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Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution review — pull rates, top cards, and strategies revealed

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6 months ago

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Mega Evolution Pokémon are back in a brand new era for Pokémon TCG post-Scarlet and Violet. To make everyone's lives easier, it's called "Mega Evolution" and is kicking things off with a bang thanks to Mega Lucario, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Venusaur, Mega Absol, and more.

This era means a lot to me, as the X and Y era back in 2014 marked my return to Pokémon TCG from the Wizards of the Coast days, and I've never looked back.

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolutions booster pack art set


Credit: Christian Wait / The Pokémon Company

It's great to see the best gimmick in the franchise's history make a triumphant return. And if any of Legends Z-A and its Mega Dimension DLC hype and speculation is to be believed, we're going to be seeing some very cool Mega EX cards from new and returning Mega Evolutions from Pokémon X and Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Saphire and Legends Z-A.

What's new in Mega Evolutions?

Mega Evolutions Booster Box


Credit: Christian Wait / The Pokémon Company

The mechanics of Mega Evolution has changed significantly since we last played. To mega evolve your Pokémon, you have to follow its Evolution line just like standard EX cards. Whilst some Mega ex Pokémon are basics like Mega Absol, the majority of these cards follow the standard evolution process.

I really like this as it doesn't write off anything that isn't an ex unlike the X and Y era. However, if your Mega ex Pokémon is knocked out, your opponent takes three prize cards, so the stakes have never been higher. There's also trainer item cards like Rare Candy that allow trainers to evolve into Mega Venusaur ex from a basic Bulbasaur, for example.

SEE ALSO:

Where to buy Pokémon cards in 2025 — avoid overpaying or missing out on new sets

Whilst some could argue Mega Evolutions have made games shorter with less strategy, I completely disagree. Mega Evolutions has come out of the gate streamlining gameplay and opening up new strategies.

My favorite deck strategies

Mega Evolutions puts a major focus on using standard Pokémon to buff up Mega ex-focused decks and I'm here for it. I usually sleeve, binder, and display my illustration Rares, ex cards and up, but I might have to break that rule for some killer deck builds this time around. Here are some of my favorite deck ideas so far:

Mega Venusaur ex build

Mega Venusaur ex chews grass type energy, with Jungle Dump needing four grass energy to deal 240 damage and heal 30 damage. Its Solar Transfer Ability opens things up to move a single grass energy from one Pokémon to another, meaning two grass energy can be places on Mega Venusaur ex per turn.

But throwing Meganium into the mix allows trainers to treat a single grass energy and two. So if you have Maganium on your bench and use a rare candy to evolve Bulbasaur straight into Mega Venusaur ex, you can place a grass energy down, then use its ability to move another energy from another benched Pokémon the use Jungle Dump for 240 damage all in one turn.

Key Mega Evolution Cards for Mega Venusaur ex deck build


Credit: Christian Wait / The Pokémon Company

I'd also recommend Shuckle for its Fermented Juice Ability, it allows trainers to heal any Pokémon in play by 30 damage providing a grass energy is attached. Also Celebi due to its Traverse Time attack that costs one grass energy. This attack allows trainers to search for any three grass type Pokémon or Stadium Cards, and will come in handy when building up to Mega Venusaur EX and Meganium.

You can also pack the deck full of the following trainer cards as fail safes. Energy Switch will come in handy when Meganium isn't available to double up energy, Mega signal will let you search your deck for a Mega ex Venusaur straight away, and Wally's Compassion completely heals ex cards, with energy being returned to your hand only. I'd also recommend stacking up on Forest of Vitality stadium card to evolve Bulbasaur on its first turn (but this can't be used on the first turn of the battle).

Here's where to buy all of these cards:

  • Mega Venusaur ex 003/132 — Double Rare / Ultra Rare / Special Illustration Rare

  • Ivysaur 002/132 — Common / Reverse Holo / Illustration Rare

  • Bulbasaur 002/132 — Common / Reverse Holo / Illustration Rare / Illustration Rare (Stamped)

  • Meganium 010/132 — Holo / Reverse Holo

  • Bayleef 009/132 — Common / Reverse Holo

  • Chikorita 008/132 — Common / Reverse Holo

  • Shuckle 011/132 — Common / Reverse Holo / Illustration Rare

  • Celebi 012/132 — Common / Reverse Holo

  • Forest of Vitality 117/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo

  • Wally's Compassion 132/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo / Ultra Rare / Special Illustration Rare

  • Mega Signal 121/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo / Ultra Rare

  • Energy Switch 115/132 — Common / Reverse Holo

  • Boss's Orders 114/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo

  • Acerola's Mischief 113/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo / Ultra Rare / Special Illustration Rare

Mega Lucario ex build

It's so great to have Mega Lucario ex back, and it's a quick stage one evolution card that deals 130 damage for one fighting energy with Aura Jab, that also lets you recycle three basic fighting energy cards from your discard pile. This combo comes in handy when using Lunatone's Lunar Cycle ability, which allows trainers to discard a basic fighting energy card to draw three cards from your deck once a turn. Solrock also has to be in play for this ability to activate though, so we'll be needing that too.

This results in a near infinite energy cycle to attach and discard throughout the game. Rather than using Mega Lucario ex's Mega Brave for 270 damage every other turn (unless it's going to win you the game), there's other buffs available that trainers can stack.

Garganacl's Powerfull a-Salt ability allows you to deal 30 damage with Mega Lucario and other fighting types. That means if you can get four of these stage two Pokémon on your bench. Mega Lucario can deal an extra 120 damage per turn, crazy right?

Key Mega Evolution Cards for Mega Lucario ex deck build


Credit: Christian Wait / The Pokémon Company

Premium Power Pro can also give a temporary 30 damage for fighting types for one turn too, which means you can add another 120 damage in one turn if you have four of them ready to play as it's an item card. Fighting Gong is a very good card for fighting themed decks, too. It lets you pull a basic fighting energy or Pokémon to put into your hand, which should speed up setups when you're pulling stage one and two Pokémon instead of basics.

Speaking of basic Pokémon, Stonjourner is a cracking card to get at the beginning of a battle, only requiring one fighting energy to hit with Stony Kick, which does 20 damage to your opponent's active Pokémon and 20 to a benched Pokémon. That damage spread could be the difference between winning or losing.

Here's where to buy all of these cards:

  • Mega Lucario ex 077/132 — Double Rare / Ultra Rare / Special Illustration Rare / Holo Gold Rare

  • Riolu 076/132 — Common / Reverse Holo

  • Stonjourner 081/132 — Common / Reverse Holo

  • Lunatone 074/132 — Holofoil / Reverse Holo / Promo (Stamped)

  • Solrock 075/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo

  • Garganacl 084/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo / Illustration Rare

  • Naclstack 083/132 — Common / Reverse Holo

  • Nacli 082/132 — Common / Reverse Holo

  • Fighting Gong 116/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo / Ultra Rare

  • Premium Power Pro 124/132 — Uncommon

  • Wally's Compassion 132/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo / Ultra Rare / Special Illustration Rare

  • Mega Signal 121/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo / Ultra Rare

  • Energy Switch 115/132 — Common / Reverse Holo

  • Boss's Orders 114/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo

  • Acerola's Mischief 113/132 — Uncommon / Reverse Holo / Ultra Rare / Special Illustration Rare

My favorite pulls and pull rates from Mega Evolution

Ultra Rare pulls from Mega Evolution


Credit: Christian Wait / The Pokémon Company

I've opened a combined 55 booster packs for Mega Evolution across its Booster Box, Booster Bundle, Elite Trainer Box, and Build and Battle kit, so I have half an idea when it comes to pull rates for this set. My haul was 12 Mega ex, six illustration rares, and six ultra rares. Sadly, I didn't catch any Special Illustration Rares or Holo Rares, but overall I'm quite happy with what I got. Based on my own experience with opening this set, here's the pull rates for Mega Evolution:

  • Double Rares (ex): 21.8% or 1 in 4.6 packs

  • Ultra Rares: 10.9% or 1 in 9.2 packs

  • Illustration Rares: 10.9% or 1 in 9.2 packs

  • Special Illustration Rares and Holo Rares: At least 1 in over 55 packs

With that being said, here's some of the best cards I've pulled from Mega Evolution and where you can get them right now:

  • Mega Lucario ex 160/132

  • Mega Absol ex 161/132

  • Mega Manectric ex 158/132

  • Bulbasaur 133/132 (Stamped)

  • Shedninja 144/132

  • Ninjask 137/132

  • Gumshoos 153/132

  • Steelix 150/132

Should you get Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution?

Yes. It's a strong start to the new Mega Evolution era of Pokémon TCG and arguably some of the best standard ex artwork and layouts in years. The set has multiple deckbuilding paths, I've picked up on two just by writing this review. It also seems that pulling Secret Art Rares and Holo Gold Rares is tougher to pull off with this set, which is exactly how it should be. If you can find sealed product or single cards for the right price, this is something you need to get on the hype train early for.

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How to watch USA vs. Belgium online for free

Published

55 seconds ago

on

March 30, 2026

By

Tim Weah #21 of the United States looks on

TL;DR: Live stream USA vs. Belgium in a 2026 International Friendly for free on RTL Play. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 World Cup is looming large on the horizon. And that means top international sides from around the world will be sharpening up in the coming weeks and months.

There are a number of high-profile International Friendlies taking place this week as teams look to build momentum, including USA vs. Belgium. Mauricio Pochettino's side will need to be at their best to get anything out of a talented Belgian team. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be lively as the likes of Pulisic and De Bruyne battle it out.

If you want to watch USA vs. Belgium in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is USA vs. Belgium?

USA vs. Belgium kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on March 28. This fixture takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

How to watch USA vs. Belgium for free

USA vs. Belgium is available to live stream for free on RTL Play.

RTL Play is geo-restricted to Belgium, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Belgium, meaning you can access free live streams on RTL Play from anywhere in the world.

Lve stream USA vs. Belgium for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Belgium

  4. Visit RTL Play

  5. Stream USA vs. Belgium for free from anywhere in the world


ExpressVPN logo

Credit: ExpressVPN


ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch USA vs. Belgium without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTL Play?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTL Play, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including Belgium

  • Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream USA vs. Belgium for free with ExpressVPN.

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Mini Kindle Pods are trending on TikTok, but these devices arent what they seem

Published

1 minute ago

on

March 30, 2026

By

Two pictures of

Among passionate TikTok communities, BookTok, may be the most influential.

BookTok is where book lovers and e-reader obsessives to come together to discuss their favorite books and device hacks. For readers who use e-readers, Kindle, Kobo, and Boox lead the charge as the most popular devices, so it's notable when a new device goes viral. "Mini Kindles" appear to be the latest device to cause a stir on BookTok, with hundreds of videos showcasing the tiny e-readers.

On TikTok, searching for "mini Kindle" (or "mini Kindle pods") brings up dozens of user videos showing someone walking into a Barnes & Noble or Target and then cutting to an unboxing of a so-called "mini Kindle". As someone who tests e-readers for a living, this confused me.

I have no reason to believe these e-readers are actually being purchased at Barnes & Noble, nor do they have any apparent affiliation with Amazon Kindles.

In fact, the devices being hyped in these videos appear to be sold by the users who post them.

In a since-deleted video, user @aurealeaf directs viewers to the website NovaLeaf, where the "NovaLeaf Mini Kindle" is listed. (Editor's note: As of this writing, the @aurealeaf account is no longer available.) Another user, @hydro_scope, directs viewers to their website with a listing for a NOVA Mini Pink Kindle. Both devices claim to be pocket-sized e-readers under the Kindle name, despite no affiliation with Amazon.

We reached out to both @aurealeaf and @hydro_scope, and we'll update this post if we receive a response.

Are mini Kindle pods actually Kindles?

These mini Kindles do not seem to be actual Kindle e-readers or associated with Amazon at all, nor does Amazon sell any mini version of the Kindle e-readers. We reached out for comment from Amazon and have not heard back at the time of publication.

By performing reverse image searches on Nova and NovaLeaf websites, I found that the "mini Kindles" listed for sale there are visual matches for devices manufactured by a company called Oilsky. They appear to be 4-inch touchscreen MP3 and 1080p video players. With built-in access to the Google Play store, the Kindle app is available to download onto the device; however, that appears to be the only connection to Amazon.

The Oilsky MP3 player and copycat versions are currently listed on Amazon. These TikTok-based sellers have their mini Kindles listed for $79.99, about $10 more than the direct Oilsky listing on Amazon. Oilsky MP3 players are not listed for sale at Barnes & Noble or Target.

In short, the viral TikTok videos are using the word "Kindle" to refer to any e-reader-like device and may be at risk of legal action from Amazon.

As of this writing, the @aurealeaf TikTok account is no longer available.

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How to watch Switzerland vs. Germany online for free

Published

1 minute ago

on

March 30, 2026

By

Leon Goretzka of Germany celebrates

TL;DR: Live stream Switzerland vs. Germany in a 2026 International Friendly for free on RTS. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a number of really interesting International Friendlies taking place this week, including Switzerland vs. Germany.

This is a great opportunity for these sides to test out new formations, experiment with new players, and generally build some positive momentum before this summer's World Cup. We expect a competitive contest between two experienced sides, with the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Florian Wirtz expected to feature.

If you want to watch Switzerland vs. Germany in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Switzerland vs. Germany?

Switzerland vs. Germany kicks off at 3:45 p.m. ET on March 27. This fixture takes place at the St. Jakob Park.

How to watch Switzerland vs. Germany for free

Switzerland vs. Germany is available to live stream for free on RTS.

RTS is geo-restricted to Switzerland, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Switzerland, meaning you can access free live streams on RTS from anywhere in the world.

Lve stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

  3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Switzerland

  4. Visit RTS

  5. Stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free from anywhere in the world


ExpressVPN logo

Credit: ExpressVPN


ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Switzerland vs. Germany without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTS?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTS, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including Switzerland

  • Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

  • Fast connection speeds free from throttling

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free with ExpressVPN.

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