The Most Expensive Destined Rivals Pokemon Cards
As of right now, no cards have been officially announced in Destined Rivals, but we know it will include cards from Japanese sets Heat Wave Arena and the now officially announced Glory of Team Rocket. Most likely the set will include cards from both of those sets, and probably the majority of them.
Lucky for us, Heat Wave Arena has already come out in Japan and we already know which of the cards in that set are the most expensive. Below, let’s look at which cards are likely to be the most expensive of all when Destined Rivals hits the shelves on May 30, 2025.
#1 Cynthia's Garchomp ex is the most expensive Destined Rivals card
Without a doubt, Destined Rival’s money card is Cynthia’s Garchomp ex. One of the most iconic duos in all of Pokemon, Cynthia has a massive following – being known as one of the strongest trainers in the universe. This card’s artwork is heavily tied to the in-universe lore, featuring Cynthia’s Garchomp using its ground attacks to demolish the competition. It’s hard to guess just how valuable this card is going to be on release but It would not surprise me if it went anywhere from $250-$500 on the secondary card market.
#2 Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex Special Illustration Rare
Ethan is the playable trainer from the Gold and Silver games, and here he’s depicted alongside Ho-Oh who is one of the main legendaries you can chase from that generation. Ho-Oh also stands out in the Pokemon lore as the first legendary Ash Ketchum ever sees – flying in the skies overhead as he leaves Pallet Town on his adventure.
The artwork here is pretty gorgeous, and just the fact that a Pokemon as legendary as Ho-Oh gets featured alongside a trainer in a card like this feels pretty historic. While it won’t be worth as much as the Garchomp, the card’s rarity, potential playability, and nostalgic appeal should push it to the upper echelons of value when Destined Rivals comes out.
#3 Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex
I’m cheating a little bit on this one because we haven’t seen any alternate art for Mewtwo ex yet. However, it’s still early days for the Japanese set getting its release on April 19, 2025 so we could be getting confirmation any day. My guess is, however, that the Glory of Team Rocket will include an SIR of Mewtwo ex given just how prominently that Pokemon is featured on products and in early leaks.
Assuming this happens, Mewtwo ex could rival even Cynthia’s spot at the top. Mewtwo is one of the most iconic Pokemon of all time, and we’ve not seen it featured prominently in the Pokemon TCG in a long time (although it did get a pretty awesome extended artwork card in the digital version, Pokemon TCG Pocket).
What really excited me about Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex beyond the potentiality of an SIR, however, is just how fun this card looks to play. A basic Pokemon with 280 HP and an attack that scales to 280+, Mewtwo ex looks very, very playable and could be a fun way to counter the increasingly challenging Pokemon TCG meta.
#4 Team Rocket’s Meowth – Illustration Rare
Team Rocket’s Meowth IR is the first alternate art we were able to glimpse from Japan’s “Glory of Team Rocket.” This chibi-style card should be a hot collector’s item, even if its rarity level of IR should keep it’s value from reaching some of the other picks on this list.
#5 Misty’s Psyduck – Illustration Rare
Getting a Misty’s Psyduck IR is pretty epic, and the first time in a long time we’ve seen Misty featured on any card in the Pokemon TCG. The last one I remember is the Starmie V alternate art we got back in the Sword and Shield era. While that card artwork was pretty slick, there’s something extra tranquil about this IR card.
The only thing that might hold this card’s value back a tad is the fact that it’s a Psyduck featured. Not that Psyduck isn’t a relatively known Pokemon. It’s just this card would be even more collectible if it included the Misty’s Gyarados (a Pokemon we are also getting in this set).
#6 Ethan’s Typhlosion – Illustration Rare
Although being an Illustration Rare gives it less intrinsic value than Ethan’s Ho-Oh, in some ways this artwork is even more dynamic. Who doesn’t remember getting Cyndiquil as a basic when playing Gold and Silver and growing it into a powerful and mean Typhlosion. Gold and Silver were notorious for being too easy to beat, and I knew people (myself included) who could clear the entire thing with just a single, hyper-powered Typhlosion. Not to mention back in those days it was easy to clone your Pokemon via various exploits in the game.
I mention the nostalgia for early Pokemon video games because that’s the primary appeal of this card beyond its fabulous artwork. Few Pokemon cards have the kind of nostalgic appeal as Ethan paired with Typhlosion taking on their foes. Despite being only an illustration rare, this card should be a highly desired card.
#7 Cynthia's Roserade – Illustration Rare
Sometimes, a picture really does say a 1000 words. In this case, I really can’t explain why this card is going to be worth a lot beyond just looking at this card. Assuming you know how vastly popular Cynthia is as a trainer, a card that features her this prominently will be worth a ton, even if it’s not an SIR.
#8 Arven's Mabosstiff ex – Special Illustration Rare
Gettin an Arven’s Pokemon in this set is pretty notable as this set is otherwise pretty devoid of the latest trainers from Scarlet & Violet. I suppose that makes sense since so much of the Scarlet and Violet era was focused on the latest and greatest, with several sets even focusing on specific DLCs like Twilight Masquerade etc.
Otherwise, Arven and his Mabosstiff ex share a pretty heartwarming story, even if a bit sad. Will that be enough to catapult this card’s value? I think the greatest thing that will lend value to this particular card will be the fact it is an SIR. Otherwise, Arven probably isn’t quite as popular as the other trainers you can pull from Destined Rivals.
I’m going to cut the list a little short there for now as we still have yet to see the chase cards that will be included in Japan’s Glory of Team Rocket. I’m sure many of those cards will also make their way onto this list and i’ll be updating it with more of them as they get leaked online. Until then, however, it’s clear Destined Rivals is destined to be an absolutely massive set for players and collectors, and an excellent way to help send the Scarlet and Violet era off with a bang.
