We’ve had some truly amazing sets released since the Scarlet & Violet era, often packed with gorgeous special illustration rares. But usually, a set features one main chase card , or sometimes two, with the #2 spot being significantly less desirable. Pokémon has generally spread the wealth quite well to keep multiple sets relevant. However, looking at the recent Ascended Heroes lineup, it has me seriously rethinking the power levels of the last year or two’s releases. They didn't just pack this set; they overloaded it.
With a monstrous Mega Gengar leading the charge, you’re probably already making a Fusion Strike comparison. But then you look at the #2 chase, Mega Dragonite , and its sheer popularity puts this set closer on par with the legendary Evolving Skies . Wait, it gets better: we have not one, but two Special Illustration Rare Pikachu cards, both boasting completely unique artwork. Add in another two hyper rares ( Mega Charizard Y and Mega Dragonite ), and we’ve got something that feels almost too good to be true. But wait, there’s more! Throw in a Special Illustration Mewtwo, plus top-tier Trainer SIRs, and the hit list is getting completely out of control. With a staggering 22 Special Illustration Rares , this set is simply too powerful to ignore.
Now, here’s the kicker that’s driving the market frenzy. With the staggered release waves we are currently seeing, the available quantity of product on the open market is shockingly low. We literally have some SIRs sitting in the single digits across major marketplaces. This specialty set is heavily in demand, which is certainly nothing new with Pokémon, but when you factor in the incredibly limited supply of product that exists—and most likely will exist—you might start feeling the FOMO creeping in.
Now here's where it gets even more interesting: let's do some hard data comparisons to other premium sets. Let's look at the big dog, Prismatic Evolutions , which was printed at absolute max capacity last year. With sheer set value, this is highly comparable to Ascended Heroes. So if we compare the future values (even assuming Ascended Heroes eventually gets printed at max capacity), let's look at the numbers. Prismatic Evolutions ETBs are currently hovering around $200 roughly a year after their January 2025 release, with booster bundles sitting around $75 . The top single card is the Umbreon SIR ex at a staggering $1,200 , with the #2 Sylveon around $300 , and all other SIR and Eeveelution cards descending below that $300 mark.
Let’s also compare this to Destined Rivals , a more recent hot set that currently has its ETB sitting around the $200 mark and booster bundles around $60 . This set has a strong lineup, but its top chase, the Mewtwo SIR ex, is currently sitting under $500 . The #2 chase, Cynthia's Garchomp SIR, is hovering right around $200 , while the #3 Ethan's Ho-Oh is at roughly $150 , with a few other SIRs trailing under $100 . Even with these solid numbers, Ascended Heroes blows this hit lineup completely out of the water.
And then we have to compare it to Pokémon 151 , which, to be fair, does carry the ultimate OG premium nostalgia tax. But even considering that, a regular 151 ETB price is a massive $600 , and a booster bundle is at $180 . What are you chasing for those premium box prices? The top chase is the Charizard SIR around $450 ( with somewhat lackluster artwork in my humble opinion ), followed by the #2 Blastoise around $180 , and the #3 Venusaur at $160 . When you stack those singles prices against the sheer density of hits in Ascended Heroes, paying $115 for a new ETB suddenly looks like an absolute steal by comparison.
Overall, it is incredibly hard to see the sealed prices going down on this particular release. Your alternatives are to try and snipe blisters or mini tins in the wild, which is a gamble in its own right. But for long-term investors, Elite Trainer Boxes are traditionally the secondary sealed asset to booster boxes. Crucially, there are no booster boxes in this specialty set . That means the ETB is the premier sealed item for collectors to hold, drastically increasing its long-term floor and ceiling.
To be entirely fair, Ascended Heroes single card pricing can definitely fluctuate as more product is eventually released into the open market. But with undeniably popular characters like Gengar, Dragonite, and Pikachu dominating the roster, I just don't see those top-tier prices tanking much further. Just look at the Mega Charizard Special Illustration Rare from Phantasmal Flames . As more of that product was released, the card actually kept going up in value. This wasn't because it was particularly rare, but simply because it features amazing artwork of one of Pokémon's most popular characters.
With multiple massively strong characters, painfully low supply, and plentiful high-end hits, this is rapidly shaping up to be the perfect storm of a Pokémon set. That fundamental combination is exactly what's making me rethink my entire portfolio position on this particular release. Even though shelling out around $115 for a single ETB seems painfully high right out of the gate, for the serious long-term collector, this will most likely be as low as it ever gets .