Early Market Snapshot — The Glory of Team Rocket

Friday’s Japanese release has already given us the first look at how collectors and players are valuing the new cards. Below we will give you an insight into how the current pricing is looking and what you could expect ahead of the release of the Destined Rivals set release on the 30th of this month.

Secret Illustration Rares, Golds & Full Arts — launch-day prices

1. Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex (SIR) – £290.87

2. Team Rocket’s Moltres ex (SIR) – £137.24

3. Team Rocket’s Crobat ex (SIR) – £70.67

4. Team Rocket’s Nidoking ex (SIR) – £60.43

5. Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex (Gold) – £41.89

6. Team Rocket’s Giovanni (SIR) – £38.31

7. Team Rocket’s Ariana (SIR) – £28.06

8. Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex (Full Art) – £20.38

9. Team Rocket’s Crobat ex (Gold) – £15.26

10. Team Rocket’s Meowth (Illustration Rare) – £14.24

11. Jamming Tower (Gold) – £14.24

12. Team Rocket’s Giovanni (Full Art) – £12.19

13. Team Rocket’s Moltres ex (Full Art) – £ 8.60

14. Team Rocket’s Proton (Full Art) – £ 7.07

15. Blaziken (Illustration Rare) – £ 7.07

Key take-aways

• Mewtwo steals the show once again. At ~£291, the SIR comfortably doubles the Day-1 price of Heat Wave Arena’s Cynthia’s Garchomp ex and lands in the same ballpark as Battle Partners’ Lillie’s Clefairy ex, underlining just how bankable Mewtwo remains for both collectors and competitive players.

• Mascots matter. The fact that Meowth’s IR breaks into the “premium” ladder despite being an Illustration Rare testifies to its enduring pop-culture pull: it’s the face of Team Rocket in the anime, and the market is willing to pay accordingly.

• Rocket-themed trainers beat the generics. Giovanni’s SIR out-prices every Full Art in the set, while the regular FA version still edges out most Pokémon full arts—evidence that character cards are still hot.

Illustration Rares — full ranking

1. Team Rocket’s Meowth – £14.24

2. Blaziken – £ 7.07

3. Team Rocket’s Houndoom – £ 6.04

4. Team Rocket’s Wobbuffet – £ 6.04

5. Team Rocket’s Murkrow – £ 4.51

6. Team Rocket’s Spidops – £ 3.48

7. Team Rocket’s Weezing – £ 3.48

8. Team Rocket’s Raticate – £ 3.48

9. Kangaskhan – £ 3.48

10. Zamazenta – £ 2.97

11. Team Rocket’s Orbeetle – £ 2.46

12. Clamperl – £ 1.95

Double Rares — early competitive clues

• Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex – £ 3.48

• Team Rocket’s Crobat ex – £ 1.95

• Team Rocket’s Moltres ex – £ 0.61

• All other Double Rares – £ 0.41

What This Means for Destined Rivals in May

• Expect a similar chase card hierarchy. English-language collectors can likely pencil in Mewtwo as the headline pull, with Meowth’s IR leading the “budget but beautiful” slot.

• Prices will soften — but not evenly. History tells us launch-week premiums cool off by 20-40 % after the first fortnight, yet top-tier SIRs often retain a hefty share of that premium.

Final thoughts

Team Rocket may be up to its old tricks, but so are collectors: chasing Mewtwo, idolising Giovanni. If these opening prices are any indication, The Glory of Team Rocket (and its English counterpart Destined Rivals) will be one of 2025’s most-talked-about Pokémon TCG releases. 🚀