When the Scarlet and Violet era began for thePokemon TCG,you probably didn’t have ‘The triumphant return of Mega Evolution’ on your Bingo card, and that’s okay, neither did we. With the long-awaited return of this treasure mechanic, some of the most popular Mega Pokemon are soaring in price, but others remain as fairly cheap alternatives to the heavy hitters.
Whether you’re excited about collecting your favorite Pokemon on a budget or you just want to enjoy the hype without eating into your food budget, these bargain Mega Evolutions are the perfect cards for you, so get them while they’re still affordable.
Only cards below $50 (at the time of writing) were considered as budget options. Cards are priced according to their TCGplayer market price, which is subject to change.
8Mega Lopunny & Jigglypuff GX: Cosmic Eclipse (Full Art) – $36.68
A High Cuteness Coefficient
You may recognize the adorable duo ofMega Lopunny & Jigglypuff from Cosmic Eclipse,thanks to their popular (and expensive) Alternate Art version. While this card doesn’t feature as many details as the more valuable version, the simple, silvery background provides a solid canvas for these two Pokemon.
Jigglypuff’s pink color palette combines beautifully with Mega Lopunny’s brown and cream-colored coat. If you’re looking for a more affordable version of a top-tier Mega Evolution card, then this is one of the best options for you.
7Mega Sableye & Tyranitar GX: Unified Minds (Ultra Rare) – $37.92
Climbing The Mountain
Speaking of more affordable options to high-end cards, Mega Sableye & Tyranitar offer another excellent example of an alternative version of an expensive card. These two Pokemon combine thanks to their shared Dark typing, but it’s Mega Sableye’s giant gem that brings the two together on multiple levels.
The dark background provides a great contrast to the deep ruby color of the enlarged gem, and each Pokemon’s more muted color palette allows the focus to remain in the center of the card, while still giving each Pokemon an equal share of the spotlight, making it a great example of what you can expect fromits rarer version in Unified Minds.
6M Charizard EX: XY Evolutions (Ultra Rare) – $40.92
A Hot Deal
You might be shocked to see that the M Charizard EX from XY Evolutions managed to qualify as one of the most underrated Mega Evolution cards, as most other versions of this card hover around the triple digits. While this card might not boast a large price tag, it’s one of the coolest-looking Pokemon we’ve seen thus far.
Even though this is far from one of Charizard’s most valuable cards, the artwork is fierce enough to warrant plenty of attention. Grab this card while you’re able to, as it’s likely to continue soaring in price as one of the most accessible Charizard cards on the market.
5M Swampert EX: XY Promos (Promo) – $41.14
Something In The Water
From Fire to Water, Mega Swampert splashes onto the scene, taking the spotlight away from Charizard, as it cools off the hype of the iconic Pokemon’s impending rise. This promo card might not ring a bell for you, but it’s easily one of the best depictions of Swampert across TCG sets.
Swampert looks ready to break through the frame of this card, and at its relatively affordable current price, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it break out of its current price range and into the upper echelon of Mega Pokemon.
4M Scizor EX: XY BREAKpoint (Full Art) – $44.77
The Cutting Edge
Scizor might be one of the most underappreciated Pokemon in the TCG, based on its lack of recent modern artwork or iconic, valuable cards. Despite its career dating back to the early 2000s, Scizor is generally a hard Pokemon to find, but we have a feeling this card is going to start popping up everywhere moving forward.
At about $45, the most affordable Mega Evolution cards are starting to get more expensive, but there are still a few more amazing Pokemon who manage to keep their price tags below the $50 cutoff point to qualify them for inclusion.
3M Rayquaza EX: Roaring Skies (Ultra Rare) – $46.92
The Dragon’s Ascent
Rayquaza is one of the most valuable Mega Pokemon ever,so it might shock you to see one of this Pokemon’s Mega versions dip below the $47 mark, if only briefly.
Expect Rayquaza to be one of the first Pokemon on this list to rise above the $50 cutoff and invalidate itself from consideration. Thanks for that, in advance, Rayquaza.
As Roaring Skies cards continue to gain momentum following the explosion of the Sword & Shield generation’s Evolving Skies, this Rayquaza is likely to be one of the first to start moving up.
2M Metagross (Shiny): XY Promos (Promo) – $47.75
Let It Shine
Mega Metagross makes a rare appearance in the Pokemon TCG, as this Pokemon is another surprisingly underutilized Pokemon TCG inclusion, especially considering its pseudo-legendary status.
However, despite that honor, Metagross' best modern release comes in the form of its Temporal Forces Illustration Rare, which isn’t much considering the Pokemon’s rarity and strength.
To top it all off, this card features Metagross' shiny form, which stands out as a major bonus to this card’s cool factor, as if it wasn’t high enough already. Metagross is barely below $48 and won’t be there for much longer.
1M Blastoise EX: XY Evolutions (Full Art) – $47.99
Blasting Off Again
Blastoise blows the rest of the best Mega Evolution bargains out of the water, with this beautiful full art that gives this Pokemon plenty of real estate to flex its massive muscles and a giant new cannon on its back. With so many other Mega Pokemon already garnering hype, Blastoise is slowly catching up to the pack.
Even though it won’t last for much longer, this card’s sub-$50 price tag makes it the clear winner here, though it would’ve deserved the attention based on the strength of its artwork, anyway.
