The next Scarlet and Violet set for the Pokémon TCG will be named Destined Rivals and is coming out May 30. This set is expected to contain cards from the Japanese sets Heatwave Arena and The Glory of Team Rocket, due out in March and April this year.
This is the official name of the ‘Rocket set’ that fans have been anticipating for months. The knowledge that a set would have some connection with the famous villain group has been boosting the ridiculous hype around Pokémon in 2025.
‘Badass evil Pokémon’ is an obvious recipe to make some serious sales. This fact – combined with fans’ nostalgia for the games, anime, or older Pokémon TCG sets like Team Rocket and Ex Team Rocket Returns – has meant that the upcoming Rocket release was expected to bring the Pokémon card hype to a fever pitch.
But now that the name and concept for the set has been revealed, some fans have expressed disappointment. Looking online, it appears some were expecting this release to have a more concrete connection to Pokémon’s original bad guys.
Admittedly, Destined Rivals is a pretty boring name, but it fits with Pokémon’s usual practice of combining multiple Japanese sets into one English release, then slapping on a more generic title. Pokebeach also predicts that the set will pull in the cards from the Grimmsnarl and Metagross decks, making it a true Frankenstein’s Monster of a set.
At any rate, this set is likely to be extremely highly sought after. It may be even harder to find in the wilds than Prismatic Evolutions, which already saw fans go absolutely feral – to the point that some stores even refused to stock the set.
Chase cards are likely to include the hilarious Psyduck-launching card Misty’s Gyarados, Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex, and Cynthia’s Garchomp ex – at least if all of them have SIR variants. On top of that, you then have the excitement of Rocket’s Pokémon, including a much-anticipated new version of Mewtwo.
We’re still waiting for a glimpse at most of these cards, but previews for Heat Wave Arena are now starting to appear – so keep your eyes peeled. For more Pokémon news, check out our guide to the most expensive rare Pokémon cards, and the newest Pokémon set.
Source: Wargamer
