Mega Evolution is back, and what a year it has been! Released on 26th September 2025, the Mega Evolution base set kicked off a brand new era of the Pokémon TCG, bringing Mega Pokémon ex back to the game for the first time since the XY days and tying in with Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The set contains 188 cards (132 main set cards plus 56 secret rares), is headlined by Mega Lucario ex, Mega Gardevoir ex and Mega Venusaur ex, and debuted a shiny new top rarity: the all-gold Mega Hyper Rare.
A year on, the dust has settled and the market has worked out which cards are really worth chasing. It hasn't been a smooth ride! Prices on the big chase cards spiked at launch and have cooled a long way since, while a couple of cards have quietly climbed back up. Let's count down the top ten most valuable cards from the Mega Evolution base set, why they're worth what they are, and where we think each one could be heading.
A quick note on prices: Values below are approximate raw, near-mint prices based on recent readings from several price trackers (mostly mid-September to mid-October 2026), converted from US dollars at roughly £0.75 to $1. We've shown the lower end of recent readings, hence the “+”. UK prices will differ a little and card values can move fast, so take these numbers with a pinch of salt. Our outlooks are opinions, not financial advice!
#10: Acerola's Mischief (SIR) 183/132
Current Market Value: £23+
ME01 Mega Evolution · Special Illustration Rare (Supporter) · Illustrator: sui
Kicking off the countdown is the Ghost-type-loving Alola Trial Captain and Elite Four member herself. Acerola sits at the centre of a swirl of ghostly plushies and costumes in deep purples and warm shimmer, wearing her signature smirk. As a Supporter it can only be played when your opponent has 2 or fewer Prize cards left, and it protects one of your Pokémon from damage and effects of attacks from your opponent's Pokémon ex for a turn, which makes it a handy late-game comeback tool.
Why is it so valuable? Acerola is a long-time fan favourite and the SIR treatment gives her a fantastic showcase. She's the most affordable of the top ten, which makes her a lovely entry point for anyone wanting a chase-rarity card without the big price tag. Just outside the list, the Wally's Compassion SIR was sitting around £15 earlier this year.
The price journey: About £43 in November 2025, £26 in January, £24 in March and roughly £23 today. After the early drop of around 46%, it has been remarkably flat since the new year.
Future outlook: Flat. Having already shed most of its launch premium, there's not much left to fall, but there's no obvious spark for a rally either. One for fans rather than speculators.
#9: Mega Absol ex (SIR) 180/132
Current Market Value: £40+
ME01 Mega Evolution · Special Illustration Rare · Illustrator: Mitsuhiro Arita
When Mitsuhiro Arita is on the credits, you pay attention. This is the legendary illustrator behind the original Base Set Charizard, and he plays perfectly to Mega Absol's strengths here. Huge white feathered wings stretch across almost the whole card against a near-black background, giving Absol a dramatic, almost caped-crusader pose.
Why is it so valuable? Arita's name carries real weight with collectors, and Absol has always been a popular dark-type with fantastic card art to its name. It's a moody, striking card that stands out from the colourful pieces around it.
The price journey: Absol has had the roughest ride in the top ten, dropping from around £75 in November 2025 to £58 in January, £43 in March and about £40 now, a fall of roughly 46%.
Future outlook: The steepest part of the decline looks to be over, and the Arita factor should help it hold a floor. We expect flat for now, with modest upside if collectors begin to rediscover the set.
#8: Mega Kangaskhan ex (SIR) 182/132
Current Market Value: £40+
ME01 Mega Evolution · Special Illustration Rare · Illustrator: GOTO minori
GOTO minori draws this one from down low, giving Mega Kangaskhan a sense of scale that makes her feel enormous. She and her joey are set against a backdrop of cartoony, vibrant colours that really make the art pop.
Why is it so valuable? Kangaskhan has the nostalgia double whammy: she's one of the original Kanto Pokémon and one of the first Mega Evolutions from the XY era. Seeing the Mega form back with a full SIR treatment is a treat for long-time fans.
The price journey: About £67 in November 2025, £51 in January, £48 in March and roughly £41 today, a fall of about 38%. It's now neck and neck with Absol for the #8 spot.
Future outlook: Sideways to slightly soft in the short term. Nostalgia is a powerful force though, and if you're a Kangaskhan fan this price is far friendlier than it was at launch.
#7: Lillie's Determination (SIR) 184/132
Current Market Value: £45+
ME01 Mega Evolution · Special Illustration Rare (Supporter) · Illustrator: satoma
Lillie makes her way onto the list with a glowing, flower-filled illustration by satoma. It's a warm, hopeful piece that fits her character perfectly. As a Supporter, it lets you shuffle your hand into your deck and draw 6 cards, or 8 if you have exactly 6 Prize cards remaining.
Why is it so valuable? It's simple: Lillie is one of the most popular trainers in the entire franchise, and trainer SIRs with a big fan favourite on them always find buyers. Of the Supporter SIRs in this set, she's the leader.
The price journey: This is where we start to see the tougher side of the market. Lillie's Determination was about £71 in November 2025, falling to roughly £56 in January and March, and around £45 now. That's a drop of about 36% in under a year.
Future outlook: Trainer cards have a long history of big early gains followed by a slow cool-down as the initial hype fades, and this one has followed that pattern so far. We'd expect it to be soft to flat in the near term. It's a lovely card to own, but we'd treat it as a collector's piece rather than one to bank on appreciating.
#6: Mega Latias ex (SIR) 181/132
Current Market Value: £55+
ME01 Mega Evolution · Special Illustration Rare · Illustrator: AKIRA EGAWA
Here's where the countdown really starts to climb in price. AKIRA EGAWA has Mega Latias streaking over a city skyline at night, the glow of the buildings below cutting against a deep navy sky and speed streaks hinting at just how fast this Mega Pokémon can move. It's a beautiful, atmospheric card, and the full-speed energy of the artwork really sells it.
Why is it so valuable? Latias is one of the best-loved Legendary Pokémon, and Mega Latias is a fan favourite from the original Mega era. It doesn't have the pull of a starter or of Lucario, which is why it sits well below the top five, but the fanbase is passionate.
The price journey: About £85 in November 2025, then £57 in January, £56 in March and roughly £57 today. That makes it one of the most stable cards in the top ten, having essentially gone sideways for nine months.
Future outlook: Stable, with limited upside unless demand for the whole set picks up. A card that has held one price for this long is showing us where its floor is, which is reassuring for anyone who simply loves the artwork.
#5: Mega Venusaur ex (SIR) 177/132
Current Market Value: £115+
ME01 Mega Evolution · Special Illustration Rare · Illustrator: mashu
Bold, bright and a little bit wild. Mega Venusaur sits front and centre in a riot of pinks, teals, reds and yellows, flower out and completely unbothered by the chaos. The really clever part is that this card is one piece of a connected scene: matching Bulbasaur and Ivysaur cards slot in alongside it to form one complete image, which makes this a must-have for anyone building the full trio.
Why is it so valuable? Starter Pokémon have always carried a collector premium, and Venusaur's place as one of the original three gives this card lasting appeal. Add in the connected artwork, which encourages completionists to hunt down all three cards, and you have a strong recipe for demand.
The price journey: This is the surprise mover of the set. After sitting around £118 in November 2025, it fell to about £95 in January and £91 in March, then rebounded to roughly £116, an increase of around 27% since spring and a return to its November level. Very few cards in the set can say the same.
Future outlook: The momentum is positive and we think the starter premium gives it staying power. That said, a sharp rally can partly reverse, so don't be shocked by a pullback. Overall we lean cautiously optimistic.
You can chase the Kanto starter trio yourself! Pick up some Mega Evolution booster packs and see whether Bulbasaur, Ivysaur and Venusaur make an appearance in your pulls.
#4: Mega Gardevoir ex (SIR) 178/132
Current Market Value: £125+
ME01 Mega Evolution · Special Illustration Rare · Illustrator: Raita Kazama
Raita Kazama gives us something a little different here. Instead of a single battle scene, the whole Gardevoir family is in the frame, with Ralts, Kirlia and Gardevoir surrounded by flowers, vines and stars in soft teals, pinks and whites. Where most SIRs shout, this one whispers, and that calm, botanical feel is exactly what makes it stand out in a binder.
Why is it so valuable? Gardevoir collectors are some of the most dedicated around, and having two premium Gardevoir cards in the set means there's an affordable entry point (this one) and a gold grail still to come at #2. It's also a card with a bit of competitive appeal, as Gardevoir players have been building around its Overflowing Wishes, which loads Psychic Energy onto Benched Pokémon.
The price journey: Around £161 in November 2025, then £133 in January and March, and still sitting at about £129 now. In other words, it has barely moved all year. Depending on the day and the tracker, this card and the Lucario SIR swap places, so consider #3 and #4 a dead heat!
Future outlook: Flat is the story so far, and we think flat to gently rising is the most likely path. This is a classic slow-burner: there's always a Gardevoir collector waiting to buy, but there's no big catalyst on the horizon to spark a sudden jump.
#3: Mega Lucario ex (SIR) 179/132
Current Market Value: £125+
ME01 Mega Evolution · Special Illustration Rare · Illustrator: Atsushi Furusawa
Atsushi Furusawa takes us up into the air with this one. Mega Lucario flies mid-swing with red and blue speed lines cutting across the frame, squaring up to Mega Venusaur above a city full of Pokémon battling below. It's a cinematic piece of art, and it connects directly to Venusaur's SIR back at #5. For a lot of collectors this is the most affordable way to own the set's headline Pokémon in a true chase rarity.
Why is it so valuable? Any Special Illustration Rare turns up at roughly 1 in 101 packs, and a specific one is more like 1 in 1,000, according to TCGplayer's pull-rate data. Put that together with Lucario's popularity and a genuinely exciting illustration and you get a card that has proven very resilient.
The price journey: It was around £156 in November 2025, dropped to roughly £119 by January and held there through March, and has since recovered to somewhere between about £129 and £136. That's a much gentler fall than the gold version suffered.
Future outlook: We rate this as one of the best-supported cards in the set. It has already found a floor, demand from Lucario fans is constant, and the connected artwork gives it extra appeal. We'd expect stable to modestly higher over the next year, with the usual caveat that any card can have a soft patch.
Around 1 in 101 packs contains a Special Illustration Rare, and a Mega Evolution booster box gives you 36 packs to try your luck with.
#2: Mega Gardevoir ex (MHR) 187/132
Current Market Value: £130+
ME01 Mega Evolution · Mega Hyper Rare · Illustrator: 5ban Graphics
Next up is the first of the set's two gold cards, the Mega Gardevoir ex Mega Hyper Rare, and it's a stunner. Mega Hyper Rares turn up at around 1 in 1,260 packs and there are only two in the set, so this specific card is roughly a 1 in 2,520 pull. It also comes with one of the deepest, most loyal collector bases in the entire franchise. The return of Mega Gardevoir ex was one of the biggest talking points in the build-up to the set's release, so it's no surprise to see it this high.
The price journey: Gardevoir has slid a long way, from around £274 in November 2025 to £194 in January and £169 in March, and it now sits somewhere between roughly £132 and £147 depending on where you look. Here's the interesting bit: it's now only a little more expensive than its own Special Illustration Rare (see #4 above), despite being far harder to pull. Collectors are clearly paying for the art they love, not just for scarcity.
Future outlook: We think this is one of the most interesting cards in the set. If the market ever decides to properly price in how rare this card is, there's room for it to pull away from the SIR again. On the flip side, the divisive nature of Mega Hyper Rare designs keeps a lid on things. Expect steady with modest upside rather than fireworks.
#1: Mega Lucario ex (MHR) 188/132
Current Market Value: £170+
ME01 Mega Evolution · Mega Hyper Rare · Illustrator: 5ban Graphics
Drumroll, please! Sitting proudly at the top of the set is the gold Mega Lucario ex Mega Hyper Rare. The gold treatment covers the whole card, border and all, giving it a look that nothing else in the set can match. Lucario was always going to be the face of a Mega set, and putting it on the flashiest new rarity of the era was a masterstroke.
Why is it so valuable? Scarcity first of all. As we saw with Gardevoir, Mega Hyper Rares are among the hardest pulls in modern Pokémon TCG history, and with only two in the set, the Lucario version works out at roughly 1 in 2,520 packs, or about 70 booster boxes' worth! Add in Lucario's huge fanbase and a card that is genuinely playable (340 HP, with Aura Jab hitting for 130 and attaching up to three Basic Fighting Energy from your discard pile to your Benched Pokémon) and you can see the appeal. Graded copies carry a big premium too, with PSA 10s trading around £550, roughly three times the raw price.
The price journey: This one is a bit of a cautionary tale. It reportedly peaked at around £545 during the launch frenzy, was still about £355 in November 2025, then slid to roughly £239 in January and £211 in March, before settling around the £170 to £190 mark today. That's about half of its November price, although the pace of the decline has slowed a lot. The base set was opened in huge numbers, and launch-week prices on brand new chase cards are rarely where they stay.
Future outlook: We think the steep correction phase is mostly behind it. Our most likely scenario is a slow, choppy sideways grind, with gentle upside as the set ages and Lucario's enduring popularity provides a solid floor. A return to launch highs looks unlikely any time soon. The main risks are new Lucario versions arriving in later sets, and the fact that collectors are still split on whether Mega Hyper Rares deserve a premium over the Special Illustration Rares.
At roughly 1 in 2,520 packs for this exact card, the gold Lucario is a serious long shot, so if you'd rather skip the gamble, head to our Mega Evolution collection to see which singles are available.
Where Is The Mega Evolution Market Heading?
Here's how we see the next 6 to 12 months playing out for the base set.
The launch-hype correction looks mostly done. The two gold Mega Hyper Rares roughly halved from their November 2025 prices, but most of that fall happened in the first few months. Since then the declines have been slower and smaller, which is usually a sign a card is hunting for a floor.
The set has split into two tiers. The three biggest Mega SIRs (Lucario, Gardevoir and Venusaur) have held their value or recovered, while the smaller Mega SIRs and the Supporter SIRs have lost roughly 35% to 46% since November. We expect that split to continue, with the big names carrying the set.
The gap between gold and SIR has shrunk. The gold Lucario now costs around 35% more than its SIR, and the gold Gardevoir only a few percent more than its SIR, despite being much rarer.
Newer sets are stealing the spotlight. Mega Evolution has since been followed by Phantasmal Flames, Ascended Heroes, Perfect Order, Chaos Rising and Pitch Black. Cards from those sets, like the Mega Charizard X SIR and the Mega Gengar SIR (which passed roughly £750 earlier this year), pull collectors attention and budgets elsewhere.
What could help: As the oldest set in the era, the base set will gradually become harder to find sealed as newer expansions take over, and Lucario, Gardevoir and Venusaur are evergreen fan favourites. First sets of a new era can also gain extra nostalgia value over time, although history is never a guarantee.
What could hurt: Fresh versions of Lucario or Gardevoir in future sets, hype cycles moving on to newer releases, and the eventual rotation of the set out of Standard play.
Our overall view: expect the top SIRs to hold steady with a mild upward lean, the gold cards to settle into a range rather than rebound sharply, and the lower-tier SIRs to stay flat to soft. It will be a few more years until this set begins to snowball into a real high value set but if you're considering grading, it might be worth picking up a few bargains as the set value settles!
Final Thoughts!
Mega Evolution has been a fascinating set to watch. The new Mega Hyper Rare tier showed just how quickly a chase card's price can swing when huge numbers of packs are opened, and the SIR lineup has proven to be one of the strongest of the Scarlet & Violet era, with real depth at every price point.
A hot take: with Mega Hyper Rares at around 1 in 1,260 packs and a specific SIR at roughly 1 in 1,000, opening packs is best treated as a fun hobby rather than a way to hunt a particular card. If there's a specific card on this list that you love, buying the single card will almost always be cheaper than chasing it through packs. And if you simply want the thrill of the rip, our Mega Evolution booster packs and Mega Evolution booster boxes are ready and waiting!
Ready to start your own Mega Evolution collection? Head to our full Mega Evolution collection to browse singles, sealed products and everything else the set has to offer.
Whatever you decide, my advice is the same as ever: buy the cards you love, because those are the ones that never lose their value to you. Happy collecting!
