Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Delta Reign – The chase cards and what collectors think

Mega Rayquaza is back. Hoenn is back. And apparently Kecleon is ready for his big night out.

Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution—Delta Reign is shaping up to be one of the sets we're going to be talking about for a while.

The Japanese version, Storm Emeralda, has now arrived, giving collectors their first proper look at the full set. And while Mega Rayquaza was always going to be the headline act, there are a few cards hiding in this set that have completely stolen the spotlight.

Some are serious chase cards.

Some are future binder staples.

And one of them is... well...

Kecleon.

We'll get to him.

What is Pokémon TCG: Delta Reign?

Delta Reign is the upcoming English Pokémon TCG expansion based on Japan's Storm Emeralda set.

The English release is scheduled for 6 November 2026, with the set bringing Mega Rayquaza back into the spotlight alongside a strong lineup of Hoenn favourites including Kyogre, Groudon and Raikou.

And honestly, this is exactly the kind of set we love seeing.

It isn't just:

“Here's the biggest Pokémon. Here's the chase card. Good luck.”

There are plenty of cards here that make you stop scrolling and go:

“Wait... THAT card is actually sick.”

The Japanese set contains 113 cards including secret rares, giving collectors plenty to chase when Delta Reign eventually lands in English.

Mega Rayquaza Is Obviously The Big One

Let's get the obvious one out of the way.

Mega Rayquaza ex is the star of Delta Reign, and Pokémon has given collectors several different versions to chase.

There's the regular Mega Rayquaza ex, the Ultra Rare, the Special Illustration Rare and the big one:

Mega Rayquaza ex #113 – Mega Ultra Rare

If you're a Rayquaza collector, you're probably already planning how many copies you need.

One for the binder.

One for the display.

One to grade.

And one that you'll swear you're never selling... until someone offers you an amount of money that makes you question your principles.

The Mega Rayquaza ex Special Illustration Rare #110 is also expected to be one of the biggest chase cards in the English set. The artwork was illustrated by Kazuki Minami, winner of the 2024 Pokémon TCG Illustration Contest.

It's a very different look from some of the iconic Rayquaza cards collectors have become used to, which has already created plenty of discussion around the artwork.

And that's one of the things we like about it.

You don't have to agree on every card.

If everyone loved exactly the same artwork, collecting would get pretty boring.

But Here's Where It Gets Interesting...

Because while Rayquaza is the obvious headline chase, the community has already started picking out some serious contenders for their personal favourites.

And our favourite thing about a new set is seeing which cards nobody expected to care about suddenly become everyone's chase.

Enter:

STRIPLEON

Yes.

Kecleon.

More specifically, the Kecleon Illustration Rare illustrated by Tomokazu Komiya.

And yes, the Pokémon community has already given it a name.

Stripleon.

We're not going to pretend we don't understand why.

The artwork has Kecleon hanging around what appears to be a pole/ vine in a pose that has caused the internet to collectively lose its mind.

The community reaction has ranged from:

“This is the best card in the set.”

to

“Why is Kecleon pole dancing?”

And honestly?

We love it.

The card is illustrated by Tomokazu Komiya, whose wonderfully strange and unmistakable artwork has been responsible for some of the most memorable Pokémon cards over the years.

And that's actually an important part of collecting.

The most expensive card isn't necessarily your favourite card.

The card everyone is calling a “chase” isn't necessarily your chase.

Sometimes you just see a slightly unhinged Kecleon hanging off a pole and think:

Yep. That's the one.

Kecleon's Illustration Rare is card #088 in Storm Emeralda, with the artwork by Tomokazu Komiya.

Stripleon supremacy.

Raikou ex Might Be The Sleeper Hit

If there is one card we've seen repeatedly getting attention from collectors outside of Rayquaza, it's Raikou ex.

The Special Illustration Rare gives Raikou a huge amount of movement and atmosphere, and the artwork has been one of the most consistently praised cards from the set.

And we get it.

Raikou already has a pretty serious fanbase, and this is exactly the kind of dramatic artwork that tends to look even better in person.

If you're putting together a personal chase list rather than simply following the market, Raikou belongs on it.

Kyogre & Groudon Are Back

For the Hoenn collectors, Delta Reign gets even better.

Kyogre and Groudon both receive Illustration Rares, giving us two fantastic cards featuring two of the most iconic Legendary Pokémon from Generation III.

And we're honestly surprised Pokémon didn't give these two even bigger treatments.

There's been some discussion in the community about the fact that Kyogre and Groudon received Illustration Rares rather than Special Illustration Rares.

But personally?

We're not complaining.

A great Illustration Rare is still a great Illustration Rare.

And if you're building a Hoenn binder, these are going straight in.

And There’s a Little Bit of Old-School Nostalgia

Delta Reign isn't just bringing us new Pokémon and new mechanics. There are also a few little details that longtime collectors are going to appreciate.

The Legendary Marine Trench, Legendary Summit and Legendary Lava Tube Stadiums are each split across two cards, with the two halves combining to create one larger piece of artwork. They're also the first Stadium cards in the Pokémon TCG to use a combined illustration like this.

And if you've been collecting for a while, you'll probably recognise the idea.

It feels very old-school Pokémon TCG.

The concept immediately reminds us of the Pokémon LEGEND cards from the HeartGold & SoulSilver era, where two separate cards had to be put together to create the full artwork. Pokémon LEGEND cards were literally designed as two-card Pokémon, with both halves needed to play the complete card.

Delta Reign obviously isn't bringing back LEGEND cards themselves, but seeing Pokémon play around with connecting artwork again is a really cool nod to that era.

And for collectors, it adds another little challenge to the set:

Pull one half... now go find the other.

Because apparently Pokémon still hasn't learned that giving collectors a reason to complete another pair is dangerous for our wallets.

Our Delta Reign Chase List

If we were building our own personal chase board at Collectermon, we'd probably have it looking something like this:

Kecleon AR — Stripleon

Yes, we're serious.

Rayquaza can have the expensive card.

We'll take the weird lizard.

Mega Rayquaza ex SIR

Because... obviously.

It's Mega Rayquaza.

Raikou ex SIR

One of the strongest artworks in the set and a card we're expecting to see become very popular.

Kyogre IR

Huge Hoenn nostalgia points.

Groudon IR

Because you can't have Kyogre without Groudon.

Mega Golurk ex SIR

A really interesting Mega Evolution card that deserves more attention.

Growlithe AR

The Growlithe Illustration Rare (#078) was one of the first secret rares revealed from Storm Emeralda, and the reaction was almost immediately:

“Oh my god, he's so cute.”

And... yeah.

He is.

Delta Reign Full Card List

The Japanese Storm Emeralda checklist currently contains 113 cards, with the English Delta Reign release expected to carry these cards over. The final English names and numbering should be checked against Pokémon's official checklist once released. For the full card list and price guides check out TCG Watchtower.