Anyone who knows me or has read my recent Pokémon TCG coverage will know I'm all in on Pokémon Ascended Heroes. The upcoming special set is packed with excellent chases, based on my own pack ripping session of the Japanese Mega Dream ex, and with the release of the Start Deck 100 Battle Collection in Japan, well, it looks like Ascended Heroes is getting even more cards worth chasing.
The Pokémon Ascended Heroes pre-orders are in full swing, as 2026's first expansion is due to release early next year. We've already had a taste of some of the upcoming cards with Japan's latest 'high-class' set, but remember, the English versions typically pool together cards from a variety of Japanese Pokémon TCG products. That's the case with Ascended Heroes, and we now know some of its cards will come from the Start Deck 100 line-up.
I've already gone on multiple rants about how much I love the Mega Dragonite SIR that's been revealed, but there are some other absolute bangers coming soon, too. As shared by PokéBeach, a selection of 23 Secret Rare cards (Illustration Rares in English) will be coming in Ascended Heroes - and that includes Pikachu ex #764, which might be one of my favorite versions of the iconic Pokémon.
Lillie's Clefairy ex #765 has the fan-favorite character hugging Clefairy in an adorable bit of art that resembles the beauty of Journey Together's main chase card. Keeping the cutesy vibes going, Slurpuff #750 is a very pink showcase of the Fairy-type, while Scorbunny #745 showcases the soccer-inspired fire bunny relaxing on a pile of leaves, probably after an intense match.
That's just a small selection of the recent reveals, with a few more that have yet to be shown, and it's an indication of just how packed full of chases Ascended Heroes is going to be. According to Pokémon's press release announcing the new set, there are 33 Illustration Rares, 22 Special Illustration Rares, and plenty more - including the new Mega Attack cards that were revealed at Pokémon Worlds.
If you're hoping to get your hands on some Pokémon Ascended Heroes products, I'd suggest going with our partner Chaos Cards. The retailer doesn't have any surprise drops - instead, you just need to sign up for notifications, meaning you will know as soon as the pre-orders are available. Considering how chaotic the digital queues of other stores can be, well, invitations are a blessing. Much less stressful, too.
Make sure to keep up to date with any of the latest Pokémon TCG news, as well as those all-too-rare deals, with our Wargamer Discord. You can also chat with me, The Callum Self™ (which makes it worth doing anyway), as well as chat with other trainers or fans of other hobbies like D&D, Warhammer 40k, Star Wars, and more.