There are a lot of perks to playing Pokemon TCG Pocket instead of the physical Pokemon TCG tabletop game. Pocket doesn’t require storage bins, bookshelves, card sleeves, or binders. Players don’t have to fight against release shortages or look out for resellers and upcharges when trying to get new expansions. However, Pocket still can’t beat the original game in one key element: the artwork.
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Since its release in October of 2024, Pokemon TCG Pocket has been quick to fill digital collections with a series of expansions. Mythical Island brought Mew ex and Celebi ex, Celestial Guardians has debuted Rayquaza ex, Solgaleo ex, and Garchomp ex. Each set offers dozens of cards with interesting artwork, including the digital-exclusive “immersive” cards that hold special scenes within their images.
However, the upcoming physical release of Destined Rivals on May 30, 2025, proves that as pretty as these digital cards may be, they just can’t beat the tactile beauty of the tangible TCG cards.
Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex Is a Work of Art
I’ll be the first to say that Scarlet and Violet haven’t been able to match the pure magic of the Sword and Shield expansions. The Trainer Galleries, VMAX, and Special Illustration Rares of Galar were a mixture of vibrant color and detailed visual mastery that the Pokemon TCG has struggled to replicate. Despite this, Destined Rivals gets very close with cards like the Special Illustration Rare Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex.
The card is an etched holofoil. These have extra weight and durability, and shine beautifully when held in the light. The image depicts a hauntingly haughty Giovanni with facial features worked with extra dark lineweight around the eyes and face. This gives him a severity fit for the leader of Team Rocket.
Mewtwo hovers above, backlit in magenta and orange, which is a stark contrast to its purple tones. Like Giovanni, extra work has been done to accentuate its face via linework.
When compared to the immersive Pokemon TCG Pocket card, it is clear that the physical edition has more dimension. The immersive card is very dark and purposefully holds the majority of the artwork behind the animation reel, rather than in the card itself. Mewtwo also looks a bit like it’s made of sculpting clay, giving it an awkward feel as a still image.
While both cards do portray Mewtwo in a way that shares its story in the Pokemon franchise, and both cards are considered rare and special, the physical copy will always win for one simple reason.
Players can hold the Destined Rivals card in their own hands. While it might be harder to get and may cost more to pull or purchase outright, holding that piece of physical artwork in your hands is an experience that Pocket will never be able to deliver to players. At the end of the day, the immersive card is just data that anyone can get by paying enough money or waiting enough time to open enough packs. It will never be a tangible item in a binder, or a piece that can be framed or graded, and set up in a room to look at.
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The lack of tangibility limits how players can interact with the artwork. Physical pieces, especially holofoil and etched cards, feel special because they are very much like holding a rare painting. Because of this, extra time and energy are put into making these cards look just right. They aren’t rushed out, and they don’t need to be held up by a gimmick like an animation reel.
Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex isn’t the only stunning card in Destined Rivals that Pocket can’t shine a candle to. Cynthia’s Garchomp ex is so detailed that players can sit and hold an entire battle stadium in their hands.
The cards hold storylines in their images, with details bringing out what truly makes the Pokemon TCG so special to fans of the game. The care and energy that goes into creating these images is what makes them so popular and what leads them to be so valuable post-launch. Collectors want to own pieces of these beautiful art galleries, and they are willing to pay premium prices to do so.
Whether it is the saturated colors, carefully crafted linework, or just how a specific holofoil looks when held to the light, there are few things as exciting as opening a Special Illustration Pokemon TCG card, and Destined Rivals holds some of the best examples of the Scarlet and Violet meta.
While Pocket will likely continue to try to meet the physical game, without the tangibility of holding the cards and interacting with the artwork, it just won’t ever come close. It will always be second best. You can’t replace the real thing with digital copies, and the artwork proves getting your hands on the cards is an irreplaceable experience.
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Image courtesy of Netflix
