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The MEGA era brought back Mega Evolution and a new run of full-art trainer cards. This guide covers every full-art Supporter, Item, Tool and Stadium from the nine Japanese MEGA sets, compares them with English, and points you to the box each one comes from. Prices as of Oct 14, 2026.
Lillie's Determination is the MEGA trainer to beat
Card Spotlight · Top 5
Top 5 Mega Evolution trainer cards (Japanese)
- 4Acerola's Mischief090/063 · Special Art Rare
$22.57
TCGplayer market · Oct 20, 2026 - 5Dawn115/080 · Special Art Rare
$21.76
TCGplayer market · Oct 20, 2026
Lillie's Determination 091/063 sells for more than twice the next card, Rosa's Encouragement 115/080. Gwynn, Acerola's Mischief and Dawn complete the top five.
The five characters span the series: Lillie and Acerola debuted in Sun & Moon (Gen 7), Rosa in Black 2 & White 2 (Gen 5), Dawn in Diamond & Pearl (Gen 4) and Gwynn in Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Gen 9). Prices move daily.
Nine MEGA sets, and the best trainer in each
"Full art" here means Japanese Super Rares and Special Art Rares, which English sets call Ultra Rares and Special Illustration Rares.
| Japanese set | Released | Full-art trainers | Best trainer | English version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Brave (M1L) | Aug 1, 2025 | 8 | Lillie's Determination 091/063 (SAR) | Mega Evolution |
| Mega Symphonia (M1S) | Aug 1, 2025 | 8 | Acerola's Mischief 090/063 (SAR) | Mega Evolution |
| Inferno X (M2) | Sep 26, 2025 | 8 | Dawn 115/080 (SAR) | Phantasmal Flames |
| MEGA Dream ex (M2a) | Nov 28, 2025 | 12 | Canari 248/193 (SAR) | Ascended Heroes |
| Nihil Zero (M3) | Jan 23, 2026 | 12 | Rosa's Encouragement 115/080 (SAR) | Perfect Order |
| Ninja Spinner (M4) | Mar 13, 2026 | 12 | AZ's Tranquility 118/083 (SAR) | Chaos Rising |
| Abyss Eye (M5) | May 22, 2026 | 12 | Gwynn 117/081 (SAR) | Pitch Black |
| Storm Emeralda (M6) | Jul 31, 2026 | 9 | Zinnia's Trust 112/076 (SAR) | Delta Reign (Nov 6, 2026) |
| 30th CELEBRATION (M6A) | Sep 16, 2026 | 0 new (2 reprints) | — | 30th Celebration |
Ranked by TCGplayer market price of the Japanese card, as of Oct 14, 2026. 30th CELEBRATION's only trainer full arts are Classic Collection reprints of N and Misty.
Every set's full-art trainers, with pictures
Mega Brave (M1L): Lillie's Determination, the era's top trainer
Mega Brave full-art trainers
Lillie's Determination 091/063 is the most valuable trainer card of the whole MEGA era. Lillie debuted in Sun & Moon (Gen 7, Alola). Lt. Surge, who debuted in Red & Blue (Gen 1, Kanto), is the set's other Supporter. Box: Mega Brave price board.
Mega Symphonia (M1S): Acerola's Mischief and Wally
Mega Symphonia full-art trainers
Acerola's Mischief 090/063 leads Mega Symphonia. Acerola debuted in Sun & Moon (Gen 7, Alola), and Wally, the set's other Supporter, debuted in Ruby & Sapphire (Gen 3, Hoenn). Box: Mega Symphonia price board.
Inferno X (M2): Dawn
Inferno X full-art trainers
Dawn 115/080 is the set's only Supporter Special Art Rare. Dawn debuted in Diamond & Pearl (Gen 4, Sinnoh). Grimsley debuted in Black & White (Gen 5), and Firebreather is a generic Trainer class, not a named character. Box: Inferno X price board.
MEGA Dream ex (M2a): Canari, Iris and Surfer
MEGA Dream ex full-art trainers
MEGA Dream ex has three Supporter Special Art Rares. Canari debuted in Pokémon Legends: Z-A (counted as Gen 9), Iris debuted in Black & White (Gen 5, Unova), and Surfer is a generic Trainer class. Box: MEGA Dream ex price board.
Nihil Zero (M3): Rosa's Encouragement
Nihil Zero full-art trainers
Rosa's Encouragement 115/080 is the second most valuable MEGA trainer. Rosa debuted in Black 2 & White 2 (Gen 5, Unova). Jacinthe, Tarragon and Naveen all debuted in Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Gen 9). Box: Nihil Zero price board.
Ninja Spinner (M4): AZ and Roxie
Ninja Spinner full-art trainers
AZ's Tranquility 118/083 and Roxie's Performance 119/083 are close in price. AZ debuted in X & Y (Gen 6, Kalos) and returns in Pokémon Legends: Z-A; Roxie debuted in Black 2 & White 2 (Gen 5, Unova). Box: Ninja Spinner price board.
Abyss Eye (M5): the deepest trainer set
Abyss Eye full-art trainers
Abyss Eye is the deepest MEGA set for trainers. Gwynn debuted in Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Gen 9), Misty in Red & Blue (Gen 1, Kanto) and Gladion in Sun & Moon (Gen 7, Alola). Misty's Spirit 108/081 is the most valuable Super Rare trainer of the era. Box: Abyss Eye price board.
Storm Emeralda (M6): Zinnia's Trust
Storm Emeralda full-art trainers
Zinnia's Trust leads Storm Emeralda in both rarities. Zinnia and Aarune both debuted in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire (Gen 6), the Hoenn remakes, not the original Gen 3 games. English Delta Reign arrives Nov 6, 2026, so there's no English price yet. Box: Storm Emeralda price board.
Japanese vs English: usually cheaper in Japanese, with big exceptions
Japanese Special Art Rares cost less for 10 of the 14 Supporters with an English match. The exceptions are the cards collectors want most: Lillie's Determination, Rosa's Encouragement, Gwynn and Dawn all cost more in Japanese.
JP vs EN
Lillie's Determination: Japanese vs English
Japanese
Lillie's Determination
Special Art Rare
$136.01
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16
English
Lillie's Determination
Special Illustration Rare
$50.46
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16+$85.55
Japanese is 170% higher
JP Mega Brave 091/063 · EN Mega Evolution 184/132
JP vs EN
Rosa's Encouragement: Japanese vs English
Japanese
Rosa's Encouragement
Special Art Rare
$59.51
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16
English
Rosa's Encouragement
Special Illustration Rare
$37.62
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16+$21.89
Japanese is 58% higher
JP Nihil Zero 115/080 · EN Perfect Order 123/088
JP vs EN
Dawn: Japanese vs English
Japanese
Dawn
Special Art Rare
$22.14
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16
English
Dawn
Special Illustration Rare
$17.81
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16+$4.33
Japanese is 24% higher
JP Inferno X 115/080 · EN Phantasmal Flames 129/094
The rest of the list goes the other way, often by a wide margin. These three are all cheaper in Japanese, with the same art in both languages.
JP vs EN
Acerola's Mischief: Japanese vs English
Japanese
Acerola's Mischief
Special Art Rare
$23.06
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16
English
Acerola's Mischief
Special Illustration Rare
$27.52
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16-$4.46
Japanese is 16% lower
JP Mega Symphonia 090/063 · EN Mega Evolution 183/132
JP vs EN
Canari: Japanese vs English
Japanese
Canari
Special Art Rare
$14.18
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16
English
Canari
Special Illustration Rare
$24.49
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16-$10.31
Japanese is 42% lower
JP MEGA Dream ex 248/193 · EN Ascended Heroes 291/217
JP vs EN
AZ's Tranquility: Japanese vs English
Japanese
AZ's Tranquility
Special Art Rare
$7.47
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16
English
AZ's Tranquility
Special Illustration Rare
$21.22
TCGplayer market · Oct 16, 2026Price from Oct 16-$13.75
Japanese is 65% lower
JP Ninja Spinner 118/083 · EN Chaos Rising 120/086
English Mega Evolution combines Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia into one set, so its numbers don't match either Japanese set. That's why every Japanese card above carries its own set.
Full-art Items, Tools and Stadiums: new, but cheap
Every main MEGA set prints its best Items, Tools and Stadiums as full-art Super Rares. They look great, but they rarely sell for much: the best Japanese one, Surfing Beach 112/083 from Ninja Spinner, was $2.01 as of Oct 14, 2026, and the best English one, Poké Pad from Perfect Order, was $8.42.
The most valuable Japanese full-art Items, Tools and Stadiums
What a sealed MEGA box gives you
A factory-sealed main-set MEGA box follows a strong pattern: one Super Rare or better, which can be any Pokémon or Supporter card, plus one Item, Tool or Stadium Super Rare. So you can usually count on one full-art trainer, but it's usually a cheap one.
No box pattern guarantees a Supporter Special Art Rare. The pattern applies to factory-sealed full boxes only and isn't an official promise. MEGA Dream ex and 30th CELEBRATION follow different patterns.
Where to open for the top two
Lillie's Determination comes from Mega Brave, and Rosa's Encouragement from Nihil Zero. Here's how each box compares vs TCGplayer today:
Price gap
Mega Brave (M1L) booster box
Japan-direct, lowest ask
$55.99
≈ ￥8,700
TCGplayer market (US resale)
$79.99
≈ ￥12,600
Market price on TCGplayer, not a seller ask
Save $24.00 · before fees & shipping
Shop this boxPrice gap
Nihil Zero (M3) booster box
Japan-direct, lowest ask
$55.99
≈ ￥8,800
TCGplayer market (US resale)
$72.99
≈ ￥11,400
Market price on TCGplayer, not a seller ask
Save $17.00 · before fees & shipping
Shop this boxWant the year's list instead? Read the best trainer cards of 2026. New to the codes? Read Japanese Pokémon rarity codes explained.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best Mega Evolution trainer card?
Lillie's Determination, the Special Art Rare from Japan's Mega Brave (091/063), at $138.70 on TCGplayer as of Oct 14, 2026. The English Special Illustration Rare from Mega Evolution was $51.34.
Are Japanese MEGA trainer cards cheaper than English?
Usually. Japanese Special Art Rares were cheaper for 10 of 14 trainers with an English match as of Oct 14, 2026. The exceptions include four of the top five: Lillie's Determination, Rosa's Encouragement, Gwynn and Dawn.
Do MEGA sets have full-art Items and Stadiums?
Yes. Every main MEGA set prints Items, Tools and Stadiums as full-art Super Rares, but they're cheap: under $9 in English and about $2 or less in Japanese, as of Oct 14, 2026.
Which MEGA box should I open for trainer cards?
For the single most valuable trainer, Mega Brave (Lillie's Determination). For the most trainer depth, Abyss Eye. No box pattern guarantees a Supporter Special Art Rare.
Which Mega Evolution trainers debuted in Pokémon Legends: Z-A?
Gwynn, Jacinthe, Canari, Tarragon, Naveen and Philippe. AZ and Emma debuted earlier, in X & Y, and also appear in Legends: Z-A.
All Pokémon images © The Pokémon Company, Nintendo, Creatures and GAME FREAK.
Pacific Card Exchange is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company, Nintendo, Creatures, or GAME FREAK. Prices are snapshots and change frequently.
Sources
- TCGplayer market prices, Japanese MEGA sets (as of 2026-10-14)
- TCGplayer market prices, English Mega Evolution-era sets (as of 2026-10-14)
Written by
Bryce Watson
Bryce runs Pacific Card Exchange and tracks Japanese sealed Pokémon prices every day for international buyers.
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