Most Valuable Cards to Chase in Pokémon TCG Destined Rivals Set

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Players of the Pokemon Trading Card Game may find it challenging to gather the most prized cards from the Destined Rivals set. Due to a vast collection and scarce appearances of rares, specific Illustration Rare cards will likely be priced higher than other card sets.

As a dedicated Pokemon Trading Card Game enthusiast, I’m hyped about the upcoming Destined Rivals expansion! With more than 240 cards in the mix, this set is sure to keep us gamers on our toes. From the common cards to the coveted Hyper Rare gold ones, it’s a hefty collection that rivals Sword and Shield’s Evolving Skies expansion. However, like the elusive Eeveelutions from that set, snagging the best cards in Destined Rivals is going to be a real challenge due to the sheer variety of options out there.

On May 30, 2025, The Destined Rivals expansion will officially launch, but we were granted early access to take a peek. Here’s what we anticipate as the most valuable cards, based on our pulls and an examination of the Illustration Rares featured in the collection.

Most Expensive Cards in the Pokemon TCG Destined Rivals Expansion

Get a preview of the exclusive Crobat drawing from Team Rocket, soon to be revealed! Coming your way on May 30, 2025, as part of #DestinedRivals.

— Pokémon TCG (@PokemonTCG) May 12, 2025

In the Destined Rivals expansion for the Pokemon Trading Card Game, it’s expected that the costliest cards will primarily be the Special Illustration Rares and Hyper Rares, as they have the lowest chances of being drawn. Our forecasted values are subject to change upon the official release, when we can confirm their prices and ranking.

Card Number Rarity
Team Rocket’s Mewtwo #229 Special Illustration Rare
Cynthia’s Garchomp ex #232 Special Illustration Rare
Arven’s Mabosstiff ex #235 Special Illustration Rare
Team Rocket’s Moltres ex #229 Special Illustration Rare
Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex #230 Special Illustration Rare
Team Rocket’s Giovanni #238 Special Illustration Rare
Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex #240 Hyper Rare Golden
Cynthia’s Garchomp ex #241 Hyper Rare Golden
Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex #239 Hyper Rare Golden
Misty’s Psyduck #193 Illustration Rare

After a new set of cards is introduced, their worth remains unstable for several initial weeks. Cards that initially seem costly on platforms like TCGPlayer could rapidly lose their value if there’s an oversupply of a particular card in the market.

Speaking of which, the last two expansions for the Pokémon Trading Card Game, namely “Journey Together” and “Prismastic Evolutions,” have experienced exceptionally high card values because there’s been a scarcity of these products in the market and it’s been tough to pull the desired cards.

If a deck contains hard-to-draw specific cards, it’s more probable that rare, high-value cards will stay expensive.

Previously, I’ve found that the Special Illustration Rares in each set have consistently held more value compared to the Hyper Rare gold cards from every expansion I’ve played.

The estimates we’ve made for the costliest cards within Destined Rivals are influenced by the appeal of specific characters presented in the Trainer choices, the superior artwork of the scarce cards, and our personal analysis of how the distribution rates appeared in the test samples offered by The Pokemon Company.

55 Destined Rival packs from various sets – Elite Trainer Box, Booster Box, Booster Bundle, and Build and Battle set – were opened by us. However, only four Gold Star Rares were obtained from these packs. There were no pulls from the Special Illustration (three Gold Star) rares or Hyper Rares. The rate of obtaining these cards is more aggressive than the Prismastic Evolutions boosters, causing a great deal of dissatisfaction among players.

How To Prepare For the Destined Rivals Release

Generally speaking, we advise you to consider placing pre-orders for booster packs, ETBs (Elite Trainer Boxes), and Booster Bundles directly from the Pokemon Center’s official website at their regular price. Unfortunately, all pre-order slots are currently unavailable, and there is no clear timeline as to when more stock might become available.

On the day of release for Destined Rivals, the most effective approach would likely be to stop by local retail stores. Given the high anticipation, it’s advisable to arrive early, and calling game or card shops a few days prior could help you find out if they’ll have non-pre-ordered copies available on launch day.

It’s advisable not to buy Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) goods from online resellers because these products are usually overpriced compared to their actual market value. This trend has been noticed on Target’s, Walmart’s, eBay’s, and Amazon’s websites. Players can verify the price by comparing it with that listed at The Pokémon Center to ensure they aren’t paying more than necessary.

As a devoted fan, I’ve learned that buying marked-up items fuels resellers to keep restocking goods sold at Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP). To ensure we, the players, get our hands on Pokemon TCG products fairly priced and of expected quality, it’s wise to exercise patience. This could mean waiting for restocks at brick-and-mortar stores or keeping an eye on The Pokemon Center webstore for updates. Although it can be challenging to stay patient, the wait guarantees we receive genuine products without any unforeseen discrepancies in quality. Buying resold items carries a risk of receiving something different from what was advertised online.

It appears that obtaining Special Illustration Rare cards from the Pokemon TCG Destined Rivals Expansion may prove challenging for many players, making them highly sought-after and potentially the most valuable cards within the collection.

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2025-05-17 00:14