Summary
The color-filled cards of thePokemon Trading Card Gameall take various elements from the games and blend them perfectly into traditional TCG mechanics to create one of the most fun yet simple TCG’s to play. What makes the Pokemon TCG stick out the most is the types which help each Pokemon stand apart from one another and create deck archetypes.
Out of the 10 types present in the Pokemon TCG, none is as fun as the fast-paced Lightning type. Lighting Pokemon are known for their quick attacks, costing little Energy to use. The core of every deck is its Energy cards and the Lightning type has some electrifyingly well-designed ones for you to spice up your deck with.
10Lightning Energy: POP Series 2009 (League & Championship Promo) – $7.96
Thundering Platinum Treasure
What usually makes an Energy card special or unique is the ones that have holo patterns on them and this Pokemon Organized Play Promo from 2009 has a unique pattern that makes it stand out. These Energy cards do something special with their holo pattern. It uses a special cross-hatched pattern that has a rainbow tint, and it makes this card look incredible.
This Energy was released alongside the other main Energy types throughout the short-lived Platinum era during 2009 for participants in Pokemon Organized Play tournaments and events across the globe. While they were easy to get, these were only given out for a year at a time when the Pokemon TCG had some of its lowest player counts, making it quite a rare card to come by.
9Lightning Energy: Evolving Skies (Secret Rare, 235) – $11.30
Hidden Among The Clouds
With how popular the expansionEvolving Skiesis for its many chase alternate art masterpieces, this majestic Energy card slips through many collectors' sights. Secret rare Energy cards are always a treat to pull, and the Lightning type is one of the most spectacular due to how well the gold goes with the yellow color and the extra sparkles in this Sword & Shield era one make it even more glamorous.
Many fans who open Evolving Skies are only looking for the alternate art cards, which means that if they pull something that isn’t one of those they will likely sell it off as it is not hyped up to an absurd price. This lack of desire for this card has made it very affordable for actual enjoyers of the TCG to upgrade the Lightning Energy in their deck, even despite technically being rarer than the alternate art cards.
8Lightning Energy: WotC 2002 (League & Championship Promo) – $12.17
A Strike Of Nostalgic Thunder
Countless retro Pokemon TCG fans go wild over this totally classic Energy that comes straight from their childhood. This Wizards of the Coast era card features that vintage card design we all know and love with a wonderful holo effect to go along with it. Nearly every retro card is worth something thanks to nostalgia as well as the small number of good-condition copies that are left in the wild.
Since this card is a promo that was intended for heavy tournament play, it’s very hard to come across a copy that is not damaged, which is unfortunate. Luckily, since it was such a widely released promo, being given out for tournament participation, it is still cheap despite everything. If you played in any tournaments back in 2002, it may be worth checking out your old binders to see if this card is lurking inside.
7Lightning Energy: Emerald (Holo Rare, 104) – $13.50
Technical And Electrical
Emeraldis an expansion that came out near the release of its game counterpart and, just like the game itself, this expansion is one of the best in the series. With great cards such as a holo Rayquaza or brilliant ex cards for the Regi-trio, this expansion has Generation Three’s best in the spotlight, but the most interesting of all were the holo rare Energy cards.
This Lightning Energy card from the expansion is super distinct compared to any other as not only does it have a much darker background color that makes it shine even better with the holo sparkle, but it also features this abstract, almost futuristic pattern that just screams the mid-2000s. So many of the cards from the EX era are iconic for their 3D usage or artwork and these Energy cards are no exception.
6Lightning Energy: Guardians Rising (Secret Rare, 168) – $17.92
A New Style For Energy Cards
One of the best things to come out of theSun & Moon erawas the addition of secret rare Energy cards to the kinds of secret rare cards you can pull. These still get printed in modern sets and are some of the fanciest Energy cards around. In the second Sun & Moon expansion, Guardians Rising, we received this glimmering Lightning Energy as a secret rare card for the set.
Secret rare Energy cards are actually quite rare, being just as rare as other secret rare cards, and who could complain about pulling a pristine golden Energy card that sparkles and shines like royalty in your deck. The ultimate flex for any player would be to create a deck where all the Energy cards are secret rare ones as not only does it cost alot, but it also looks phenomenal too.
5Lightning Energy: EX Era (Professor Program Promo, 109) – $19.88
Charging Up The Scene
The Professor Program is an exclusive role that allows the most devoted players to register themselves to become professors who teach and help others play the TCG. If approved by The Pokemon Company, they can then start working to bring the fun of the TCG all around at various events as any of the various staff. This title, of course, does come with some sweet exclusive promo card bonuses and this Energy was one of them.
Available during the EX era from 2004-2005, this promo was one of the first post Wizards of the Coast era Professor Program promos and for that it holds extra value. This card was tricky to get a hold of due to the changes going on with the TCG and the Professor Program at the time, as it was Pokemon Company’s first time running events on its own and this card does sadly lack the WotC charm that previous promos had.
4Lightning Energy: HeartGold SoulSilver (Common, 118) – $20.28
A Beacon From The Lighthouse Shines
While most Energy cards just have a simple design, this one from the expansion HeartGold SoulSilver is one of the most unique out there. From first glance, it’s easy to see why this card is so highly valued compared to any other Energy card, as it has more to it than usual, including a wonderful reference to the video games a a sneaky little image of everyone’s favorite Generation Two Electric type.
This expansion’s Energy cards all have places and Pokemon from the Johto games in silhouette form on the card. The background on the Lightning type one features both Ampharos and the lighthouse from Olivine City beautifully cast in various yellow hues, which is a perfect reference to Generation Two. This card is easily the most distinctive Lightning Energy for being a depiction of the Johto games encapsulated inside simplistic artwork.
3Lightning Energy: Call Of Legends (Common, 91) – $29.79
Legendary Design
This Energy card may look identical to the HeartGold SoulSilver one, but in the bottom corner there is a different set symbol as this card was found in the Call of Legends expansion only.
Call of Legends is an expansion that is beloved formany wonderful cardsthat collectors missed out on due to it being released at one of the Pokemon TCGs least popular times. With big chase card Legendaries such as Rayquaza, Lugia, and Dialga, as well as shiny secret rare versions of all of them, this set ended the HeartGold & SoulSilver era off with a bang and collectors see what they missed and want a piece of the glistening legendary pie.
The proof alone is with the expansion’s stunning Energy cards, which are some of the most beautiful Energy cards around. With a holo foil pattern on every single one of them, they look super premium. This expansion is one of the TCGs most prestigious and every single part of it is a treat. It’s just a shame not much of it was printed, which makes the cards quite desired.
2Basic Lightning Energy: Scarlet & Violet (Professor Program Promo, 4) – $45.93
Teaching Others The Way Of The Storm
The Professor Program is The Pokemon Company’s way to get new players into the TCG and give those who dedicate themselves to the game a special role and recognition for their contributions. This Energy card was one of the rewards given to Professors only, during Scarlet & Violet events in 2023. While not being anything too special outside the Professor Program stamp, these cards are sparse as becoming a professor is not an easy task.
All professors in the Professor Program have to be officially approved by The Pokemon Company itself, which includes a full background check as well as history in the TCG. You must also regularly participate in events under a staffing position in order to keep your status and earn your rewards. Since many professors have an adoration for the TCG, these cards are even rarer because many of them go straight into their collection binder rather than up for sale.
1Lightning Energy: Call Of Legends (Play! Pokemon Promo, 91) – $54.19
A Heavy Vintage Storm
This ionizing yellow card is a reprint of the Call of Legends Lightning Energy which features some of the best design on any Energy card. Now as a promo with flat holo foil and a Play! Pokemon stamp in the bottom corner it is one of the most limited Energy cards. The HeartGold & SoulSilver era of the TCG was one of its lowest in terms of player count and that shows with this relatively easy-to-get card now going for way more than it should.
This promo card was exclusive to Play! Pokemon officiated tournaments in 2011 and could be obtained by earning points by winning matches and then redeeming the points for various promo cards, including this one. The Energy cards were some of the cheapest prizes on offer and, so, back in the day, it was really easy to get quite a few, and yet now it’s quite the opposite, and they stand as some of the most stunning yet valuable Energy cards to this day.
