There’s something magical about slicing open the seal on a fresh Pokémon TCG box. That quiet shfffft as the plastic slides away, the weight of a booster box in your hands, and the flicker of hope as each pack crinkles open. And after unboxing everything myself, Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet’s latest expansion, Destined Rivals, truly gets it.
After getting my hands on a full spread of Destined Rivals products early, thanks to The Pokémon Company, it was obvious from the start that this isn’t just another Scarlet and Violet set. The nostalgia hits hard, and the artwork is genuinely stunning.
Build and Battle Box
I kicked things off with the Build and Battle Box, which comes with four booster packs, a 40-card semi-constructed deck, and one of four stamped promo cards. Mine came with Team Rocket’s Tyranitar which immediately set the tone. That promo looks fantastic in foil.
From the four booster packs, I managed to pull an Illustration Rare and one ex card. The Tyranitar holo alone had me wishing I could clone it three more times. Putting together a quick deck using the included cards and a few pulls was fun, which says a lot for a product that’s often treated like a warm-up act.
Booster Bundle
This was my favorite product to open. The Booster Bundle packs in six booster packs and no fluff, and I hit gold with my favorite card of the set. I pulled Ethan’s Typhlosion IR from this bundle. Honestly? If I had stopped opening packs here, I’d have been perfectly happy.
Both cards felt like a reminder of how much thought and care has gone into the set’s design. And when you hit cards like that back-to-back, it’s tough not to start scrambling for more bundles just to see what else you might get.
Booster Box
There’s just something satisfying about cracking into a full Booster Box, and this one didn’t disappoint. Inside the 36 packs, I pulled eight ex cards, six Illustration Rares, one Special Illustration Rare, and one Gold Rare. That’s 16 hits that didn’t feel like filler.
Alongside the Ethan pulls mentioned above, I pulled Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex Gold rare, Arven’s Mabosstiff ex SIR and Team Rocket’s Crobat ex SR , both of which immediately got me thinking about new deck builds. The Mabosstiff ex artwork alone is enough to make me want to run midrange decks again, and Crobat looks like it was born for a damage spread archetype.
Team Rocket’s Houndoom IR also showed up late in the box, and it felt like the perfect closer. It’s aggressive, looks like it could punch a hole through your binder, and made me actually stop and appreciate an Illustration Rare that isn’t trying to be too cute.
Elite Trainer Box
Next was the Elite Trainer Box, with its slick red and black Team Rocket design that looks even better in person. Inside you’ll find nine booster packs, Rocket’s Wobbuffet promo card, a set of sleeves, dice, and all the other trimmings you’d expect.
Unfortunately the pulls were a bust for me. That’s the way it goes sometimes, but I will say the box design might be one of my favorites in recent memory. It feels like it was made for fans who grew up with Gen II and still have their Rocket’s Zapdos somewhere in a binder. Even when the hits don’t come, it still feels like a collector’s piece.
Should You Buy It?
If you are looking to buy Destined Rivals, your best bet right now is via Best Buy, which is dropping Destined Rivals ETBs on May 23 via a special “Best Buy Drops” preorder event on its app, just like the recent Black Bolt and White Flare expansions preorders.
Typically, these drops occur around 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET, so get your Best Buy app ready and signed in, and add the ETB to your wishlist ASAP.
So should you pick it up? In my opinion, yes. If you’re a collector, a deck builder, or just someone who misses the feeling of opening packs that actually feel like they’re worth something, this is the set for you.
Get the Booster Box if you want the full ride. Grab a Booster Bundle if you’re chasing an IR like I was. Even the Build and Battle Box makes a solid case for itself. Just don’t be surprised if one product turns into three. This set has a habit of pulling you in, pack by pack.
Final Thoughts
Destined Rivals is the kind of set that doesn’t just lean on nostalgia, it uses it as a foundation and builds something new. The return of Trainer’s Pokémon opens up all sorts of creative deckbuilding potential. You’re not just building a deck around a type anymore.
You’re building it around a character. And for once, the common cards feel like they belong. I’m finding myself looking at every card in the pack instead of instantly bulk-sorting anything without a foil.
And the artwork. I know everyone says this every time a new set drops, but I actually mean it. The card illustrations in this set are more expressive, more dynamic, and just plain more fun to look at. That’s something I didn’t realize I was missing until I opened 40-plus packs and found myself lingering on commons. Obviously my favorite box opening experience was with the booster box, absolute mad scenes.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
