The nextPokémon Trading Card Gameset has officially been announced, bringing Team Rocket’s Pokémon and other powerful Trainer’s Pokémon to the game. 2025 has been a strange year for thePokémon TCG. With a new series of cards set to launch later this year, we’ve only had one set release so far this year, and it was a special set focused on Eevee. Later this month,Journey Togetherwill provide players with their first glimpse of Trainer’s Pokémon. Now we know when the next andpossibly final set focused on Trainer’s Pokémonwill be released.
The Pokémon Company has officiallyannouncedDestined Rivals, a newPokémon TCGset due out for release in the spring. The new set will combine cards from two Japanese sets -Heat Wave ArenaandThe Glory of Team Rocket- plus cards from two Japanese preconstructed decks. Perhaps most importantly,the set will introduce over 80 cards tied to Team Rocket, providing some powerful potential deck combinations focused on the villainous team. The new set will be released in late May.
Newest Pokémon TCG Set Is Destined Rivals
Set Will Focus On Team Rocket & Other Popular Trainers
While an exact card count is unknown for the new set, we do know some details thanks to the officialPokémonpress release on the set. The set will contain Trainer’s Pokémon cards related to Ethan (fromPokémon Gold and Silver), Cynthia (fromPokémon Diamond and Pearl), Misty (fromPokémon Red and Blue),Marnie (fromPokémon Sword and Shield), and Steven Stone (fromPokémon Ruby and Sapphire). Ethan, Cynthia, and members of Team Rocket will appear on the booster pack artwork, whileGiovanni and Mewtwo will appear on the Elite Trainer’s Box for the set.
Pokémon TCG Journey Together Review: Scarlet & Violet Era Enters Its Final Stretch
The new Pokemon Trading Card Game set offers a lot of gorgeous cards and powerful deck options, provided that you can get your hands on booster packs.
When Destined Rivals Releases For Pokémon TCG
August 23, 2025
The new set will be released on May 30, with pre-release events taking place at local game stores two weeks prior.Destined Rivalsis a standard set, which means that it will be released in individual booster packs, Elite Trainer Boxes, and various other collections. While we typically know which promo cards are bundled with the Elite Trainer Boxes, that information was not revealed, which is something of a surprise. In fact, no English-language cards have been revealed for this set so far, which may have something to do withThe Glory of Team Rocket’s official revealonly taking place a week beforeDestined Rivals'.
Based on the timing ofDestined Rivals' release,this could be the last standard set released for theScarlet & Violetera of thePokémon TCG.The Pokémon Company confirmed that it would be transitioning to theMega Evolutionsera later this year, which will launch in August over in Japan. While a Unova-themed special set is rumored for release in the summer,Destined Rivals' May 30 release date means that there’s only room for maybe one more set in theScarlet & Violetera before it officially sunsets.
Everything We Know About The New Cards For Destined Rivals
Team Rocket’s Mewtwo Ex & Ethan’s Ho-Oh Ex Are Highlight Cards
BecauseDestined Rivalsis made up of cards from multiple JapanesePokémon TCGsets, we already have an idea of some of the big cards that will appear in this set.
One of the set’s highlights will be Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex, which has a whopping 280 HP – impressively high for a Basic card. However, Mewtwo’s ability prevents it from attacking unless there are at least four Team Rocket’s Pokémon (which includes Mewtwo itself) in play. Mewtwo’s Deletion Sphere can deal up to 280 damage, making it strong enough to knock out most meta-relevant cards.
Other powerful cards include Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex, which has a powerful Fire Energy accelerator ability that can only be used on Ethan’s other Pokémon, and Cynthia’s Garchomp ex, which allows you to draw up to a hand size of six every turn it uses its Screw Drive attack. We’ve also seen several Misty’s Pokémon cards that make use of a discard effect to deal damage. Finally,Destined Rivalsalso has a Dondozo ex that deals more damage proportional to the number of damage counters on it: because it has 280 HP, it can potentially deal up to 300 damage with a single attack.
Because of the emphasis on Team Rocket,Destined Rivalsis expected to be a highly sought-after set.There’s currently disproportionately high demand for thePokémon TCGin the US, which is being pushed higher due to scalpers. AllPokémon TCGproducts are being snatched up as soon as they go on shelves, but we expectDestined Rivalsto be one of the biggest sets of the year when it officially releases in May.
Source:The Pokémon Company
Pokemon Trading Card Game
The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a strategic card game where players build decks of Pokémon, Trainer, and Energy cards. Players take turns using attacks, abilities, and strategies to knock out their opponent’s Pokémon, aiming to collect Prize cards. The first to collect all their Prize cards wins.
