Phantasmal Flames: Chase Cards and What's Worth Grading

By Mitchell Taljaard · 25 Oct 2026

Phantasmal Flames is the English Mega Evolution set led by Mega Charizard X ex. It came out in November 2025, so there's almost a year of prices to look at. Most of that story is about one card.

We're Cuppas Cards, a PCG submission service for South African Pokémon collectors. We don't grade cards ourselves: PCG (Premier Card Grading) in the UK assigns every grade. This guide covers the chase cards, what they're worth in rand and which make sense to grade. All prices are as of 15 October 2026.

What is Phantasmal Flames?

Phantasmal Flames is an English set from the Mega Evolution era. It released on 14 November 2025, according to The Pokémon Company's official set page.

It has 94 main cards plus 36 secret rares, for 130 cards in total (Wargamer, updated 19 November 2025).

The headline card is Mega Charizard X ex. The official set page also lists Mega Gengar ex, Mega Heracross ex and Mega Lopunny ex.

What are the Phantasmal Flames chase cards?

Mega Charizard X ex takes three of the top spots. The rest of the list is a mix of Special Illustration Rares (SIRs) and Illustration Rares (IRs). Card numbers, rarities and artists come from the pokemontcg.io database.

The three Charizard X ex secret rares come from two artists. danciao drew the SIR, while takuyoa drew both the gold card and the Ultra Rare. If you collect by artist, our guide to Pokémon card artists explains who's behind the cards.

What are the Phantasmal Flames chase cards worth?

These are TCGplayer market prices for near-mint, ungraded English cards on 15 October 2026, taken from the pokemontcg.io database. We've converted them at R16.41 per US$ (Trading Economics, 20 October 2026).

There's a big gap after the top two. The Charizard SIR is worth about three times the gold card. Everything from the Ultra Rare down sits between about R185 and R345.

How far have prices moved since launch?

Most chase cards have lost well over half their launch-week value. The Charizard SIR has held up best. Wargamer listed these prices in launch week, and noted that prices move a lot around a release (Wargamer, updated 18 November 2025).

The path wasn't a straight line down. In April 2026, Wargamer reported the Charizard SIR at "almost $900" ungraded and the gold card at about $380 (Wargamer, 21 April 2026). The booster box's TCGplayer market price was $389.75 at the time.

So the Charizard SIR climbed to almost $900 by April 2026, then eased. The gold card had already roughly halved by April and kept falling. At launch it was close to the SIR's price. Now it's about a third of it.

What are the Phantasmal Flames pull rates?

The Pokémon Company doesn't publish official pull rates. The only figure we have is a community estimate: about 1 SIR in every 80 packs. That's TCGplayer's estimate, as cited in the Wargamer review.

That figure covers any SIR, not a specific one. The set has several SIRs, so the odds of pulling the Charizard SIR in particular are much lower. We don't have a reliable figure for the gold Mega Hyper Rare.

Which Phantasmal Flames cards are worth grading from South Africa?

Only the Charizard SIR has a clear case, and only if it's clean. The gold card is borderline. The rest usually cost more to grade than they're worth raw.

From South Africa, PCG Standard grading through us is R593 per card plus 3% insurance (R495 service including PCG's £15 fee and DHL both ways, plus about R98 customs and VAT). Our full cost breakdown covers postage and the rest.

Here's how each group compares with that cost:

1. Mega Charizard X ex SIR (125/094): worth considering if it's clean. At about R10,200, the 3% insurance adds about R305, so roughly R900 a card before postage.
2. Mega Charizard X ex gold (130/094): borderline. At about R3,370, you'd pay roughly R695 before postage. That's about a fifth of the card's raw value.
3. Everything else: usually not worth it. Each card sells for about R345 or less, which is under the R593 base cost.

You might still slab a cheaper card you love for your own collection. That's a fair reason, just not a financial one.

What have graded copies sold for?

The graded prices out there are for PSA and Beckett slabs, not PCG. In March 2026, Wargamer reported a PSA 10 Charizard SIR averaged about $2,000, per PriceCharting (Wargamer, updated 30 March 2026).

The same article reported a BGS 10 Black Label copy selling for $54,100 on eBay. That's a single sale reported in early 2026, not today's value, and it says little about a typical slab.

We found no published sales of PCG-graded copies. No grade is guaranteed, and a slab doesn't guarantee a higher sale price. This isn't investment advice. If you're weighing graders, our PCG vs PSA comparison sets out the differences.

What should you check first?

Look at centering, corners, edges and surface before you send anything. A Charizard SIR with a visible flaw may not earn back its grading cost. Our pre-grading checklist walks through each check.

FAQ

What is the most valuable card in Phantasmal Flames?

The Mega Charizard X ex Special Illustration Rare, 125/094. Its TCGplayer market price was $619.14 (about R10,200) on 15 October 2026.

Is the gold Mega Charizard X ex worth more than the SIR?

No. On 15 October 2026 the gold card sat at $205.11 (about R3,370), roughly a third of the SIR. At launch the two were much closer.

Is the Mega Charizard X ex Ultra Rare worth grading?

Usually not. It sells for about R345, while grading from South Africa starts at R593 a card. Grade it only if you want it slabbed for your own collection.

What other Mega Evolution sets have big chase cards?

Delta Reign has Mega Rayquaza ex as its cover card. Our Delta Reign guide covers its release date and chase cards.

Pulled the Charizard? Protect it first

Get it into a sleeve and a semi-rigid card holder straight away. When you're ready, you can start a submission.