Gouging Fire ex
Quick take
- Special Illustration Rare 204/162, the chase version of Gouging Fire ex in Temporal Forces
- Ancient Paradox counterpart to Entei, one of the legendary-beast Paradoxes in the Scarlet & Violet line
- Teeziro places the Fire-type in a jungle, playing up its dinosaur design instead of its element
- Well-regarded art, but sits toward the lower end of the set's Paradox ex SIRs by value
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Temporal Forces
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 204/162 · $50.58 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyEntei's ancient cousin, painted into a jungle nobody expected
Gouging Fire is the ancient Paradox counterpart to Entei. Its Special Illustration Rare at 204/162 is the version collectors actually chase. Temporal Forces also has a set-numbered Double Rare of the same Pokemon, but the SIR is where the art and the demand sit.
“Special Illustration Rare 204/162, the chase version of Gouging Fire ex in Temporal Forces”
What makes it stick is the choice Teeziro made with the scene. This is a Fire-type, and the obvious move is flames and ash. Instead the card drops the beast into dense green jungle, leaning into its raptor-like, dinosaur build rather than its element. That contrast is most of why people single it out from the run of Paradox SIRs in the set.
It is not the most valuable card in Temporal Forces. Among the set's Paradox ex SIRs it tends to trade toward the lower end, below the likes of Raging Bolt and Walking Wake. But it is a clean, well-liked SIR from a popular Scarlet & Violet set, and it carries weight for anyone building the master set or collecting the ancient Paradox line.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This sits in the lower-to-middle band of the Temporal Forces SIR pack. It's a recognized chase card, but it isn't the set's headliner, and among the Paradox ex SIRs it tends to trade below Raging Bolt and Walking Wake. Think mid-tier modern SIR rather than a marquee piece.
Prices settled after the set's launch hype cooled, which is normal for a 2024 Scarlet & Violet release with heavy print runs. It has held as a steady, liquid SIR rather than a mover. The live market number on this page is the one to trust.
A safe, well-liked SIR with broad print availability, so don't expect scarcity-driven jumps. The art and the Paradox hook give it staying power as a collector card. Graded gem copies are the better long-term hold. Raw copies are easy to find and easy to replace.
PSA 10 and CGC or BGS gem copies carry a clear premium over raw, as you'd expect for a full-bleed modern SIR where edges and surface show wear fast. The premium is meaningful but not dramatic, since the card is common enough that gem-mint supply keeps up with demand.
In Scarlet & Violet sets, pulling any Special Illustration Rare runs around 1 in 90 packs. For context, any Double Rare lands roughly 1 in 5, any Illustration Rare about 1 in 12, any Ultra Rare near 1 in 15, and Hyper Rares are the deep end at roughly 1 in 300 to 700. Those numbers are for hitting any card of that rarity. Pulling this specific Gouging Fire ex SIR is much longer odds, since Temporal Forces spreads that SIR slot across more than a dozen cards, which pushes one named card into the hundreds of packs.
It's about as findable as the other Temporal Forces SIRs, which is to say not easy to pull but easy to buy as a single. Compared with the set's Hyper Rares it's far more available, and compared with the base Illustration Rare of the same Pokemon it's significantly scarcer and far more sought after.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Teeziro is one of the standout newer illustrators in the Scarlet & Violet era, known for painterly, atmospheric full-art cards. Their work shows up regularly on collector best-of lists for its detailed, almost watercolor-feel backgrounds.
The beast is shown in thick jungle, surrounded by green foliage and filtered light rather than the fire or scorched ground you'd expect for a Fire-type. The dense, naturalistic background pushes the creature's raptor-like build forward and gives the whole card a soft, painted quality. It reads less like a battle pose and more like spotting a predator in the wild.
Special Illustration Rare treatment: full-art layout with textured holo foil and the card frame broken so the illustration runs edge to edge. The matte, painterly finish is part of why collectors describe it as having a watercolor feel.
The jungle setting is the hook. Putting a Fire-type in green instead of flame is a deliberate choice, and it's the main reason this card gets singled out from the other Paradox SIRs in the set.
BackgroundAbout Gouging Fire ex
Gouging Fire is a Paradox Pokemon introduced in Scarlet & Violet's The Indigo Disk DLC, an ancient Fire/Dragon counterpart to the legendary beast Entei. It belongs to a group of ancient Paradox beasts alongside Raging Bolt (the ancient form linked to Raikou) and Walking Wake (linked to Suicune), the latter of which first appeared in The Teal Mask DLC. That trio gives this card a built-in connection to one of the most loved legendary groups in the franchise.
- ›Direct tie to Entei and the Johto legendary beasts, a nostalgia-heavy fan favorite group
- ›Dinosaur-style Paradox redesign that appeals beyond just Entei fans
- ›Teeziro's art lands it on most-beautiful-card lists for the set
- ›Competitive viability kept the name in active rotation
- ›Debuted in the Scarlet & Violet video games as a Paradox Pokemon from The Indigo Disk DLC
- ›Saw competitive play in the Pokemon TCG Standard format in Ancient and Paradox-themed decks
- ›One of six Paradox ex Special Illustration Rares in Temporal Forces
Gouging Fire ex was a playable attacker in the Scarlet & Violet Standard format, slotting into Ancient and Paradox-themed decks. That on-table use is part of why the card stayed familiar to a wide audience rather than living purely in binders.
Own it wellCollector guide
Like most full-art SIRs, the borderless layout makes edge whitening and corner wear obvious, and the textured foil shows surface scratches and print lines under good light. Inspect the front holo and the four corners closely before buying raw.
Worth grading if you have a clean copy, since gem-mint examples carry a real premium over raw. Check centering and surface first, because SIRs of this style are notorious for off-center cuts and tiny foil scratches that cap the grade. If your copy has soft corners or visible lines, it's likely a keeper rather than a grading candidate. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve it in a penny sleeve inside a top loader or a one-touch right away. Keep it out of direct light and away from humidity to protect the foil. For a copy you plan to grade, handle by the edges and avoid any pressure on the surface. See the storage guide →
This is an easy single to source, so let condition lead the decision rather than urgency. For a master set, a sharp raw copy is plenty. For long-term holding, buy a graded gem or grade your own clean pull. Always check the photos for centering and surface before committing. See the singles buying guide →
As a modern card, counterfeits are less of a problem than vintage, but verify against a known image: correct set number 204/162, the textured SIR foil, proper Teeziro credit, and sharp print quality. Be wary of suspiciously cheap raw listings with blurry photos.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Collectors broadly like the card and the art, with the jungle setting and watercolor feel coming up repeatedly as what they appreciate about it. The recurring caveat is value: among the set's Paradox ex SIRs it tends to land toward the lower end, with Raging Bolt and Walking Wake usually treated as the bigger names.
It shows up on Temporal Forces most-beautiful-card and best-art roundups, and display cases for it are popular, which signals people want to show this one off rather than bury it in a binder.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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