Chaos Ascendant (ME04): everything about the new Pokémon set of May 22, 2026

The next Pokémon TCG set is called Chaos Ascendant, and it arrives in France on May 22, 2026. The fourth installment of the Mega Evolution era (ME04), this set is shaping up to be dense: 5 brand-new Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, around forty higher rarities, and a product lineup already available for pre-order at specialized retailers. Here's a complete overview.

Chaos Ascendant release date

May 22, 2026 for the boosters, ETBs and three-packs. The Build & Battle boxes are available earlier, from May 9, 2026, roughly two weeks before the rest of the lineup.

If you're planning to open boosters on release day, note that the launch dates of the major retailers (Fnac, Cultura, Amazon FR) generally line up with May 22, with some early deliveries possible for pre-orders.

What the set contains

Chaos Ascendant continues to build on the Mega Evolution mechanic introduced in this era, with a high proportion of higher rarities that make it a set aimed at collectors as much as players. The official breakdown announced by The Pokémon Company is as follows:

That's 45 cards above Rare Holo rarity in a single set, a figure in the upper average of recent sets, which guarantees enough chase cards to keep the community's interest.

The Pokémon to watch

The 5 Mega Evolution ex are obviously the centerpieces of the set. Several Pokémon have already been confirmed on the product artwork:

• Charmeleon is featured on the three-packs, with a dedicated promo card.
• Greninja appears on the ETB card sleeves, a strong hint of a Mega or ex version in the set.
• Fennekin is the Shiny Full Art promo card included in the ETBs.
• The single packs (outside France) feature Toxtricity, Mimikyu, Zacian, Reshiram and Moltres, all Pokémon that could appear as Illustration Rare or Ultra Rare in the set.

The 11 Illustration Rares and the 6 Special Illustration Rares will be the real chase cards of the set for collectors. With no complete list available yet, the Pokémon cited above are the first likely candidates.

Products available

Elite Trainer Box (ETB)

The ETB is the go-to product for opening a set efficiently. The Chaos Ascendant one includes:

• 9 Chaos Ascendant boosters
• 1 promo card: Fennekin Shiny Full Art
• 65 card sleeves in Greninja colors
• 45 Energy cards
• A rulebook, dice, a coin, damage counters
• A rigid storage box

The ETB remains the best content-to-price ratio for a collection-oriented purchase, the Shiny Fennekin promo card has strong visual appeal right away, and the 9 boosters make a good opening base.

Charmeleon three-pack

3 boosters + 1 Charmeleon promo card + 1 digital code. The ideal format to round out a collection without committing to a full ETB budget.

6-booster bundle

6 boosters with no promo. The most neutral option, often available at a reduced price at online retailers.

Build & Battle boxes (available from May 9)

A ready-to-play 40-card deck + 6 boosters + 1 promo card. Perfect for getting started or introducing others to the TCG around a recent set. The early May 9 release lets you get into it before the official booster launch.

Single packs

Available mainly outside France (UK, North America), they feature Pokémon pairs: Toxtricity, Mimikyu/Zacian, Reshiram/Moltres, Sandshrew/Vibrava/Dragonite. If you travel or order internationally, they may hide exclusive promos.

Should you pre-order?

Chaos Ascendant releases in a context where Mega Evolution sets have generally performed well in terms of demand. ME02 (Phantasmal Flames) and ME03 (Perfect Balance) both saw the ETB sell out within days of release.

A few practical benchmarks:

• Pre-ordering the ETB remains the best strategy if you're after the Fennekin promo card, in case of a sell-out, ETBs sometimes end up at +30% on the secondary market.
• The 6-booster bundle is more readily restocked, so less urgent to pre-order.
• Single boosters are best avoided in terms of value: the cost per rare card is clearly higher than the ETB or the bundle.

Track the value from release

From May 22, the first raw card sales will set the market prices for the Illustration Rares and the Mega ex. It's often within the first 72 hours that the highest price peaks are observed, before the market stabilizes a few weeks later.

You can track the value of every Chaos Ascendant card in real time on PokéItem or download the app on iOS or Android to have French prices right in your pocket on release day.