Mew ex
Quick take
- The signature Special Illustration Rare of Paldean Fates and the set's most recognizable card
- Features a shiny Mew, fitting the set's shiny theme, drawn by USGMEN
- Known across the community as the "Bubble Mew" for its soft, bubble-framed scene
- Has held and grown value far better than the rest of the set
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Paldean Fates
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 232/91 · $869.56 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyThe card that defined Paldean Fates
Paldean Fates was a shiny-themed special set, and this Mew ex is its signature pull. Collectors call it the "Bubble Mew." The shiny Mew floats inside a soap bubble drifting over green hills, and the whole thing reads more like a children's book illustration than a battle card. That softness is exactly why it caught on.
“The signature Special Illustration Rare of Paldean Fates and the set's most recognizable card”
Mew already carries weight as a Gen 1 mythical. It is number 151, the secret behind the original Pokedex, and one of the most recognizable Pokemon ever printed. Put that character in a quiet SIR scene and you get a card that appeals well beyond the usual chase-card crowd. People who do not even collect Paldean Fates want this one.
In the months after release it pulled away from the rest of the set and kept climbing. By 2026 it was being talked about in the same breath as the big modern chase cards, the kind people regret not buying early.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This is the top card of Paldean Fates by a wide margin. It sits well above the other Special Illustration Rares in the set and trades as a strong three-figure SIR in raw near-mint, with graded gem copies pushing higher. Within Scarlet & Violet era SIRs, it is one of the names collectors point to first.
Upward over the long run. It separated from the rest of the set soon after launch and kept climbing through 2025 and into 2026. Early buyers who got in near release saw multiples on their money, which is part of why it now carries a "should have bought it sooner" reputation.
As steady as a modern card gets, with the usual caveats. An iconic Pokemon plus a beloved art scene plus genuine SIR scarcity is the formula that tends to hold value. Reprint risk in a future set is the main thing to watch, since Mew gets printed often. Graded gem copies are the safer hold.
Clear premium for PSA 10 and BGS gem copies over raw near-mint. Centering and edge wear on the textured SIR border are the usual gate to a 10, so high grades stay scarcer than the raw population suggests.
In Scarlet & Violet sets, the rarity tiers pull roughly like this. Any Double Rare lands around 1 in 5 packs, any Illustration Rare around 1 in 12, any Ultra Rare around 1 in 15, any Special Illustration Rare around 1 in 90, and any Hyper Rare somewhere in the 1 in 300 to 700 range. Those are the odds for hitting that rarity at all. The odds for this specific Mew ex run far longer, because each set has many cards at each tier. Pulling this one card on purpose often means opening into the hundreds of packs, which is why most collectors buy the single rather than chase it from sealed product.
It shares the SIR tier with the rest of the set's special illustration cards, but it trades well above them. Demand, not rarity alone, is what sets the price here.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
USGMEN is a Japanese freelance illustrator who started working on the Pokemon TCG with the Scarlet & Violet era. This Mew ex was their debut card, and it is by far their best known. They have only a small handful of TCG cards to their name, which makes the Bubble Mew their calling card.
A shiny Mew floats inside a large soap bubble, curled up and relaxed. The bubble drifts over a bright landscape of rolling green hills and a small pond, with other Pokemon dotted in the scene below and a clear sky of soft clouds above. The framing is calm and playful rather than action-driven.
Special Illustration Rare layout: full-art borderless scene with the SIR texture and foil treatment. Psychic type, Basic stage, 180 HP. Numbered 232/091, above the set's named total, which marks it as a secret-rare-style pull.
The bubble framing is the hook. It turns Mew into the subject of a quiet little scene instead of a combatant, and the shiny coloring fits the set theme without shouting about it. That restraint is why the card gets called art and why the nickname stuck.
BackgroundAbout Mew ex
Mew is the mythical Pokemon from Generation 1, number 151 and the secret behind the original Pokedex. It has been a fan favorite since 1996 and shows up across games, films, and decades of card releases. Few Pokemon carry as much nostalgia.
- ›One of the original 151 and a Gen 1 mythical
- ›Long history as an event and movie Pokemon
- ›Consistently among the most collected non-starter Pokemon
- ›Shiny Mew is a rare, desirable form that fits this set perfectly
- ›Numerous chase and promo cards across multiple eras
- ›Featured in early Pokemon films and event distributions
Own it wellCollector guide
The borderless SIR design shows wear fast. Check the corners and the edges of the textured foil for whitening, and look across the surface at an angle for print lines or scratches that the texture can hide. Centering on the full-art frame is the common flaw.
Worth grading if the copy is clean, since the PSA 10 premium is real and this is exactly the kind of card people want slabbed. Inspect centering and edges before paying grading fees. When buying at serious money, prefer an already-graded gem copy. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve it in a penny sleeve inside a top loader, or better, a sealed semi-rigid holder for raw copies. Keep it out of direct light and away from humidity swings. Graded slabs should still be stored upright and out of sunlight to protect the label and foil. See the storage guide →
Buy the single rather than ripping packs. The math heavily favors it. Decide up front between a clean raw copy and a graded slab. For raw, ask for sharp photos of all four corners and the surface under angled light. For graded, stick to PSA or BGS and confirm the cert number. See the singles buying guide →
As a high-value modern card, it does get faked. Compare the texture and foil pattern against a known-genuine SIR, check the card number 232/091 and the back swirl, and weigh it if you can. For higher-end purchases, buy graded from a reputable seller and verify the certification number with the grader.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Strongly positive and broad. The bubble scene is widely loved, and even collectors outside Paldean Fates single it out as a card they want. It is routinely listed among the best-looking SIRs of the era.
- ›Graded PSA 10 copies trade actively on the secondary market and command a clear premium over raw
- ›Widely tracked across major price guides as the top card of the set
The "Bubble Mew" nickname is everywhere in listings and posts, and the card shows up constantly in collection showcases and grail lists. Its price run has also become a common "I should have bought it sooner" story in the hobby.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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