Destined Rivals Top 10 Best Chase Cards Everyone Wants to Pull

Destined Rivals is the next English Pokémon TCG set on the horizon, and with Glory of Team Rocket having launched in Japan this past Friday, we now have a full preview of what to expect when Destined Rivals hits shelves on May 30, 2025.

Here are the top 10 standout cards from Heat Wave Arena and Glory of Team Rocket to keep an eye out for in Destined Rivals!

Kicking off our list at number 10 is Cynthia's Garchomp ex (#091) from Heat Wave Arena. Starting with a Gold Secret Rare sets the tone for just how stacked Destined Rivals is with high-value cards. Cynthia plays a major role in the set, just as she did in the rankings for Heat Wave Arena. You can be sure that pulling any variation of Cynthia in Destined Rivals will be worth celebrating.

The big boss himself places as the expected 9th most expensive card from Destined Rivals. The Team Rocket's Giovanni Special Art Rare is done in a style similar to the "Friends in" cards which many people find way more appealing than a standard Full Art Trainer. This SAR features the other notable Team Rocket Executives that are featured in Destined Rivals.

The Ethan's Adventure SAR is currently the 3rd most expensive card from Heat Wave Arena, and is expected to rank around 8th in Destined Rivals. This charming SAR has won over plenty of fans, though some collectors were left wishing for a true Ethan’s Pichu card in the set. Ethan is the male protagonist from Pokémon Gold and Silver, and also appears as the male player character in Crystal.

Another top card from the Glory of Team Rocket is Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex (#130), an Ultra Rare that’s poised to be a standout in Destined Rivals. As one of the most iconic Legendary Pokémon of all time, Mewtwo has a long history of commanding attention—and high price tags. Combine that built-in popularity with the allure of a Gold Secret Rare, and it's no surprise this card has secured a top-tier spot on the list.

Team Rocket’s Nidoking ex SAR (#126) from Glory of Team Rocket is a strong contender for a top spot on this list. However, this is where the rankings start to get more competitive, with several standout Special Art Rares vying for the top spots. Nidoking has long been linked to Giovanni, dating all the way back to the original Red and Blue games, and later featured as Giovanni’s Nidoking in the Gym Challenge set as a memorable holo.

Team Rocket’s Crobat Special Art Rare (#127) is the third most expensive card to emerge from Glory of Team Rocket, and it’s a strong contender for a top 5 spot in Destined Rivals. The artwork is absolutely stunning—Crobat is depicted alongside others from its evolutionary line, echoing the beloved style of the Pikachu card from Crown Zenith. It’s a fan-favorite for good reason… though, to be fair, the same could be said for every remaining card on this list.

Ethan's Ho-oh ex SAR (#086) is the second most expensive card from Heat Wave Arena, and will probably fall around the #4 spot in Destined Rivals, though we would not be surprised to see it compete with and perhaps surpass the next card on the list. Atsushi Furusawa’s illustration instantly evokes memories of the very first episode of Pokémon, where Ash catches a glimpse of what appears to be Ho-Oh soaring through the clouds. The perspective also closely mirrors the iconic Lugia Alternate Art from Silver Tempest, making these two cards a perfect pairing for a themed binder display.

Team Rocket's Moltres ex Special Art Rare #124 is the second most expensive card from Glory of Team Rocket, and likely to be a top 3 contendor for Destined Rivals. That should come as no surprise—AKIRA EGAWA has delivered some of the most visually striking cards in recent memory, including the gold versions of Palkia, Dialga, Giratina, and Arceus from Crown Zenith. This Moltres illustration is shaping up to be one of the most memorable renditions of the Legendary bird we’ve seen yet.

Cynthia's Garchomp ex Special Art Rare #087 is the most expensive card in Heat Wave Arena, and expected to be the 2nd most expensive card in Destined Rivals. What makes this card even more intriguing is the fact that it’s illustrated by a brand-new artist to the Pokémon TCG: HICO KIM. And when we say new, we mean brand new—this is their one and only card to date. Talk about an entrance.

Cynthia remains one of the most iconic Trainers in the franchise, originally debuting as the Sinnoh Champion in Diamond and Pearl. Her Garchomp has become legendary in its own right, appearing across various games, media, and merchandise. In Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, it even matches Red’s Pikachu from HeartGold and SoulSilver as the highest-level NPC-owned Pokémon at level 88. It’s no surprise that this card sits firmly at the top of Heat Wave Arena—and it’s shaping up to be one of the biggest chase cards in Destined Rivals.

In a set built around iconic rivalries, it only makes sense that one of the most intense pairings takes center stage—Giovanni and Mewtwo. Their showdown is immortalized in the Special Art Rare Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex (#125), which topped the charts in Glory of Team Rocket and is now primed to be a front-runner in Destined Rivals as well.

The artwork comes from Iwamoto05, a relatively unknown artist in the Pokémon TCG space with only three cards to date. But with this card already generating serious buzz, it’s safe to say their work has struck a chord with collectors. If this is just the beginning, we’re in for something special.

Try your luck at pulling these cards from Destined Rivals:

Or, check out the Japanese counterparts to Destined Rivals:

That’s it for the expected top 10 most expensive cards from Destined Rivals. If you enjoy this content, then be sure to join our Discord community to connect with other people in the hobby and get notified about restocks of your favorite sets!

Want to see more cards from the set? Check out these runner-ups, or check out our Visual Set List for Destined Rivals.

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