Pokemon Chaos Rising Preview: Every Chase Card & Value Prediction Before May 22, 2026

Chaos Rising Releases May 22, 2026 — Here's Every Chase Card

Mega Evolution—Chaos Rising is the fourth expansion in the Mega Evolution era and arrives worldwide on May 22, 2026. Prereleases run May 9–17, with a Build & Battle Box early-access event the weekend before launch.

Chaos Rising is the exact opposite design philosophy from Ascended Heroes: a small, focused set (just over 120 cards), five Mega Evolution ex, and a tight chase tier. That constraint is what's making Chaos Rising dangerous from a value perspective — fewer chase cards means concentrated demand on fewer printings.

Here's the complete preview: every known chase card, current Japanese Ninja Spinner price comps, and what the English release is likely to do at launch.

The Set at a Glance

Chaos Rising is based on the Japanese Ninja Spinner expansion and is essentially a 1:1 English translation of that set's card pool. The card breakdown:

• Over 120 total cards (smallest Mega Evolution era set so far)
• 5 Mega Evolution Pokemon ex — Mega Greninja ex, Mega Floette ex, Mega Pyroar ex, Mega Dragalge ex, plus one additional unconfirmed Mega
• 5 Pokemon ex
• 11 Illustration Rares
• 18 Ultra Rares (full-art Pokemon and Trainers)
• 6 Special Illustration Rares (Pokemon and Supporters)
• Mega Hyper Rares (gold-etched) for the top Mega ex

Six SIRs across a 120-card set. For comparison, Ascended Heroes has 22 SIRs across 295 cards. Chaos Rising's SIRs are going to be chased hard.

The Headliner: Mega Greninja ex

Mega Greninja is the cover star, the face of the set, and already the most-anticipated chase card of 2026. There's good reason:

• First Mega Greninja in Pokemon TCG history, closing a nostalgic loop from the Kalos era
• Greninja is a perennial top-3 fan-favorite Pokemon, with the 2016 Pokemon of the Year win cementing its collector status
• The Mega Greninja ex SIR features a dynamic ninja-spinning kunai motif that's already being called the best Mega SIR art of the era

Japanese Ninja Spinner comp pricing (pre-English release):

• Mega Greninja ex Full Art: ~$21
• Mega Greninja ex Special Illustration Rare: ~$250
• Mega Greninja ex Mega Hyper Rare (gold): ~$593

Those prices are from the Japanese set, which released first. English prices almost always run higher at launch due to deeper collector demand and more aggressive grading submission.

English launch prediction for Mega Greninja ex SIR: $400–$600 raw on day one. Secondary spike potential to $800+ if pull rates mirror previous small Mega sets.

Mega Greninja ex MHR (gold) prediction: $700–$1,200 raw at English launch, with PSA 10 comps potentially clearing $2,000 within 90 days given the gold-cover-star premium.

The gap between Mega Greninja and the next-most-valuable card in the Japanese set is roughly $229 — that's how dominant this card is in value rankings. Expect the English version to widen the gap.

The Rest of the Chase Tier

Mega Floette ex — Special Illustration Rare

• Japanese comp: ~$75
• English prediction: $150–$220 raw at launch
• Why it's chased: The Floette line has a small but obsessive collector following (fairy-type + Gen 6 + anime significance with AZ's Floette). The SIR art is stunning — floral whites and pinks against a battle-charged background.

Mega Pyroar ex — Special Illustration Rare

• Japanese comp: ~$40 (FA version ~$3)
• English prediction: $80–$140 raw at launch
• Why it's chased: Pyroar is an underutilized Pokemon that rarely sees high-rarity cards. Fire-type collectors and lion iconography fans will drive steady demand, even if it's the lowest-demand Mega in the set.

Mega Dragalge ex — Special Illustration Rare

• Japanese comp: ~$19 (FA version ~$3)
• English prediction: $60–$100 raw at launch
• Why it's chased: Dragalge is one of the more obscure Kalos Pokemon, but the Mega version is a first-of-its-kind release. Niche but genuine demand.

Roxie's Performance — Special Illustration Rare (Supporter)

• Japanese comp: ~$21
• English prediction: $60–$100 raw at launch
• Why it's chased: Trainer-gallery style Supporter SIRs have a dedicated waifu-collector audience. Roxie's Pokemon Black/White 2 punk-rock aesthetic translates well to the SIR treatment.

Cinccino ex — Special Illustration Rare

• Japanese comp: ~$21
• English prediction: $50–$90 raw at launch
• Why it's chased: Adorable-mon premium. Cinccino is a consistent performer in pop-culture fan polls.

Full SIR List (Six Special Illustration Rares)

1. Mega Greninja ex
2. Mega Floette ex
3. Mega Pyroar ex
4. Mega Dragalge ex
5. Roxie's Performance (Supporter)
6. Cinccino ex

Plus the Mega Hyper Rare (gold etched) variants of the top Mega ex — Greninja's MHR being the crown-jewel chase card.

Product Lineup & Pricing

• Booster Pack: MSRP $4.49
• Build & Battle Box (May 9–17 prerelease): $24.99, includes an early-access prerelease promo
• Booster Bundle (6 packs): MSRP ~$27
• Elite Trainer Box (9 packs + accessories): MSRP $59.99, secondary expected $100+ at launch
• Pokemon Center Elite Trainer Box (11 packs, exclusive promo): MSRP $59.99, likely $150+ secondary
• Booster Box (36 packs): MSRP ~$161
• Mega ex Box (4 packs + foil promo featuring Mega Greninja/Floette/Pyroar/Dragalge): $21.99

Preorder status (as of April 24, 2026): ETBs and Booster Bundles have already sold out at Pokemon Center following the April preorder drops. Some booster boxes remain available, but scalper premiums are already climbing. Best Buy, GameStop, and Amazon have preorders live at MSRP with limited availability.

How Much Could a Chaos Rising Box Be Worth?

A booster box of 36 packs at 1-in-100 SIR pull rates gives you roughly:

• 30% chance of a single SIR hit
• 15% chance of a Mega Hyper Rare hit
• Expected value of ~$120–$180 in singles from pulls

Against an MSRP-paid $161 booster box, that's structurally breakeven or slightly negative EV. Against a secondary-market $280+ booster box, it's clearly negative EV for pure ripping. Translation: buy singles unless you're in it for the experience.

Grading Strategy for Chaos Rising

Because Chaos Rising has only six SIRs and likely 2–3 MHRs in the chase tier, grading economics work cleanly:

Grade immediately on pull:

• Mega Greninja ex SIR — highest-dollar card in the set, clean PSA 10 premium expected
• Mega Greninja ex MHR (gold) — gold cards need early grading before sleeve damage compounds
• Any SIR from a near-mint pack

Wait and watch:

• Mid-tier ultra rares that might trend up if the character becomes tournament-playable
• Full art Trainers — these sometimes appreciate months after release as competitive players lock in

Expected grading premiums (extrapolating from prior Mega Evolution sets):

• PSA 10 Mega Greninja SIR: 2.5x – 3x raw ($1,500–$2,000+ target)
• PSA 10 Mega Greninja MHR: 2.5x – 3x raw ($2,000–$3,500+ target)
• PSA 10 Mega Floette / Pyroar / Dragalge SIRs: 2x raw

The Small-Set Premium Effect

Chaos Rising's size matters for long-term value. Small Pokemon sets historically outperform large ones on a per-card basis because:

1. Fewer cards split the collector's attention — demand concentrates on the hits
2. Lower total print volume (Pokemon typically adjusts print runs to set size)
3. Completionist master sets are more achievable, driving sustained demand

Compare: Paldean Fates (small, 091 + secret rares) produced Shiny Charizard ex at $400+ raw at launch and sustained that value through 2025. Ascended Heroes (massive) will see more launch-window chase card depreciation as print volume floods the secondary market.

Chaos Rising is built like Paldean Fates. Mega Greninja ex SIR has all the fundamentals to be the Shiny Charizard of 2026.

What To Do Before May 22

If you collect: Preorder an ETB at MSRP if you can still find one. Skip sealed booster boxes at scalper prices. Plan to buy Mega Greninja SIR singles 7–14 days after release when initial launch premiums fade.

If you grade: Identify your target cards now and have submissions prepped. PSA bulk submission windows fill up fast after major releases — the sooner you get Mega Greninja SIR copies into the pipeline, the earlier your PSA 10 hits market before population inflation.

If you speculate: The gold Mega Greninja MHR is the highest-upside single card in the set. If you can pull or buy one at or below $700 in the first 30 days, the PSA 10 comp has real legs.

ZeroPop Tip: Pre-Screen Your Submissions

Mega Greninja's dark blue and red background is exactly the kind of foil-heavy, dark-bordered artwork that punishes edge whitening. Scan every Chaos Rising pull with ZeroPop before submitting — our on-device AI identifies the centering and surface issues that turn a $2,000 PSA 10 into a $650 PSA 9. For the highest-dollar cards in this set, pre-screening is the difference between a profitable submission and a break-even one.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Chaos Rising release?

Pokemon TCG: Mega Evolution—Chaos Rising releases worldwide on May 22, 2026. Prereleases run May 9–17 with Build & Battle Boxes available for early-access events.

What is the top chase card in Chaos Rising?

Mega Greninja ex is the headline chase card, with two major variants: the Special Illustration Rare ($250 Japanese comp, $400–$600 English prediction) and the Mega Hyper Rare gold version ($593 Japanese comp, $700–$1,200 English prediction).

How many SIRs are in Chaos Rising?

Six Special Illustration Rares: Mega Greninja ex, Mega Floette ex, Mega Pyroar ex, Mega Dragalge ex, Roxie's Performance (Supporter), and Cinccino ex.

Is Chaos Rising a small set?

Yes. Chaos Rising has just over 120 total cards, making it the smallest Mega Evolution era set. This makes chase cards structurally more valuable because collector demand concentrates on fewer hits.

Should I preorder Chaos Rising?

Preorder an Elite Trainer Box at MSRP if available — that's solid value at $59.99. Skip scalper-priced booster boxes above $200. Singles of Mega Greninja ex SIR will be the best-value purchase in the first 30 days after release.

What is Chaos Rising based on?

Chaos Rising is based on the Japanese Ninja Spinner set released earlier in 2026. It's nearly a 1:1 translation of that card pool into English, with added English-exclusive promo cards from the ETB and Build & Battle Box products.