Pokemon TCG’s Mega Evolution Ascended Heroes Set is a Collector’s Dream, But You’ll Have to be Fast

Every Trading Card Game can be accused of going through the motions sometimes, releasing sets for the sake of releasing sets and adding nothing major or valuable to the card game (or its collectors). The upcoming Mega Evolution – Ascended Heroes set for the Pokemon TCG is not one of those, however. At first blush, it’s immediately clear just how valuable this set is going to be for fans, for active players, for collectors, and, unfortunately, for ne’er-do-wells.

Featuring Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s Mega Dragonite as the face of the set, Mega Evolution – Ascended Heroes will see it and other new Mega Evolutions get ex cards, alongside some special artwork. Stellar Tera Pokemon ex cards, special illustrations for more than 30 Pokemon and Trainer cards, and coming in as the biggest set in Pokemon TCG with over 290 cards, it’s clear that the set is special.

Pokemon TCG: Why Mega Evolution – Ascended Heroes is a Big Deal

Not only is Mega Evolution – Ascended Heroes a massive set, but there are plenty of cards to chase. Not even counting the gold cards, Pikachu, Gengar, Dragonite, and Mewtwo are all big card names that are worth chasing. Art can sometimes be a big determiner for these sets, and it’s clear already that the art of this set is second to none. And given the sheer number of SIRs, the pull rate is going to be astronomical, and it’s going to be impossible to buy singles for the first month. Hopefully, it’s not as bad as Prismatic Evolutions and is as generous as Pokemon TCG‘s Crown Zenith, but one thing is clear: these cards are valuable.

Something like the Mega Gengar ex SIR will likely be extremely expensive in that first month, if not much longer, especially as the cards appreciate in value over the years. In truth, this is one of those special investment sets where you buy everything you can, let it appreciate for a decade, and cash in. Unfortunately, such value is going to attract scalpers and whales who buy en masse compared to the average fan or collector. To have a chance of competing and snagging a set, fans will want to be prepared and quick to the draw.

Everything is shaping up for Mega Evolution – Ascended Heroes to be as big, if not bigger, than Prismatic Evolutions. Prismatic was one of the best-selling Pokemon TCG sets ever, saw record price spikes online, and was incredibly difficult to purchase due to scalpers. Beyond that, pull rates were abysmal and it was possible to walk away from an etb with basically nothing. Hence, Prismatic Evolution’s Umbreon saw a price tag of ~$3K. Again, fingers crossed that Mega Evolution – Ascended Heroes is more generous, but it’s hard to say. The old idiom says to hope for the best and prepare for the worst, so to do that, fans will want to be prepared to deal with high prices and scalpers.

Best Practices to Deal with Pokemon TCG Scalpers

• Be patient and do not succumb to FOMO
• Know where you’re going to buy, how you’re going to purchase from that site, and have payment information ready if not readily uploaded to the site.
• Buy singles from reliable online marketplaces like TCGplayer for specific cards
• Support local game stores for fair prices (and check in with them early)
• Use apps for restock alerts
• Pokemon Center is best for direct purchases
• Avoid resale sites like eBay and do not buy from Scalpers
• IRL: Ask someone selling Pokemon cards about trivia to identify resellers
• Bonus tip: Avoid “Too Good To Be True” deals as counterfeits are possible

Pokemon TCG Mega Evolution – Ascended Heroes Products Available January 30

H/T to Beckett

• Pokémon Mega Evolution ME2.5 Ascended Heroes Tech Sticker Collection 12-Blister Case
  • 12 Ascended Heroes Tech Sticker Collection Blisters per Case – 6 each of Charmander and Ghastly
  • 1 foil promo card featuring Charmander or Gastly per blister
  • 1 tech sticker sheet per blister
  • 3 Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution- Ascended Heroes booster packs per blister
• Pokémon Mega Evolution ME2.5 Ascended Heroes Tech Sticker Collection Blister
  • 1 foil promo card featuring Charmander or Gastly per blister
  • 1 tech sticker sheet per blister
  • 3 Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution- Ascended Heroes booster packs per blister
• Pokémon Mega Evolution ME2.5 Ascended Heroes 2-Pack Blister
  • 1 foil promo card featuring Erika’s Tangela or Larry’s Komala per blister
  • 1 Pokémon coin featuring Erika or Larry per blister
  • 2 Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution- Ascended Heroes booster packs per blister
• Pokémon Day 2026 Collection 6-Box Case
  • 6 Pokémon Day 2026 Boxes per Case
  • 1 Foil Promo Card Featuring Pikachu with a Pokémon Day Stamp per Box
  • 1 Pokémon Coin per Box
  • 3 Pokémon Booster Packs per Box
• Pokémon Day 2026 Collection Box
  • 1 Foil Promo Card Featuring Pikachu with a Pokémon Day Stamp
  • 1 Pokémon Coin
  • 3 Pokémon Booster Packs