Following the announcement that the next major Pokémon video game to be released will be Pokémon Legends Z-A in 2025, the sixth generation of Pokémon is once again at the forefront of the fanbase’s collective minds. Legends Z-A is a direct prequel to Pokémon X and Y—the two primary sixth-generation video games.

In addition to the video games, the sixth generation of the Pokémon franchise, spanning from 2013 to 2016, left an indelible mark on the Pokémon TCG. To this day, some sixth-generation cards remain among the rarest, most coveted, and most valuable in the history of the Pokémon TCG.

Let’s now take a trip to Kalos and look at five of the rarest and most desired Pokémon TCG cards from Gen 6. Each card listed here is of the Ultra Rare (UR) rarity.

Mega Charizard ex (Wild Blaze [XY2] 089/080) (PSA 10 Price: US$2,198)

How could we possibly begin with anything other than the most obvious pick of all? At this point, Charizard cards—even arguably ordinary ones—almost have a mythic quality about them. Not only that—this isn’t even close to an “ordinary” Charizard card.

This iconic card features Mega Charizard X, the Mega Evolution of the Gen 1 Fire-type starter exclusive to Pokémon X. Perhaps its single biggest selling point over its counterpart from Pokémon Y lies in its Dragon typing. For years, Pokémon fans (TCG and otherwise) have clamored for Charizard’s type to be changed to Fire/Dragon. While their wishes weren’t exactly granted, that’s exactly the type combination that Charizard became upon receiving its Mega Evolution in X.

On top of that, the striking, dynamic artwork, the name of Mega Charizard ex’s Wild Blaze attack (from which the set’s name is derived) emblazoned across the image in Japanese, and the fact that it’s all three of a Mega Evolution, Pokémon-ex, and an Ultra Rare card make this arguably the single biggest possible pull of the Pokémon TCG’s sixth generation.

Mega Rayquaza ex (Bandit Ring [XY7] 095/081) (PSA 10 Price: US$671)

When it was introduced to the video games, Mega Rayquaza was so obscenely powerful that it was blacklisted from the Uber tier—an astounding achievement given the fact that the Uber tier was designed to include the most powerful ‘mons so that nothing could be banned from it.

Mega Rayquaza’s TCG counterpart lives up to its video game version’s (literal and figurative) lofty status. The card features a visually stunning illustration depicting Mega Rayquaza ex’s body surrounded by a rash of colors as it unleashes an attack. Like other Mega Evolutions, the name of its attack—Emerald Break—runs across the card image in Japanese letters.

To further cement this card’s iconic status, it’s the Shiny version of Mega Rayquaza ex which the card depicts. Not only is it Shiny—the fact that it’s a Shiny Rayquaza is significant too as countless Pokémon fans over the years have claimed that Shiny Rayquaza looks infinitely better than its ordinary version.

Mega Lucario ex (Rising Fist [XY3] 105/096) (PSA 10 Price: US$201)

Largely thanks to multiple appearances in the Super Smash Bros. video game series, Lucario was already among the most popular Pokémon even before it received a Mega Evolution in Gen 6. Once its Mega Evolution made its way to the TCG, there was little doubt that it would become a standout card.

The card’s full-art illustration by 5ban Graphics depicts the Aura Pokémon unleashing its Rising Fist attack—from which the set’s name is taken—at maximum force. Jagged lines surrounding Mega Lucario ex emphasize the sheer impact of the attack, while as with the other Mega Evolution cards, the attack’s name in Japanese letters is displayed across the card’s main image.

Although there are two UR cards in Rising Fist [XY3], the other—Mega Heracross ex—doesn’t have nearly the same clout that Lucario and its Mega Evolution do among both Pokémon fans and the general public, leading to this card’s elevated value.

Gyarados ex (Rage of the Broken Heavens [XY9] 089/080) (PSA 10 Price: US$308)

Ask any Pokémon fan to name a Shiny Pokémon—chances are that they’ll say “Red Gyarados”. The iconic encounter with the Red Gyarados at the Lake of Rage in the video games left an indelible mark on the history of Pokémon. With that in mind, this card was always likely to be among the generation’s most memorable.

The first word that comes to mind when one thinks of Gyarados is likely something along the lines of “fury”—a concept encapsulated by Eske Yoshinob’s illustration. Gyarados ex is positioned to look as though it’s bursting out of the card frame, doing so with such rage that its eyes have turned pure white as it leaves a mighty wave in its wake.

The card’s holofoil also provides a gleaming spectrum-like effect that adds further visual impact. This card is wholly carried by its visuals—while there is a Full Art version, this is a rare example of the ordinary card outclassing its Full Art counterpart.

The Full Art version does look impressive in its own right, but it lacks the sheer ferocity that this card emanates and has defined Red Gyarados ever since its unforgettable introduction.

Mewtwo ex (Red Flash [XY8] 065/059) (PSA 10 Price: US$518)

We’ll finish things off with the Mewtwo ex card from the Red Flash [XY8] expansion set. Slightly more expensive than its counterpart from the simultaneously-released Blue Shock [XY8] set, this Secret iteration of Mewtwo ex features its titular Pokémon standing resolutely in front of three other Pokémon—Magnezone, Chesnaught, and Cresselia.

The card’s artwork isn’t the only thing that conveys the notion of the Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon’s overwhelming power. Behind Mewtwo ex and the three Pokémon in front of which it stands are red and yellow vertical lines with a gradient pattern—placed for dramatic effect.

What’s interesting about this card is that it’s both rarer and vastly more expensive than Mega Mewtwo ex, its Mega Evolution. As this was the eighth expansion set of the Pokémon TCG’s sixth generation, this might have implied that the novelty of Mega Evolution may have begun to wear off at the point of the set’s release.

That concludes our list of five of the rarest Gen 6 Pokémon cards. We’re certain that once Pokémon Legends Z-A drops, it won’t be long before the Pokémon TCG returns to Kalos and brings us even more uber-rare cards. Once that happens, you can be sure we’ll be the first to break it to you.

In other TCG-related stories, check out the Gouging Fire ex card from Wild Force [SV5K] next.

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