The Chaos Rising English Cards Are Out — and the Surprises Are Real
TPCi dropped the Chaos Rising English card reveals today, confirmed by European outlets including GamesRadar and The Gamer. Out May 22nd, prereleases May 9–17. It's nearly a 1:1 port of Japan's Ninja Spinner — but with some real additions and one notable cut.
Mega Gallade ex Is in the Main Set Now
This is the big one. Mega Gallade ex was previously only available as a January promo from the "Mega Gallade ex Special Set" — meaning a lot of players never got a clean shot at it. TPCi is folding it directly into Chaos Rising as a proper set card.
The stats are no joke: Fighting, HP 350, Stage 2 from Kirlia. Gale Cut hits 200 total if Gallade has no damage counters — insane for a Stage 2 opener. Marvelous Edge tops it off at 240 flat, three Prize KO. Genuinely meta-relevant.
Krookodile ex and Adversity Insurance: The Gym Promo Imports
Krookodile ex (Darkness, HP320, Stage 2 from Krokorok) joins from November 2025's Gym promos, along with Adversity Insurance. The tool is clever — if your Active Pokémon has a Weakness to the opponent's attacker and takes damage, you draw 3 cards. Real tech potential for disadvantaged matchups.
Krookodile's Strong Bite goes from 140 to 280 when a Tool is attached. Pairs with Adversity Insurance conceptually, though you lose the draw effect the moment you attach it. Interesting tension there.
What Got Cut — and Why Fennekin Fans Are Disappointed
Fennekin's Illustration Rare is out of the main set. It's not gone entirely — TPCi turned it into the Elite Trainer Box promo — but that's cold comfort for anyone who wanted to pull it from a booster. IR pulls being gated behind ETB purchases is never a popular call, honestly.
The broader context: Japan stopped printing subsets, pushing the English TCG toward smaller sets. Response to print shortages or a permanent format shift? Too early to say. Chaos Rising joins Phantasmal Flames and Perfect Order as the new normal — fewer unique cards, but theoretically better odds on the ones that actually matter.
Chaos Rising prereleases kick off May 9th. Stay on top of prices as the cards enter the market with the best Pokémon TCG apps for collectors. And if you missed yesterday's Pocket news, the Pulsing Aura and Mega Lucario ex reveal is worth checking — Mega Pokémon are having a proper moment across both formats right now.