Pokemon Scarlet & Violet – Journey Together is set to arrive next month, and when it does, players can expect to see the return of Trainer’s Pokemon. The Pokemon Trading Card Game set will feature several iconic trainers spanning the franchise, including Iono, N, and Hop. While that set isn’t even out yet, we’re already starting to learn a lot about Destined Rivals, the next set to follow Journey Together. The Pokemon Company has yet to confirm the new set’s existence, but several leaks have given us an idea of what to expect. The Trainer’s Pokemon concept will continue, and will feature trainers like Steven, Marnie, Misty, Ethan, Cynthia, and Arven.
Videos by ComicBook.com
In addition to those trainers being highlighted, Destined Rivals will also put a big focus on Team Rocket. Destined Rivals will include cards from multiple sets, including Japan’s upcoming The Glory of Team Rocket. There’s still a lot we don’t know about that set, but it looks like The Pokemon Company will be putting a big focus on the Rockets for the booster pack art. Tickets for this year’s Gamescom event in Latin America seem to feature the booster pack designs from Destined Rivals, which will showcase characters like Giovanni and Ariana. The Gamescom video revealing these booster pack designs was shared by PokeGuardian on Bluesky, and can be found in the post embedded below.
Hopefully all of this means that an official reveal for Destined Rivals will be coming soon from The Pokemon Company. It’s possible we could get some kind of tease next week on Pokemon Day, but we might have to wait until after the release of Scarlet & Violet – Journey Together. Regardless, this is pretty exciting. We’ve known for a while now about the inclusion of Rocket’s Mewtwo and other Rocket themed cards in Destined Rivals, but the presence of more niche characters like Ariana should excite fans of the video games.
One thing that readers should keep in mind is that Destined Rivals does not seem to be bringing back the Dark Pokemon that were a part of the old Team Rocket set from the TCG’s early days. That will surely disappoint some older collectors, but Journey Together and Destined Rivals are more of a callback to the Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge sets. Having Dark Pokemon in the set on top of Trainer’s Pokemon would probably get a little messy.
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According to recent leaks, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet – Destined Rivals will be released in North America on May 30th. Readers should take that date with a grain of salt pending an official announcement, but the source on that date comes from PokeBeach, who tends to be very reliable when it comes to Pokemon TCG news. Hopefully we’ll get some official details in the near future, but for now, Pokemon fans will just have to wait patiently!
Are you excited about Team Rocket’s return to the Pokemon TCG? What do you think of these booster pack designs? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
