Destined Rivals Booster Box vs ETB

A Destined Rivals booster box is the biggest standard product for opening Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Destined Rivals, the Team Rocket set that arrived in English on 30 May 2025. It isn’t the only option, though. The same packs come in an 18-pack display, an Elite Trainer Box, a booster bundle and a three-pack blister, and each one suits a different kind of collector.

This guide explains what’s in each format, who it’s best for and how the Destined Rivals ETB compares with a full box. We’ll also cover the set itself, from its release and size to the chase cards people hope to find, so you know exactly what you’re opening before you choose.

What Is Destined Rivals?

Destined Rivals is the tenth main expansion of the Scarlet & Violet series, and Bulbapedia describes it as the last one. It’s built around Team Rocket. Giovanni and Mewtwo ex lead the villains, while heroic pairings such as Ethan with Ho-Oh ex and Cynthia with Garchomp ex stand against them.

The headline mechanic is the return of Trainer’s Pokémon. These cards show a Trainer with their Pokémon in the artwork and put the Trainer’s name on the card, so you’ll see names like Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex, Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex and Cynthia’s Garchomp ex throughout the list. The official Destined Rivals media alert counts 83 Team Rocket cards and 17 Pokémon ex, 10 of them Trainer’s Pokémon ex.

Bulbapedia lists Cynthia, Ethan, Arven, Misty, Marnie and Steven among the featured Trainers, so the set mixes Team Rocket’s villains with some of the series’ best-loved heroes and rivals. That contrast suits the set’s name: on one side the Team Rocket cards, on the other the Trainers and partner Pokémon who stand in their way.

Because it’s a main expansion rather than a special set, Destined Rivals was released in the full range of English products, including a booster display. That’s why you can choose between a Destined Rivals booster box and smaller products, which isn’t the case for every recent set.

Destined Rivals Key Facts

• Full name: Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Destined Rivals, listed under the set code DRI on Limitless TCG.
• English release date: 30 May 2025, with Play! Pokémon prerelease events from 17 May 2025.
• Set size: 244 cards, made up of 182 main set cards and 62 secret rares.
• Secret rares: 23 illustration rares, 22 ultra rares, 11 special illustration rares and six gold hyper rares.
• Japanese source: according to Bulbapedia’s set page, the cards come from the Japanese Glory of the Rocket Gang expansion (also translated as The Glory of Team Rocket) and the Heat Wave Arena subset, plus two Japanese ex Starter Sets.
• Featured Pokémon ex: Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex, Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex, Cynthia’s Garchomp ex and Arven’s Mabosstiff ex are among the headline cards.
• Digital release: the set became playable in Pokémon TCG Live on 29 May 2025, the day before the cards reached shops.
• Reverse holos: every card from Rare down also comes in a reverse holofoil version.
• Language: this guide covers the English set. Japanese releases have their own card lists and numbering, so English and Japanese card numbers don’t match.

Destined Rivals Chase Cards

There’s no official chase list, but the secret rares are where most collectors focus, whichever product they open. Using Limitless TCG’s set list, the secret rares run in this order: illustration rares from 183 to 205, ultra rares from 206 to 227, special illustration rares from 228 to 238 and gold hyper rares from 239 to 244.

These are the cards collectors talk about most, with numbers checked against Limitless TCG:

• Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex: the face of the Team Rocket side, with a special illustration rare at 231/182 and a gold hyper rare at 240/182.
• Cynthia’s Garchomp ex: a special illustration rare at 232/182.
• Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex: a special illustration rare at 230/182.
• Team Rocket’s Giovanni: a special illustration rare Supporter at 238/182.
• Ethan’s Adventure: another special illustration rare Supporter, at 236/182.
• Team Rocket’s Moltres ex, Nidoking ex and Crobat ex: special illustration rares at 229/182, 233/182 and 234/182.
• Misty’s Psyduck: an illustration rare at 193/182 that’s popular for its artwork.

A good chase list is personal. Some collectors want every Team Rocket card, others just want one Trainer’s Pokémon of a favourite character. Knowing your target helps you decide whether a Destined Rivals booster box or a handful of smaller products makes more sense.

Destined Rivals Booster Box Options: 36 Packs or 18

“Booster box” is the name most collectors use. The official product is called a booster display. For Destined Rivals you’ll see two sizes, and it’s worth knowing which one you’re looking at.

What’s in a Destined Rivals Booster Pack

Every format in this guide uses the same English booster packs. Retailer listings for the set describe each pack as 10 Pokémon TCG cards plus one Basic Energy card, and the cards vary from pack to pack. So the difference between a Destined Rivals booster box, a Destined Rivals ETB and a blister isn’t the packs themselves, it’s how many you get and what comes with them.

That’s a useful way to think about the whole range. If packs are all you want, the formats with no extras give you the most packs for the space. If you also want promos, sleeves or a storage box, the Elite Trainer Box and the blister add those on top.

The 36-Pack Booster Display

The standard Destined Rivals booster box is a booster display of 36 sealed booster packs, as listed by retailers selling the English version. There are no promos, sleeves or accessories inside, just the packs and the display box they sit in.

This is the format for people who want to open a lot of the set in one go: collectors building a full binder, friends splitting a box, or anyone who simply enjoys a big opening. If you want the most packs from a single product, a 36-pack Destined Rivals booster box is the one.

The 18-Pack Booster Display

Alongside the 36-pack display, 18-pack booster displays have been sold in UK and European shops for several sets. Our Destined Rivals listing is one of these: the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Destined Rivals Booster Display (18 Booster Packs) (MAX 5per person). As the name says, it holds 18 Destined Rivals booster packs.

The official Pokémon announcements we checked don’t describe the 18-pack format in detail, so we go by the product name. It’s a box opening in a smaller size, with half the packs of a full display and the same booster packs inside. If a 36-pack Destined Rivals booster box feels like more than you need, the 18-pack display is a good middle ground between a bundle and a full box.

You can browse boxes from other sets in our English booster boxes category, and it’s always worth checking the pack count in a product’s name before you buy.

What’s in the Destined Rivals ETB

The Destined Rivals ETB is the all-in-one option: packs, a promo and everything you need to play. The product description carried by retailers lists these contents:

• 9 Destined Rivals booster packs
• 1 full-art foil promo card of Team Rocket’s Wobbuffet
• 65 card sleeves
• 45 Pokémon TCG Energy cards
• A player’s guide to the expansion
• 6 damage-counter dice
• 1 competition-legal coin-flip die
• 2 plastic condition markers
• A collector’s box with 4 dividers
• A code card for Pokémon TCG Live

That accessory list is the Scarlet & Violet style. Newer Mega Evolution boxes swap the condition markers for a plastic coin and come with 40 Energy and six dividers, so a Destined Rivals ETB isn’t quite identical to the boxes from the sets that followed it.

The Pokémon Center Edition

There’s also a Pokémon Center edition of the Destined Rivals ETB, made for the official Pokémon Center store. Retailer listings for it show 11 booster packs instead of nine and two Team Rocket’s Wobbuffet promos, one with a Pokémon Center logo, alongside the same accessories. If the stamped promo matters to you, our guide to standard and Pokémon Center ETBs explains how to tell the two editions apart.

For most buyers, though, the standard Destined Rivals ETB is the box to look at. It’s ideal if you want to play, if you’re buying a gift for someone new to the game, or if you like having a sturdy storage box for your pulls once the packs are open.

Booster Bundle and Three-Pack Blister

Not everyone wants a box. The two smaller formats are simpler, and they’re useful if you want to try the set or add a few packs to a collection.

Destined Rivals Booster Bundle

The English – Destined Rivals Booster Bundle – English holds six booster packs and nothing else. There’s no promo and no accessories, so every part of the product is packs. It’s the most direct way to open Destined Rivals in a small format, and two bundles together give you more packs than an Elite Trainer Box, without the accessories.

Destined Rivals Three-Pack Blister

The English – Destined Rivals – 3 Pack Blister is the smallest format we stock for the set. Retail versions of the three-pack blister contain three booster packs, a foil promo card and a Pokémon TCG Live code card. Versions with a Kangaskhan promo and with a Zebstrika promo were both released.

Blisters make good gifts and stocking fillers, and they’re a nice way to try a set before committing to a bigger product. You’ll find more single packs and blisters in our English booster packs category.

Destined Rivals Booster Box vs ETB: Side by Side

Here’s how every format compares at a glance. Pack counts and extras come from the product names and the official product descriptions carried by retailers.

The short version: a Destined Rivals booster box gives you the most packs, the Destined Rivals ETB gives you packs plus a promo and a play kit, and the bundle and blister are the easy ways in.

Booster Box or ETB? Five Questions to Ask

If you’re torn between a Destined Rivals booster box and a Destined Rivals ETB, these questions usually settle it:

• Do you play, or just collect? The ETB comes with 65 sleeves, 45 Energy cards, dice and condition markers. If you’ll never use them, a booster box or display puts everything into packs instead.
• How many packs do you want to open? Nine packs in an ETB is a good evening’s opening. Eighteen or 36 packs is a much bigger session, and it gives you more of the set to sort and trade.
• Do you want the promo? The Team Rocket’s Wobbuffet promo comes with the Elite Trainer Box, and a booster box doesn’t include any promos.
• Where will the cards live? The ETB’s storage box and dividers are handy if you don’t already have one. If you use binders, you may not need another box.
• Is it a gift? An ETB is easy to wrap and has something to open beyond the packs. For a smaller gift, the three-pack blister works well.

There’s no wrong answer, and many collectors end up buying both formats over time.

Which Format Should You Choose?

The right choice depends on what you want from the set. Here’s how we’d think about it:

• You want to open as much of the set as possible: a 36-pack Destined Rivals booster box.
• You want a box opening without going all in: the 18-pack booster display.
• You want to play, or you’re buying a gift: the Destined Rivals ETB, with its sleeves, Energy, dice and storage box.
• You collect promos: the Elite Trainer Box for the Wobbuffet, or the three-pack blister for Kangaskhan or Zebstrika.
• You just want a few packs: the booster bundle or a three-pack blister.

Plenty of collectors mix formats. A common approach is to open a Destined Rivals booster box or display for the bulk of the set, then pick up a Destined Rivals ETB for the promo and the storage box. Whatever you choose, remember that every format contains the same booster packs, so the difference is the number of packs and the extras around them.

Building a Destined Rivals Binder

If you’re opening a Destined Rivals booster box to build a binder, it helps to plan the layout first. The main set runs from 001 to 182, and everything numbered above 182 is a secret rare. Holding all 244 cards once each takes 28 sides of nine-pocket pages, so a 360-card binder leaves room for a few extras.

A full master set is bigger, because every card from Rare down also has a reverse holofoil version. Many collectors start with the main set and the special illustration rares, then decide later whether to chase the reverse holos. Sorting your pulls by number as you open makes the gaps easy to spot.

Team Rocket fans sometimes build a separate page or two just for the Team Rocket’s cards. With 83 of them in the set, that’s a satisfying side project, and it makes a good display for the special illustration rare Supporters such as Team Rocket’s Giovanni and Team Rocket’s Ariana.

Tips for Opening and Storing Destined Rivals

• Decide on a goal first. A full binder, a single Trainer’s Pokémon or a sealed collection all point to different products.
• Sleeve your best pulls straight away. Put special illustration rares and hyper rares into a sleeve and then a toploader or binder.
• Use the ETB box. If you open a Destined Rivals ETB, the box and dividers make a tidy home for the rest of your collection.
• Store sealed product carefully. Keep boxes flat, out of direct sunlight and away from damp, especially if you’re keeping a Destined Rivals booster box sealed.
• Check the pack count. Listings for a Destined Rivals booster box can mean either a 36-pack or an 18-pack display, so check the product name before you buy.
• Fill gaps with single cards. Once you’ve opened some packs, finishing a page is usually easier with the few cards you’re missing than by opening more and more product.

Destined Rivals Booster Box FAQs

Where to Buy Destined Rivals in the UK

You can shop every Destined Rivals format we stock at Obsidia TCG. For a box opening, start with the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Destined Rivals Booster Display (18 Booster Packs) (MAX 5per person). For the promo and play kit, choose the English – Destined Rivals – ETB. For something smaller, the booster bundle and the three-pack blister are linked above, and our collection boxes category has more ways to open packs.

If you’re looking at newer sets too, our Mega Evolutions booster box guide covers the next series. You’ll find more guides on the Obsidia TCG blog, and if you have a question about any product, email us at sales@obsidiatcg.co.uk.