The Pokémon Center is exploding after surprise Ascended Heroes drop

3 hours ago 2

Published Jul 22, 2026, 1:27 PM EDT

Fans were expecting a 30th anniversary drop, not the return of some of the most sought-after sets

The Pikachu special illustration card in the Ascended Heroes set.

I hope you're not tired of looking at Psyduck for hours as The Pokémon Center's queue timer counts down, because there are more trading card game products to buy. This drop, surprisingly, is not for the 30th anniversary TCG collection. Instead, what's dropping is a mishmash of a few highly-regarded Pokémon sets.

What's available for purchase right now includes:

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet-151 Mini Tin (Gengar & Omanyte) — 2 packs, $9.99
Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Ascended Heroes Collection (Larry & Erika) — 2 packs, $9.99
Pokémon TCG Poké Ball Tin — 3 packs, $14.99

Each product has a purchase limit of one per household. Wait times are high, like usual, and the new products might not last long. Both Ascended Heroes and 151 sets fetch high prices on the resale market. Bots will be pervasive, but don't be discouraged. The first hour of any new TCG drop is filled with destabilizing issues for everyone trying to connect. Whatever number The Pokémon Center shows can change fast. In the last round, my wait time went from over 35 hours to merely two hours during that initial time frame. The strict purchasing limits may also help ensure that more people can purchase these products.

As per usual, refrain from refreshing the page — even if the screen goes blank. Unless the page crashes, it will eventually refresh on its own. Do not try to connect to the website with multiple devices running off the same connection. VPNs will be flagged, and don't even think about trying to purchase above the limit using any of the same billing or address information. Doing any of these things could lead to an IP ban, otherwise known as error 17. A less severe infraction, error 15, can appear while attempting to check out. The latter issue can be resolved, but a ban might render you unable to visit The Pokémon Center for months at a time on that specific connection. If your connection is blocked or your IP is banned, try using mobile LTE or a different network.

Finally, if you get through the queue and complete your purchase, make sure to screenshot the receipt. A confirmation email may not appear for a while, so keeping a personal record is prudent. You can read more of The Pokémon Center's advice on how to successfully pre-order on its site here.

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