Behind the Chase: How Moonbreon became Pokémon’s modern Mona Lisa
Umbreon VMAX Alt Art, better known as Moonbreon, is one of the TCG’s most popular Pokémon cards. But how did it get so expensive?
Everyone who collects Pokémon cards has a story related to Moonbreon, the nickname for Evolving Skies’ Umbreon VMAX Alt Art. Perhaps you managed to pull it near release day, maybe you didn’t, or maybe you were too late, watching it become the grail deserving of your collection it is today.
It was always a chase card, but now, it’s a phenomenon.
In my inaugural article of Kanto Post’s new ‘Behind the Chase’ series, we’ll be going in-depth on the history of Umbreon VMAX Alt Art, arguably the most popular modern chase. From before the release of Pokémon TCG’s Evolving Skies to the costly price of it now, here’s everything you need to know about Moonbreon.
The Day Before The Night
- Price: N/A
- 1999-2021
To really evaluate how Moonbreon became a monolith in the community, you need to understand how the Eeveelution itself became so popular. Despite Eevee being a Gen 1 ‘mon, Umbreon didn’t arrive on the small screen until Generation 2, with the original Gold & Silver for the Game Boy Color. So, how did this evolution join the ranks of Pikachu and Charizard?
Well, as with most chases from the majority of Pokémon sets, it comes down to nostalgia. Eevee is a popular ‘mon, regularly being marketed as Pikachu’s second-in-command when it comes to adorable-led advertising, and Umbreon almost stands as the edgy take on that beloved creature. Compared to the more cute vibes of other Eeveelutions, Umbreon is a shadowy, stealthy attacker that still manages to capture the beauty of what makes any Eeveelution remarkable.
Umbreon was one of the first ever Dark-type Pokémon, and likely one many players found first. That introduces a good core memory into childhoods, rooting itself into your psyche, the same way your first Kanto starter felt. At the time, it felt unique and interesting, managing to have this powerful, brooding Dark-type in your party.
The Eeveelution also wins the nostalgia fight with Pokémon’s most powerful weapon - multi-entertainment branding. The anime saw Ash’s rival, Gary, use an Umbreon to defeat Alakazam, making it a memorable moment in the series at the time. Admittedly, I wasn’t watching it at the time - but when I got around to it, I was hooked on evolving an Umbreon.
I remember playing Pokémon GO at launch and being desperate to try and evolve Eevee into Umbreon, not realising I had to wait until Johto’s dex was added to the game. Personally, I’ve always been a Vaporeon fan, but Umbreon deserves its beloved status in the community.
However, what’s more interesting is that Umbreon’s popularity received a second wave of fans after Moonbreon’s rise to grail-levels of excitement. So, this is only part of a very perfect storm that led to Evolving Skies’ most coveted chase becoming what it is today.
The Evolving Night
- $230-$890
- 2021-2024
The current hype bubble the TCG exists in wasn’t the first, and nor will it be the last. Back in 2020, the global COVID pandemic caused a similar (but not as large) boom in Pokémon demand due to a mixture of nostalgia and content creators, bringing a wave of old fans back into collecting after years of stagnation.
Late 2020 was a similar time to our current expectations of Pokémon cards. Sold-out stock caused shortages, sky-high prices, and cards started reaching (at the time) ridiculous prices, breaching the $1 million mark at auctions. Evolving Skies was released just as the hype started to come to an end, with late 2021 seeing regular stock coming to shelves, thanks to an increase in production.
At the time of release, Umbreon VMAX Alt Art was still a sought-after chase, but not to the extent it would later be. Booster boxes of Evolving Skies could be bought at retail price, and by the time July 2022 rolled around, a restock wave brought more collectors the chance to chase cards. That meant that 36 packs of Evolving Skies could be bought for $90-100 (the horror).
It was an instant classic for its design, a beautiful contrast reminiscent of Van Gogh’s Starry Night classic. The best Pokémon cards don’t emulate art - they embody it. Few cards can be truly worthy of naturally belonging in a museum, but Moonbreon did that. Alongside a beautifully textured printing layer, and putting Umbreon in the spotlight with no other ‘mon, it was a recipe for success. Or disaster, if you never managed to get it.
However, even with the Starry Night aesthetics, Moonbreon is more like the Mona Lisa. It’s an iconic piece of art that even those outside of the community know what it is, whether they’ve seen it in passing or have heard the nickname. Everyone knows the Mona Lisa, and that makes it expensive. Everyone knows Moonbreon, and the result remains the same.
Looking back, the signs were always clear, but not enough to really make a call on its potential status. On a four-year-old Reddit post on r/PokeInvesting, just after it passed the $300 mark and headed for $500, one user said, "it'll come down eventually”, which may be a pill they’ve found difficult to swallow now.
But why Moonbreon? Was it due to a lack of chases in Evolving Skies? Actually, no. In fact, it’s popular despite the fact that the set is full of great hits, and in reality, that only bolsters its popularity. Much like Prismatic, the Eeveelutions are absolutely stunning. Rayquaza VMAX remains one of the best versions of the Emerald Dragon, and even the Umbreon V version of the Dark-type looks stunning. It’s a real catch-all set in terms of chase cards.
That only strengthened Moonbreon’s position. Having an expansion full of great hits meant that only one could really reign as the top, and over time, the community chose Moonbreon. People ripped packs in droves, hoping for any hit, praying they’d get a chase card of any manner. Demand meant that eventually stock would dry up, and after a few years, reprints were less and less frequent.
That was made worse by absolutely brutal pull rates that make Scarlet & Violet era packs look generous. According to TCGPlayer, there’s a one in 332 chance to get ANY VMAX Alt Art. That alone is heinous, but getting a specific Alt Art, say, Moonbreon? Well, you need to open 1,994 packs on average. Based on RETAIL prices, that’s $7,976 in total, if you had the worst luck imaginable.
However, it’s not even that rare. Sure, it’s hard to pull, but it’s not like a vintage card, where few survived being passed around in the playground - the PSA 10 population is past the 20,000 mark, at the time of writing. That means there’s even more raw cards circulating. Fun fact: there’s 63 PSA 1 Moonbreon. What did they do to those cards? You can find out in our best grading service guide to see, well, how hard it is to get a 1 score.
All of this, paired with the end of the hype period, meant more people were ripping packs instead of storing them, which eventually meant that those who had kept boxes sealed were in a winning position. It sat around the $500-$700 mark for quite some time, until TCG Pocket’s release…
A Pocket-Sized Storm
- $890-$2000
- 2024-Present
Pokémon TCG Pocket wasn’t the start of the current hype period. It was really the catalyst.
Blaming Pocket for the huge resurgence we’ve had is dishonest at worst, but in reality, it was the final touch of fuel to the flame that was already stoked. At the time, the TCG became less about collectors and more about investment. Pulls weren’t about connection, but about monetary value, and if you ripped a pack that didn’t contain a ‘profitable’ hit, it was worthless. I don’t believe that should be true, but sadly, that’s the current situation.
Moonbreon got a nickname because of how iconic it was, but it was fitting that it became the mascot for the new generation of Pokémon TCG collectors, with those spouting ‘to the moon’ in the same way crypto and NFTs were doing before it. Only this time, the results were actually positive - putting money into sealed Pokémon products wasn’t burning cash, but making it.
It’s also the perfect casualty of the two generations of collectors colliding. Those who rejoined after not collecting cards have come back, have seen this valuable, gorgeous chase rising in price and have swooped in to buy it. Those who have come into the recent hype bubble see the potential value and have bought it up, which also increases the price.
Moonbreon is the evidence that two tornadoes have crashed at the same time, opposing forces that only grow more powerful in tandem. But while I do believe that the sudden surge in collectors plays a big part in the increase in price, the reality is that a lot of it comes down to the investors.
The growth of the r/PokeInvesting community is proof that the community behind storing sealed products has grown within recent years. Personally, I saw countless posts discussing Moonbreon, which only inflated the price further. Social media plays a huge part in individual expansion and chase card performance, more so than ever before.
The Morning Sun
- $2000-?
- Present-????
What’s next for Moonbreon? Well, based on my own experience collecting Pokémon cards, it’s gone so far past the event horizon that I doubt it will drop in price in any meaningful way. Perhaps it will see a dip as the hype bubble pops, but in reality, it’s found itself in a unique position: a totem pole of two communities colliding at once.
There have been a lot of Pokémon cards that have become expensive as collectors rush to find stock. Bubble Mew, the lovingly-nicknamed ‘Butthole Pikachu’, and Ascended’s Mega Gengar, to name a few. Where Moonbreon feels unique is that it has had a massive effect on any and all Umbreon cards that came before or after it. The VMAX Alt Art had a natural upward trend in value, while Prismatic’s ‘Sunbreon’ instantly found itself expensive as it was released.
It’s wholly unique in that it’s a card that has managed to sit upon a spire, high above the community, becoming a symbol of the haves and have-nots - those who can afford to turn Pokémon cards into an investment opportunity, and those who are in it just to collect. It’s a beautiful card that should belong behind a glass case in an art display, and for many collectors, it feels exactly that way.
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FAQs
Why is Moonbreon so expensive?
Moonbreon or Umbreon VMAX Alt Art, is expensive due to a blend of nostalgia, beautiful art, and hype on social media chaos. As stated in my article above, all of this saw the Evolving Skies Chase grow into the pillar of the TCG it is today.
Rather that one specific thing, like the Chinese Mew ex 003/SV-P that’s limited to 1510 copies, Moonbreon’s expensive price is a product of multiple things. It’s simply the right place, right time, and the right card.
What set is Moonbreon from?
Umbreon VMAX Alt Art is from the Pokémon Evolving Skies set. This is a standard expansion that was released in August 2021, as part of the Sword & Shield era. It is likely out of print now due to its age, although, The Pokémon Company never confirms whether it has stopped printing a set.
Although, Evolving Skies is just the English variant. In total, there are 13 versions of Moonbreon in 12 languages, with two in Chinese (traditional and simplified). However, English and Japanese versions of Umbreon VMAX Alt Art are still the most sought-after.
