When you've had an awful week, full of bad news and disappointing feelings, is it a good idea to end it by ripping some Pokémon Ascended Heroes packs? Well, it could go either way, of course. I buy Pokémon cards however I'm feeling - happy, sad, angry, bored - and this time a lot was on the line, as I only bought these because I was quite upset. The results surprised even me. Am I sad I didn't pull any SIRs? Sure. But just opening the damn things brought me enough joy to tell the tale.
Despite any feelings I have to the contrary when I'm excitedly updating our guide to the best Pokémon packs, I don't generally think ripping boosters can fix all life's problems - but last week saw me test that theory. Fortunately for me, I had four booster bundles of the latest Pokémon TCG special set ready and waiting for my payment and, while I was ready to let it lapse, a bit of bad news encouraged me to engage in a bit of good old fashioned retail therapy.
Since I always have my Wargamer brain strapped in, looking for article ideas, I thought: why not turn my pain into content for the masses? (Thank you for your service - Ed.) I asked my beautiful, chase-loving wife to help me rip open some packs (she has a real lucky streak when it comes to pulling rare Pokémon cards), and we ripped open the first booster bundle. It didn't start well.
Ascended Heroes booster bundle #1
Sadly, the first six packs didn't hit as I had hoped. While I was obviously hopeful for the Ascended Heroes chase cards to appear in a 'god pack', it didn't come to fruition here (nor, spoiler alert, in the rest of the packs). The only real hit I got was the Terapagos ex #179, but considering Terapagos seems to find its way into every one of the modern Pokémon sets, it was a little underwhelming, to say the least.
I did enjoy finding Entei, and my wife was a big fan of the adorable Pikachu #055 reverse holo with the Electric-type logo. Overall, a slightly disappointing start, and definitely not the mood lifter I was hoping for. But there was more to come.
Ascended Heroes booster bundle #2
From bundle two, things were starting to look up. First booster pack (#7 in total), my wife pulled the Mega Audino ex #253 Ultra Rare, an adorable little 'mon with splashes of purple, pink, and yellow in the background. Perhaps I didn't have a full smile on my face by this point, but a corner of my lip had certainly started to lift. I'm also a sucker for Totodile and Zekrom, so seeing the reverse holos of these two was a delightful chaser after the Ultra Rare pull.
There wasn't any major finale to this booster bundle - it certainly peaked at the start - but Mega Charizard Y ex was a neat, minor hit to finish it off. This was a lot better than our initial booster bundle, and gave me a mixture of hope that things would look up for the rest, and fear that it would only go downhill from here. Anyway, onwards to bundle #3.
Ascended Heroes booster bundle #3
At this point, riding off the high of getting Mega Audino ex, I wanted to rip a pack open before my wife. Mega Lucario ex #113 was a solid hit that I was happy to receive, but then my wife decided to finally break into her first pack of this bundle and get Ethan's Magcargo Illustration Rare. It's no surprise for her to one-up me almost straight away, but considering this is my overall collection, I'll happily accept the spoils of her victories!
The rest of this bundle was pretty disappointing, but Bayleef reverse holo was a nice card to pull. Admittedly, this set also had a few shiny energy cards, but considering I've got plenty from this expansion already, it wasn't as smile-inducing as I had hoped. Either way, an average bundle saved by two cards - although those two cards were absolute bangers.
Ascended Heroes booster bundle #4
Let me get this out of the way - no Special Illustration Rares in any of these four bundles, which was a shame. This isn't a fairy tale where I manage to get a 'god pack' in my last six packs, just my dumb, ordinary, stupid luck (or lack thereof, in most cases). However, there was one shining note in this final selection: Erika's Tangela #218 Illustration Rare. My wife would like me to add that, while I did pull this card from my three packs, she passed me a heavy one, and therefore, she legally has a claim on this chase. Are you happy, my love? I know she's reading this.
Anyhow, she deserves bragging rights, because this is a gorgeous card that made the entire four-bundle experience (24 packs in total) worth it. It reminds me of the brilliantly adorable selection of cards from Journey Together, and while it isn't my precious Mega Dragonite SIR, it's definitely a solid addition to my binder. Miraidon ex was another great hit, as I love Miraidon from Scarlet and Violet, and I was happy to finally find a Team Rocket reverse holo with Team Rocket's Honchkrow. An excellent conclusion to the final bundle.
So, we've reached the end of my little story. Did I end the week on a happy note? Yes, I can say I did, but I now realize it's not really anything to do with exactly which Pokémon cards I pulled, or whether any could secure me a profit on the secondary market. I have no deeper message to share than this: after a really shitty week, it's just a truly fun, happy experience to sit with someone you love and open a bunch of packs together.
That's all. No secret message or hidden agenda. If you have a really terrible week any time soon (and I hope you don't) maybe crack some packs with your favorite people. Sometimes, just that is enough to let the light back in. If you're looking to get some Pokémon Ascended Heroes booster bundles in particular, I'd suggest taking a look at the following websites regularly:
- TCGPlayer (global) - secondary market
- Walmart (US)
- Magic Madhouse (UK)
Alternatively, make sure to join our Wargamer Discord so you can be kept in the loop with the latest Pokémon TCG news. We'll also share plenty more exciting stories like the one above, or ping you with any essential Pokémon deals you should be buying while you can.