Destined Rivals Card List: Every Chase Card Ranked

Destined Rivals has two markets hiding inside one set. Five Team Rocket Special Illustration Rares trade on pure Gen I nostalgia. Five trainer-pairing cards from Cynthia, Ethan, and Misty hold value because they are competitively useful, emotionally resonant, or both. The distinction matters because these two categories behave differently over time: nostalgia cards are sentiment-driven and volatile, while playability cards tend to be stickier.

This destined rivals card list ranks every chase card by current market value and flags which tier each belongs to, so you can decide what to chase in sealed product and what to pick up as singles.

What Is Destined Rivals?

Destined Rivals (SV10) released May 30, 2025 as the tenth main set in the Scarlet & Violet era. It combines cards from two Japanese sets, Heat Wave Arena and The Glory of Team Rocket, into a single English release that pairs classic characters like Cynthia, Ethan, Giovanni, and Misty with a new Trainer's Pokemon mechanic.

The set marks the first time Rocket's Pokemon have appeared in decades. That return, combined with notoriously difficult pull rates and nostalgic trainer pairings, has made it one of the most talked-about sets of the Scarlet & Violet era.

Two Markets in One Set

Most Pokemon sets have a straightforward value hierarchy: the rarest cards cost the most, and demand tapers from there. Destined Rivals breaks that pattern.

The Team Rocket sub-set is one of the most popular in recent memory, pulling in longtime fans through dark themes and iconic Gen I Pokemon. These cards carry nostalgia premiums. Their prices reflect how strongly collectors feel about characters they grew up with, which means those prices can shift quickly on sentiment alone.

The trainer-pairing cards operate differently. Cynthia's Garchomp, Ethan's Ho-Oh, and Misty's Psyduck draw value from a combination of competitive relevance, character affinity, and the full-art, story-driven artwork that makes SIRs collector favourites. That broader demand base tends to create more stable pricing.

When you see a card on this list, ask yourself which camp it belongs to. The answer tells you something about where its price is headed.

Tier 1: The Grails

These three cards define the set. All three currently command prices that place them in modern grail territory on the secondary market.

Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex SIR (#231/182) sits at the top of the destined rivals card list at $489 to $537. The artwork pairs Mewtwo with Giovanni, calling to mind the original Pokemon movie where the two worked side by side. It is also a Basic Pokemon with 280 HP and a scaling attack that reaches 280+, making it genuinely competitive. That combination of prestige and playability is rare, and it is why Mewtwo leads the set by such a wide margin.

Cynthia's Garchomp ex SIR (#232/182) comes in at $259 to $278. The artwork showcases a battle in a massive stadium with Garchomp preparing its attack. Cynthia and Garchomp are one of the most recognisable trainer-Pokemon pairings in the franchise, which gives this card a demand floor that pure nostalgia plays lack.

Ethan's Ho-Oh ex SIR (#230/182) rounds out the top three at $209 to $226. Ho-Oh was the first legendary Ash Ketchum ever saw, flying overhead as he left Pallet Town. The card's healing factor from Shining Feathers adds competitive utility to an already emotionally loaded piece of artwork.

Tier 2: High-Value Chases

Three more Team Rocket SIRs occupy the $100 to $143 range. All three sit in the nostalgia camp.

Moltres ex SIR (#229/182) ranges from $127 to $143. The artwork, designed by Akira Egawa, is widely considered the most beautiful Rocket card in the set. It positions Moltres in a protective stance in front of its trainer, and the result is one of the better Legendary Bird cards in recent years.

Nidoking ex SIR (#233/182) sits at $111 to $125. The card features a Giovanni cameo rendered by artist Uninori, showcasing the raw power that keeps collectors watching Nidoking cards closely.

Crobat ex SIR (#234/182) comes in at $100 to $101. A flock of Zubats and Golbats surrounds Crobat in the artwork, adding menace that fits the character. The pairing makes sense: Zubat and its evolutions are frequently used by Team Rocket grunts in the games, making Crobat one of the most on-brand Rocket picks in the set.

Tier 3: Strong Pulls Worth Targeting

This bracket includes a surprise. Hyper Rares almost never crack a set's top ten, but Mewtwo's does.

Mewtwo ex Hyper Rare (#240/182) at $63 to $66 is unusual. Hyper Rare cards do not traditionally break the top 10 for their sets, but Mewtwo's competitive viability and legendary status push this gold card well above the norm.

Misty's Psyduck IR (#193/182) at $54 is the most valuable standard Illustration Rare in the set. Misty is a series mainstay dating back to Kanto, and Psyduck is her most recognised Pokemon. That character recognition keeps demand steady.

Ethan's Adventure SIR (#236/182) at $53 is less about combat and more about character. The artwork shows Ethan flanked by Slugma and Cyndaquil, with Pichu hitching a ride. It captures the energy that has made Ethan popular among Pokemon fans.

Giovanni SIR (#238/182) closes the top ten at $39. The card features other Team Rocket members alongside Giovanni, reinforcing his role as the boss. At this price point, it is one of the more accessible SIRs in the set.

The Extended List: Cards 11 to 19

Beyond the top ten, the destined rivals card list still holds cards worth knowing about. These rank 11th through 19th by market value:

Notice the pattern. Several cards appear twice on the full list at different rarities. Cynthia's Garchomp ex has both a SIR at $259+ and a Hyper Rare at rank 16. Ethan's Ho-Oh ex has a SIR at $209+ and a Hyper Rare at rank 13. Crobat ex shows up as a SIR at $100 and a Hyper Rare at rank 19. If you pull the lower-rarity version of a card you wanted, it still has meaningful trade value.

Pull Rate Reality

Chasing these cards in sealed product is expensive. Some SIRs in Destined Rivals have pull rates of 1 in 1,000 packs or less.

At roughly $7 per pack at Australian retail, that puts the expected cost of pulling a specific SIR somewhere around $7,000 in sealed product. Even if you factor in the value of other pulls along the way, the maths favours buying singles for any card you specifically want.

That does not mean sealed product is a bad purchase. Opening packs has its own appeal, and you might hit a Mewtwo SIR in your first booster box. But if your goal is a specific card from this destined rivals card list, the numbers point clearly toward the singles market.

Should You Chase or Buy Singles?

The answer depends on which tier of card you want.

Nostalgia-tier cards (Team Rocket SIRs) carry prices that reflect emotional attachment to Gen I characters and themes. That attachment is real, but it is also reactive. A wave of YouTube openings or a new Team Rocket appearance in the anime can push prices up. A slow news cycle can let them drift. If you are buying a Mewtwo SIR or Moltres SIR as a long-term hold, understand that you are betting on sustained sentiment.

Playability-tier cards (Cynthia's Garchomp, Ethan's Ho-Oh, Misty's Psyduck) have broader demand bases. Competitive players need them for decks. Character fans want them for collections. That overlap creates more consistent buying pressure and, typically, less dramatic price swings.

For either tier, check what Australian sellers are listing before you commit. You can track current Destined Rivals deals on CardTracker to compare sealed and singles pricing across eBay sellers. If you are deciding between Destined Rivals and other Scarlet & Violet sets for long-term value, our guide to the best Pokemon sets to invest in breaks down the comparison.