Pokémon's Mega Evolution set explained
Pokémon's Mega Evolution set, first of its series: its 188 cards, the 10 Mega Pokémon ex and their versions, the Japanese sets that share them, and each box.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published 7 min read
Mega Evolution is the expansion that opened Pokémon’s Mega Evolution series, released September 26, 2025. It brought back Mega Evolution Pokémon, led by Mega Lucario ex and Mega Gardevoir ex, and holds 10 Mega Evolution Pokémon ex in all. The set has 188 cards: 132 inside the printed total and 56 numbered above it, ending with two Mega hyper rares. The set also introduced Item, Stadium and Pokémon Tool cards as ultra rares. Our guide to Mega Evolution cards follows Mega Pokémon ex across the whole series.
When did the Mega Evolution set come out?
On September 26, 2025. Pokémon announced it on July 10, 2025, as the first expansion in its new Mega Evolution series. Mega Evolution Pokémon debuted on cards in the XY series and last appeared in the Sun & Moon series before this set. Its code is MEG. It opens the series, ahead of Phantasmal Flames of November 14, 2025. The series’ Energy cards and Black Star promos have pages of their own on Rip.fan, both dated September 26, 2025.
Which Japanese sets share its Mega Pokémon ex?
Two Japanese sets went on sale together on August 1, 2025, both in 5-card packs: Mega Brave (メガブレイブ, M1L) and Mega Symphonia (メガシンフォニア, M1S). The English titles are translations. Each has 92 cards, with a printed total of 63, against 188 and 132 in English.
Every one of the 10 Mega Pokémon ex appears in one of the two, five in each, as the table below shows. The two sets also include art rares that connect when the cards are laid side by side.
How many cards are in the Mega Evolution set?
- Cards 001 to 112 are Pokémon and 113 to 132 are Trainer cards. There are no Energy cards in the set. The rarities run like this:
| Rarity | Mark | Cards | Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | Black circle | 67 | Within 001 to 131 |
| Uncommon | Black diamond | 43 | Within 005 to 132 |
| Rare | Black star | 12 | Within 010 to 095 |
| Double rare | Two black stars | 10 | Within 003 to 104 |
| Illustration rare | One gold star | 22 | 133 to 154 |
| Ultra rare | Two silver stars, which Pokémon calls foil stars | 22 | 155 to 176 |
| Special illustration rare | Two gold stars | 10 | 177 to 186 |
| Mega hyper rare | Its own symbol | 2 | 187 to 188 |
The 10 double rares are all Mega Evolution Pokémon ex; the 22 illustration rares are Pokémon; the 22 ultra rares are Mega Evolution Pokémon ex and Trainer cards; and the 10 special illustration rares are Mega Evolution Pokémon ex and Supporter cards.
Every figure Pokémon gave matches the list. Rip.fan’s page for the set uses the same eight rarities, and our guide to Pokémon rarity symbols explains each mark.
In card number order. Images from Scrydex.
What is in the ultra rare block?
The 10 Mega Pokémon ex and 12 Trainer cards. The 12 Trainer ultra rares are:
| Trainer card type | Ultra rares | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Supporter | 4 | Acerola’s Mischief, Lillie’s Determination, Lt. Surge’s Bargain, Wally’s Compassion |
| Item | 6 | Rare Candy, Night Stretcher, Mega Signal |
| Pokémon Tool | 1 | Air Balloon |
| Stadium | 1 | Mystery Garden |
The four Supporters are also the four Supporter cards among the 10 special illustration rares. The Mega Pokémon ex ultra rares use a new art style that may show the Pokémon’s regular form in silhouette, such as Lucario behind Mega Lucario ex.
Which Mega Pokémon ex come in which versions?
All 10 have a double rare in the main list and an ultra rare above it.
| Mega Pokémon ex | Double rare | Ultra rare | Special illustration rare | Mega hyper rare | Japanese set |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Venusaur ex | 003 | 155 | 177 | None | Mega Brave |
| Mega Camerupt ex | 022 | 156 | None | None | Mega Brave |
| Mega Abomasnow ex | 036 | 157 | None | None | Mega Symphonia |
| Mega Manectric ex | 050 | 158 | None | None | Mega Symphonia |
| Mega Gardevoir ex | 060 | 159 | 178 | 187 | Mega Symphonia |
| Mega Lucario ex | 077 | 160 | 179 | 188 | Mega Brave |
| Mega Absol ex | 086 | 161 | 180 | None | Mega Brave |
| Mega Mawile ex | 094 | 162 | None | None | Mega Brave |
| Mega Latias ex | 100 | 163 | 181 | None | Mega Symphonia |
| Mega Kangaskhan ex | 104 | 164 | 182 | None | Mega Symphonia |
Three patterns stand out:
- The two headliners get all four versions, and each appears in a different Japanese set: Mega Lucario ex in Mega Brave and Mega Gardevoir ex in Mega Symphonia.
- Six of the 10 have a special illustration rare. Mega Camerupt ex, Mega Abomasnow ex, Mega Manectric ex and Mega Mawile ex stop at the ultra rare.
- The list ends on the Mega hyper rares. They are full-art Mega Pokémon ex with gold-etched holographic art. CGC says Mega hyper rares are embossed all over in gold and show a front-facing Pokémon.
What do the illustration rares show?
All 22 illustration rares are Pokémon, from Bulbasaur at 133 to Stufful at 154. This set starts a fresh series of art cards in both tiers, Litleo, Marshadow, Steelix and Mega Absol among them; Mega Absol ex is one of the special illustration rares, at 180. Three art cards are by the same illustrator, mashu: Bulbasaur (133), Ivysaur (134) and Mega Venusaur ex (177). Ninjask (137) and Shedinja (144) share an illustrator too, Tetsu Kayama. Our guide to illustration rares sets the counts beside other sets.
What products hold Mega Evolution packs?
| Product | Packs | Other contents |
|---|---|---|
| Booster Display | 36 | None |
| Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box | 11 | Two full-art foil promos of Alakazam or Riolu, one with the Pokémon Center logo; a box with 6 dividers; 40 Energy cards; 65 sleeves; a set guide; small accessories; a code card |
| Elite Trainer Box | 9 | One full-art foil promo of Alakazam or Riolu, with the same sleeves, Energy cards, guide and box |
| Booster Bundle | 6 | None |
| A box with a 40-card prebuilt deck | 4 | A foil promo, one of four, inside the deck, and a code card |
Read how many cards each booster pack holds on the wrapper. Next to the Journey Together boxes of early 2025, these Elite Trainer Boxes list 40 Energy cards and 6 dividers, where those listed 45 and 4. Our guides to booster boxes and Elite Trainer Boxes set these beside other sets.
How do you check Mega Evolution card prices?
The set has its own page in Rip.fan’s Pokémon price pages, listing its cards with number, rarity and NM market price. Sort it by number and Mega Lucario ex’s four cards sit at 077, 160, 179 and 188; filter it to see one rarity at a time. Promo cards belong on a different page: the series’ Black Star promos have a page of their own. For a single card, the card price lookup searches by name, set or number and shows which printing each price is for, and you can use the price changes page to see moves between Rip.fan’s weekly checks.
If you plan to grade, our guide to whether a card is worth grading covers the costs, and the centering checker turns border measurements into a centering split.
What should you check before buying?
- The version. Mega Lucario ex is four different cards here: 077, 160, 179 and 188. Match the card number to the rarity a listing claims.
- The era. CGC says cards with a capital EX after the name ran into the XY sets, where they tied in with Mega Evolution, and those older cards are Mega Evolution Pokémon-EX. This set’s Mega cards end in a lowercase ex. Our Mega Evolution cards guide shows the difference.
- The language. Japanese printings sit in two sets with their own numbers. Mega Lucario ex is 029 in Mega Brave and 077 here. Our Japanese and English cards guide explains the differences.
- Box contents. A Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box lists 11 packs and two promos, against 9 packs and one promo in the standard box. Check a sealed item against the table, and see our guide to spotting resealed Pokémon packs.
- Genuine cards. Our guide to spotting fake Pokémon cards walks through checks that leave a card unharmed.
The Pokémon hub has the rest of our coverage, and our guides to Phantasmal Flames, Surging Sparks and Paldean Fates cover more sets the same way.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mega Evolution card has the highest price?
Mega Lucario ex (188/132), a Mega Hyper Rare, led Mega Evolution on October 21, 2026, with a Near Mint market price of $223.63. Mega Gardevoir ex (178/132) followed at $168.06.
What is the top-priced Mega Evolution card within the printed total?
Inside the printed total of 132, Meganium (010/132), a Rare, led on October 21, 2026, with a Near Mint market price of $5.23.
Which Mega Evolution Special Illustration Rare costs the most?
It was Mega Lucario ex (179/132), at a Near Mint market price of $167.01 on October 21, 2026.
How much is Mega Lucario ex from Mega Evolution?
On October 21, 2026, the 4 Mega Lucario ex cards in Mega Evolution had Near Mint market prices of $0.69 for 077/132 (Double Rare), $10.37 for 160/132 (Ultra Rare), $167.01 for 179/132 (Special Illustration Rare) and $223.63 for 188/132 (Mega Hyper Rare).