We're Back and Chaos Rising Has Our Attention

It's been a while. A longer while than I intended, if I'm being honest.

The last time I wrote here was January, right before the Mega Evolution: Ascended Heroes launch. I was excited. The kids were excited. We had a plan. And then... life happened, the hobby tested us a little, and somehow four months went by before I sat down to write again. So — hi. We're back.

The Launch Day That Got Away

Let me just say it plainly: we struck out on Ascended Heroes.

We were ready for launch day, and the packs just weren't there. Sold out locally before we arrived, online was chaos (the ironic kind), and the prices creeping up on the secondary market made it an easy decision to walk away and wait. For a family that doesn't chase cards at a premium, it wasn't worth it — and I don't think we were alone. From everything I saw online, early availability was rough for a lot of collectors.

It stings a little when you've built something up in your head, especially when the kids are asking about it. But they handled it with more grace than I did, honestly. We regrouped pretty quickly.

Getting Back Into It

So we did what you do — we opened other things.

Over the past few months, we've been working through some packs we had on hand, picking up what was available locally without pressure, and letting the hobby breathe a little. There's something genuinely nice about opening cards without the FOMO of a hot new release driving every pull. An ultra rare here, a nice full art there. The kids remembered why they love the hobby itself, not just the launches.

It's been a good reset. We're more re-acquainted with the rhythm of collecting now, and that feels right heading into the summer. The kids have even been trading amongst themselves, which has been fun to see as well.

Something We've Been Building Toward

I don't want to give too much away yet, but we've been quietly planning our first real Binder Challenge as a family, and it's shaping up to be one of the cooler things we've done together. Full details coming soon. It involves the whole crew, some incredibly hard rules, and the binder work we've been chipping away at behind the scenes.

Stay tuned. We're excited about this one.

Chaos Rising: What's Coming May 22nd

Which brings us to the reason I actually sat down to write today. Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution — Chaos Rising is the fourth set in the Mega Evolution series, and it hits shelves May 22nd.

Where Ascended Heroes leaned hard into Gen 1 nostalgia — Charizard, Blastoise, the hits everyone grew up with — Chaos Rising takes things in a different direction. Mega Greninja ex leads the set, alongside Mega Floette ex, Mega Pyroar ex, and Mega Dragalge ex. It's a deeper-cut Kalos roster. For people who were playing during X and Y, there's real nostalgia here. For me and my kids, who are still learning the generations, it's a fresh wave of Pokémon to discover.

The Mega Floette ex caught my eye specifically — it's one of the cooler color schemes and artwork I've seen recently.

On the chase card front, the Special Illustration Rares include a Mega Greninja ex SIR and a Mega Gardevoir ex SIR that the community is already buzzing about. We're not in the business of hunting $200+ cards, but pulling one of the best cards in the set? Always fun.

Hoping for Better Availability

Here's the part that matters most to us practically: Perfect Order, the March set, has actually been pretty easy to find at retail. No panic, no markups, just packs on shelves when we went looking. That's all we ask for. That's the hobby working the way it should for families like ours.

We're really hoping Chaos Rising follows that same pattern. If we can walk into our local store on May 22nd and actually pick up a few packs without a lottery, we'll be there. If not, then it's okay because we've gotten a little better at patience this year.

Prereleases are running May 9–17 at local game stores if you want an early crack at the set through a Build & Battle Box. We haven't done a prerelease together as a family yet, and don't think we'll make it to this one, but let us know, how are they, and is it worth it?

What's Next for Us

More content is coming — and I mean it this time. The Family Binder Challenge details will be up soon, we'll have updates on how the collection is growing, and if we manage to actually get our hands on Chaos Rising packs, you'll hear about it here.

Thanks for sticking around during the quiet stretch. It's good to be writing again.

If you grabbed Ascended Heroes on launch day (lucky you), or if you're watching Chaos Rising — drop a comment. I'd love to hear what other collecting families are looking forward to this summer.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go explain to my kids why "Mega Greninja would look great in the binder" is not technically a good reason to pre-order a booster box.