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The XY era, we know you remember it, ran from early 2014 through late 2016. It produced one of the most impressive sealed investment stories we have ever seen in all of the Pokémon TCG, and it is a story that usually goes unnoticed. Yes, Evolutions exist, and overall it was and still is insane. BUT there is a more interesting investment conversation in this era, it involves a pattern that can tell the future… kinda. It hints at something about where the next decade of Pokémon investing might be heading, and that’s something that can make you cash. Let’s get into it.
XY Evolutions: The 20th Anniversary Set That Became a Blue Chip Pokémon Stock
We are going to start with the big one… XY Evolutions. At it’s launch in November 2016 it retailed at approximately $30-40 USD per booster box, now jump forward to 2026, those same sealed booster boxes trade at around $2,503 USD. Hindsight is a beautiful thing, if only we all knew. A 210.9% gain on the original RRP, and that number would have sounded absolutely insane to anyone buying them off a shelf a decade ago. And if you did and are still holding…. we are very jealous.
The investment concept of Evolutions was honestly so damn simple, and looking back it was so damn obvious. The set was made to tug on those nostalgia strings, reprinting Base Set and Jungle era cards in modern card format for the game’s 20th anniversary… sounds familiar now doesn’t it *cough cough most anniversary sets these days*. In fairness, there was some deference, card backs were new, the stats were updated, but the artwork… the exact same iconic imagery from the original release. The nostalgia hit hard for collectors in their late 20s and early 30s, but Evolutions offered something even more enticing, a chance to rip packs that felt like Base Set without needing to spend thousands on actual first-edition originals. It created a wormhole back to their childhood, and physically this was a genius move.
Here’s the kicker, the demand never went away… it compounded. Now, with the sealed boxes being genuinely scarce in 2026, the Pokémon Company has no reason to revisit the 20th anniversary framing with a reprint, this creates a safety net around the product prices, and the buyer pool has only grown, this increases the asset’s price. And together, it has created sustained appreciation, not an up and down hype spike.
Roaring Skies: The Rayquaza Set With an 810+% Return
Roaring Skies doesn’t get the love that Evolutions does, but looking at card level performance it is exceptional. The Roaring Skies set was released in May 2015 and is home to the big guy, M Rayquaza EX that had a brief and dominant run in competitive play just before continuing that dominance in the collector/investor space.
Looking at card prices across the Roaring Skies set you’ll find they are up over a massive 810% currently. The M Rayquaza EX Full Art (#105) at the moment sits at $300 – $400+ USD, and that’s RAW! Booster packs from this set are currently priced between $35-45 USD, may not sound like heaps, but remember the RRP on release was usually $4 USD per pack.
Rayquaza really is the driving factor behind Roaring Skies, and if you have read our Delta Reign piece, you already know what we are going to say. Rayquaza has a history of outperforming its own set across multiple different eras. The 814% all-time return is clearly not a coincidence; it is a character who has become a solidified fan favourite with endless collector and investor demand. You could call this the “Rayquaza effect”.
XY Generations: The Special Set Worth Knowing About
As we opened with most conversations about the XY era revolving around Evolutions. We think that leaves out a special contender that deserves a little more love… Generations. It was a set with limited distribution, released in February 2016, again, it was part of the 20th anniversary and only available through a special edition product then the classic booster boxes.
Does the Generations story sound familiar? If you think so, you’d be right, Hidden Fates and Shining Legends from the Sun and Moon era had a very similar release and marketing plan. There was no booster box and unique content wasn’t available elsewhere, therefore, a collector community that understood this significance had a jump on the mainstream audience. Although the price of the product has increased at a slower rate than its counterparts, the scarcity argument is the exact same... sealed supply will always decrease, and the Pokémon Company’s classic “you can’t reprint an anniversary set makes it feel more authentic. Now, for the investors considering building the XY era into their portfolios beyond the obvious Evolutions play, we think Generations isn’t a bad option, when considering how scarce the product actually is.
The Sets Worth Skipping
Now, we have seen the good times for the bad, not all the XY era deserves your attention or your money! Let list out what’s not really worth it….XY Base Set, Flashfire, Furious Fists, Phantom Forces, and Primal Clash all of these expansions have appreciated fairly average compared to what we have previously spoken about in this article. Why? They don’t really have a major chase card supply, if fairly abundant. Yes, they hold value, but let’s be real what sealed Pokémon products do. At the moment, prices relative to where they started and the return is kinda uninspiring compared to the three sets above. We don’t hate it as an investmet is still an okay long-term hold if you already have them. Just not sets we would be buying in 2026.
The TCG Times’ Verdict: Evolutions, Roaring Skies, Generations – In That Order!
It’s really not that hard…. XY Evolutions has the strongest track record and most liquid resale. Roaring Skies has the chase Rayquaza that drives appreciation, and lastly Generations for the set that is still flying slightly under the radar with future potential in the near future. The other mainline sets mentioned… just hold if you have them, but we wouldn’t recommend buying them if you don’t, especially not in 2026.
Don’t forget that the XY era is over a decade old and is in the transition stage from older modern sets to somewhat vintage. Keep in mind this is a transition that tends to grow potential returns rather than slow them down. The investors who figure this out early will be telling the story with a big smile and a fat wallet later.
Disclaimer: The TCG Times is a news and educational platform. All content provided is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional financial advice. Trading cards are high-risk, volatile assets. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Always perform your own due diligence before making financial decisions. This article may also contain eBay affiliate links; if you make a purchase through one, The TCG Times may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
