Blog · Mega Evolution & Modern Sets
Rayquaza Collector Guide 2026: TCG Cards Worth Knowing Before Delta Reign Ships
By Dexhaul Team · September 1, 2026
Rayquaza has more iconic TCG cards than almost any Legendary, and one of them is about to be printed again.
Rayquaza has appeared in the Pokémon TCG since 2003, across EX, GX, VMAX, and now the upcoming Mega ex mechanic. That run spans a price range from roughly $28 to over $1,100, with distinct peaks at several eras. Each one has a different reason for its value.
Delta Reign ME06 lands in English on November 6, 2026, with Mega Rayquaza ex as the set's headliner. Pre-orders for the Booster Box and Elite Trainer Box are already open.
That makes right now an interesting window: the existing singles still carry their own value, and the upcoming set adds a new entry point.
Here is what is worth tracking, era by era.
The Entry Point: Rayquaza Amazing Rare (Vivid Voltage)
The cheapest way to own a Rayquaza with premium production values is the Amazing Rare from Vivid Voltage (2020).
The Amazing Rare mechanic runs at a lower pull rate than standard holofoils and uses a distinctive watercolor-style art treatment. The Rayquaza version, numbered 138/185, benefits from the dragon's long serpentine body filling the full card frame without the usual framed border. At roughly $28, it sits well below every other collectible Rayquaza variant.
The Amazing Rare is not a competitive card, and it does not carry the cultural weight of the Mega EX variants from the XY era. But collectors who want the Rayquaza aesthetic on a budget start here, as do those building an Amazing Rare set within a set.
It pairs naturally with Jirachi 57/163 and Umbreon 75/163 from Vivid Voltage, both of which use the same art treatment.
The GX Era: Celestial Storm (2018)
The Sun and Moon era produced three Celestial Storm Rayquaza GX versions in a single set.
The 109/168 is the standard GX holo. The 160/168 is the Full Art, with the dragon rendered against an open sky background. The 177/168 is the Hyper Rare: a rainbow rare using the same Full Art template but in an iridescent foil treatment.
The 177/168 trades around $244 in current listings. Collectors who want the GX era in a Rayquaza collection generally go straight to the 177/168 or 160/168 Full Art and skip the standard version. The rainbow rare treatment holds more visual weight than the holo does at the same screen or display size.
One Pokémon, Two Very Different Prices: The Mega EX Era
This is where understanding the collection becomes genuinely useful.
In 2015, M Rayquaza EX appeared in two separate sets within three months of each other. Roaring Skies (May 2015) released M Rayquaza EX 105/108, the Full Art Mega EX with the signature gold dragon against a swirling sky background. Ancient Origins (August 2015) followed with M Rayquaza EX 98/98, the Shiny Full Art hyper rare: a darker chromatic palette and the hardest pull in that set.
Same Pokémon. Same Mega EX mechanic. Same year.
The Roaring Skies 105/108 trades today for roughly $243. The Ancient Origins 98/98 Shiny Full Art runs $792 to over $1,100 depending on condition.
The price gap has nothing to do with playability. It is entirely about rarity mechanics at the time of printing.
The Ancient Origins 98/98 was the set's ultra-rare chase slot in a print run already competing for pack sales against other notable cards. The Roaring Skies 105/108 was the full art in a set where Rayquaza headlined directly, meaning it appeared at higher relative frequency.
For collectors building toward the full Mega EX chapter, the Ancient Origins 98/98 is the card that caps the run. For collectors who want the Mega EX look at a lower cost, the Roaring Skies 105/108 is the practical entry.
The VMAX Era: Silver Tempest Trainer Gallery
Rayquaza VMAX debuted in Evolving Skies (2021), one of the most heavily cracked Sword and Shield sets overall.
The Silver Tempest Trainer Gallery (2022) added TG20/TG30, a VMAX Trainer Gallery foil with an atmospheric framing that differs from the standard Evolving Skies layout. Near mint copies of the TG version land in the $202 to $223 range in current listings. That is the hero image on this page.
What the VMAX era gave Rayquaza is scale. The horizontal composition extends the serpent across the full card width in a way the earlier EX and GX designs did not. Collectors who came into the hobby during the Sword and Shield window often start here before working backward toward the GX and Mega EX eras.
Delta Reign ME06: What to Know Before November
Mega Rayquaza ex headlines Delta Reign ME06, releasing in English on November 6, 2026.
Pre-orders for the Booster Box are live from multiple sellers, ranging from $230 to $332 depending on whether the listing includes accessories like an acrylic display case. The Booster Bundle sits at $44.95 as the lower-cost sealed option. The Japanese equivalent, Storm Emeralda (M6), is already in circulation with booster box listings running $98 to $165.
What ME06 changes for the collection is that it introduces Mega Rayquaza ex as a distinct mechanic: this is not the same Mega EX format from the XY era (2015), nor the VMAX or GX eras. It is the modern ex mechanic applied to Mega Evolution for the first time. Whether the ME06 Rayquaza ex card becomes the new peak in the collection depends on its specific pull rarity and art treatment, which will be clearer in the weeks approaching the launch.
For now, the pre-order window is open. The existing singles continue at their current prices. Collectors who want the full Rayquaza chapter have roughly two months to fill gaps before a new card enters the picture.
DexHaul is an independent Pokémon search engine, not affiliated with Nintendo, Game Freak, or The Pokémon Company. Browse current Rayquaza listings from independent shops at dexhaul.com.