Clefairy has been a part of the world of Pokémon since the very beginning. The Fairy Pokémon debuted alongside 149 other Pokémon in 1996 in Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green—the first Pokémon video games released in Japan. In 1999, Clefairy appeared in its first card in the first Pokémon TCG set, Base Set. Clefairy, alongside its pre-evolved form Cleffa and its evolved form Clefable, has continued to be a loveable staple of the Pokémon TCG ever since. Celebrate the Moon Festival with this Pokémon that’s closely related to the cosmos, and read on to learn more about the history of Clefairy in the Pokémon TCG!
Cleffa, Clefable, and Clefairy Throughout the Years
Clefairy
Base Set, 5/102
This classic Clefairy illustrated by Ken Sugimori is the predecessor to all Clefairy cards. Metronome was the first attack printed that allowed a Pokémon to copy another Pokémon’s attack without meeting any special requirements, making this card exceptionally unique.
Clefable
Jungle, 1/64
This classic Clefable, illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, was not only the first Clefable card printed, but also the first card printed in the Jungle expansion. Like Clefairy, it has the powerful Metronome attack, but it was significantly easier to use because it only cost 1 Energy.
Cleffa
Neo Genesis, 20/111
This classic Cleffa illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno plays with yarn on a table, emphasizing its small size as one of the first Baby Pokémon. Not only was this the first Cleffa card ever printed, but it was also arguably the toughest Cleffa card thanks to its “Baby Rule” that made it extremely difficult to Knock Out. Its Eeeeeeek attack was also a great way to refresh the hand for just 1 Energy.
Clefable ex
FireRed & LeafGreen, 106/112
Clefable ex is the only Clefable card to be worth more than one Prize card and the only Pokémon ex from the Cleffa, Clefairy, and Clefable Evolution chain. Similar to the original Clefable from Jungle, Clefable ex was illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita and had the Metronome attack. However, unlike the original Clefable, Clefable ex’s Metronome attack requires the player to pay any additional costs of the attack being copied.
Cleffa
Call of Legends, 24/95
Featuring a playful illustration of Cleffa in the Ilex Forest by sui, this card was originally printed in the HeartGold & SoulSilver expansion and then reprinted in Call of Legends. Similar to the Cleffa shown above, this Cleffa was well known for being difficult to Knock Out while in the Active Spot thanks to its Sweet Sleeping Face Poké-Body. Its Eeeeeeek attack only drew 6 cards (compared to Cleffa’s 7) but it was still effective.
Clefairy
XY—Furious Fists, 69/111
This Clefairy with the moon in the background (illustrated by Naoyo Kimura) was the first Fairy-type Clefairy card to be printed in the Pokémon TCG. Previously, starting with Base Set, it appeared as a Colorless-type Pokémon. Thanks to its new typing, this was also the first Clefairy that could hit an opposing Pokémon for Weakness—the new Dragon-type Pokémon cards were weak to the newly introduced Fairy-type cards. Many more Fairy-type Clefairy cards followed during the XY and Sun & Moon Series.
Clefairy
XY—Evolutions, 63/108
The XY—Evolutions expansion celebrated the original Base Set, as seen in this classic Clefairy illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Unlike the original Clefairy card, this Clefairy was a Fairy type and featured a new Weakness and Resistance. While it may not seem threatening on the surface, its Metronome attack and its Fairy typing made it a potent card in the Expanded format. Ninja Boy was often used to swap Pokémon with Energy acceleration (like Ho-Oh-EX) with Clefairy to instantly bring out a big Metronome capable of taking out powerful Dragon-type attackers like Arceus & Dialga & Palkia-GX.
Clefairy
Sword & Shield—Rebel Clash, 74/192
At the beginning of the Sword & Shield Series, Fairy-type Pokémon and support for them were discontinued. Many Pokémon who were Fairy types in the video games began to be represented as Psychic types in the Pokémon TCG. This almost-cosmic Clefairy illustrated by sowsow was the first Psychic-type Clefairy to be printed, marking the Pokémon’s third typing in the game.
Almost Clefairy, but not quite
Lillie’s Poke Doll
Sun & Moon—Cosmic Eclipse, 197/236
Lillie’s Poke Doll isn’t quite a Clefairy card, but it does feature artwork of a Clefairy Doll next to Lillie’s hat and bag! The illustration also resembles the original Clefairy Doll. What makes this card unique is how prominent it was as a competitive card throughout the Sun & Moon era. Lillie’s Poke Doll was often paired with Munchlax and Florges, both of which could continually return it from the discard pile to the top of the deck, allowing the Trainer to stall the game until their opponent ran out of cards in their own deck.
