card, which gets steady positive mention when Paldea Evolved SIRs come up.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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