The first of the most popular Pokémon cards in Ascended Heroes, Budew proves that even the smallest little Grass-type can make a big impact. While the pastel, dreamlike Illustration Rare artwork by Yoko Hishida has certainly been a draw for collectors, its attack — Itchy Pollen — has almost definitely helped sales, too.

For no Energy, it deals light damage while preventing Item cards next turn; that makes it a very efficient disrupt that can stall opponent’s strategies even in the early game. It’s efficient, adorable, and well worth the nearly $28 market price Budew has earned for itself at the time of writing.

#9 – Boss’s Orders [Corbeau] (256/217, Ultra Rare)

An undisputed fan favourite from Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Corbeau controlled the Rust Syndicate with class, and Boss’s Orders allows him to take control of the board in a trading card match as well — letting you switch in one of your opponent’s bench Pokémon into the active spot.

It’s a simple effect, but it can delay the flow of your opponent’s strategy enough for you to turn the tables and/or keep the pressure up.

Of course, nagismo’s artwork showing off sharp character art and confident pose elevates the presentation (and its rank in the Ascended Heroes sales charts even further), making Corbeau’s powerful stare and style oozing aura and meta competitiveness all the way from your binder.

#8 – Lillie’s Clefairy ex (280/217, Special Illustration Rare)

Given another Lillie’s Clefairy ex topped the charts of the most expensive Pokémon cards in the Journey Together expansion, it’s no surprise the latest version in Ascended Heroes is the eighth most popular card of this new expansion.

Not only is this card’s illustration of Lillie embracing Clefairy simply delightful, but its ability and attack have some nice tactical weight, as well. Fairy Zone turns Dragon Weakness into Psychic, which can reshape certain matchups entirely, while Full Moon Rondo scales damage based on both players’ Benches.

When it comes to Lillie's Clefairy ex, collectors shopping on TCGplayer seem to love the artistic appeal, the overall cuteness factor, and gameplay flexibility; what a winning combination.

#7 – Mega Dragonite ex (271/217, Mega Attack Rare)

Essentially the mascot of Ascended Heroes, it’s definitely not a shocker that Mega Dragonite ex is another popular Pokémon card on this list.

Although much cheaper than the other version below, this Mega Attack Rare’s artwork still stands out in its own right: with a bold and stylised illustration, complete with giant Japanese katakana writing, pops off like an anime episode of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.

Its gameplay capabilities have surely kept it popular, too, as Sky Transport allows once-per-turn switching between Active and Benched Pokémon — enabling fluid positioning that many Stage 2 decks crave.

#6 – Mega Dragonite ex (290/217, Special Illustration Rare)

For an extra $500 worth of market value, Pokémon TCG fans have been buying the Special Illustration Rare version of Mega Dragonite ex, which turns the Dragon Pokémon into a whimsical centrepiece.

Once again, using the Ascended Heroes expansion’s love for soft pastel colours and sparkling effects, Dragonite looks transformed into a storybook fairytale creature rather than a Pocket Monster. What’s more, its Sky Transport Ability and Ryuno Glide attack still hit just as hard. Although, we’re assuming buyers are putting a valuable version like this into binders rather than their competitive deck boxes.

#5 – Mega Charizard Y ex (294/217, Mega Hyper Rare)

Gems like the golden Mega Hyper Rare cards rarely struggle to find buyers, and Mega Charizard Y ex’s is no exception. Along with the minimalist golden silhouette giving this card instant prestige, its Y Explosion attack delivers targeted 280 damage to any opposing Pokémon — albeit at the cost of discarding three Energy.

At the time of writing, according to its market price, this flashy and powerful card is $425 well spent to a lot of Ascended Heroes collectors among the Pokémon TCG fandom.

#4 – Mega Gengar ex (269/217, Mega Attack Rare)

Like with Mega Dragonite ex’s Mega Attack Rare, this is the Gengar players can actually play without spending what would’ve been enough money to buy a PlayStation 5. Mega Gengar ex’s own comic-inspired artwork pops with bold colours and the iconic Ghost-type’s cheeky attitude, giving the card a dynamic feel straight out of a manga panel, which many TCG fans have loved adding to their collections.

Gameplay-wise, Shadowy Concealment makes Mega Gengar ex fun to play with, too, as it reduces the Prize cards opponents take when one of your Darkness Pokémon falls to a Pokémon ex — subtly altering prize trades. Meanwhile, Void Gale hits for 230 and redistributes Energy to the Bench for some tactical flexibility.

#3 – Psyduck (226/217, Illustration Rare)

The third best-selling popular card in the Pokémon TCG’s Ascended Heroes expansion, Psyduck’s beachside artwork radiates absolute calm, which makes its disruptive effect slightly funny in an ironic way.

While its Damp is quite niche, shutting down any Ability that requires a Pokémon to knock itself out, it can still work in certain matchups. Still, the reason TCGplayer customers have jumped on this card is far more likely for everyone’s favourite duck living its most peaceful life in an artificially quaint close-up.

#2 – Poké Pad (198/217, Common)

Not every bestseller needs to be flashy, with the Poké Pad’s ability — to search your deck for a Pokémon without a Rule Box — being the lone reason it’s the second most popular Pokémon card in Ascended Heroes.

That’s because not only does it give evolution-heavy strategies more consistency and speed, it also fits into so many deck archetypes; with a mere market price of $7.16 as of February 2026, it makes more than enough sense for buyers to snap up multiple copies at a time for different decks.

#1 – Mega Gengar ex (284/217, Special Illustration Rare)

Taking the top spot of the most popular card in the Pokémon TCG’s Ascended Heroes is the jaw-droppingly expensive Mega Gengar ex in its Special Illustration Rare form. The biggest contributor to it being such a big seller, even with an $800+ market price, is Taiga Kasai’s artwork that bursts with neon chaos — turning Gengar into a looming, mischievous force that dominates the card frame.

It carries the same prize-manipulating Shadowy Concealment Ability and energy-shifting Void Gale attack as its alternate version, but the premium art is without a doubt what’s earned Gengar the Ascended Heroes crown in this case, and we expect the popularity to keep going for quite some time.

Ascended Heroes - Where to Buy

Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.