The Pokemon Trading Card Game has seen an explosion in popularity recently, with new cards and products being very difficult to come by. Next month will see the release of a new English set called Destined Rivals, which will combine multiple Japanese expansions, including The Glory of Team Rocket. The new Team Rocket set was released in Japan earlier this month, and some of the most popular cards are already commanding big money on the secondary market. The most notable is a special illustration rare of Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex. Card 125 in the set has multiple listings on eBay, with prices ranging between $349 to $480.
Videos by ComicBook.com
On top of being one of the rarest cards in The Glory of Team Rocket, this particular card just looks fantastic overall. The card has Team Rocket’s leader Giovanni standing in the foreground, while Mewtwo floats imposingly in the back. It remains to be seen whether demand will be on a similar level when the card is released locally, but it’s a safe bet that fans in North America are going to be just as excited to add this one to their collections. Thankfully some of the other options based on Team Rocket’s Mewtwo seem to be a bit more reasonable!
Destined Rivals will be released in the U.S. on May 30th. We’ve still got about a month to go before the Pokemon TCG set’s release, but there are already signs that interest is going to be very high. On top of the fact that people are literally fighting over Pokemon cards at retailers around the world, preorders for the set went live last month, and didn’t go as smoothly as The Pokemon Company wanted. Pokemon Center quickly sold out of its offerings, including the Elite Trainer Box. The box normally costs $59.99, and eBay is full of listings asking for $100 to $250.
Destined Rivals will continue the Trainer’s Pokemon theme we’re seeing in the current Journey Together set. While Team Rocket is all over the package art and advertising for the set, collectors can expect to see other popular trainers from the video games and anime. Notably, Misty will have multiple dedicated cards, as will Ethan, the protagonist from Pokemon Gold and Silver. It’s a nice mix of Pokemon frequently associated with major characters, and it’s a safe bet that the new set will have a lot to look forward to for fans of the games, as well as TCG collectors.
RELATED: GameStop’s New Pokemon TCG Release Comes With Graded Cards and Boosters
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: Destined Rivals is the only English set confirmed for release in 2025, but there have been several leaks suggesting what else we could see this year. A set based on Pokemon Black and White will apparently release this summer, while new cards based on the Mega Evolutions will be arriving in some 2025 sets.
How do you feel about this new Pokemon TCG set? Do you think we’ll see heavy demand for Destined Rivals next month? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
[H/T: PokeBeach]
Most Viewed
-
20th Television Animation
