The highly anticipated Japanese Pokémon TCG set, Glory of Team Rocket, has been officially revealed, and fans couldn’t be more excited! While this set will release in Japan, the English equivalent, titled the Destined Rivals set, is set to launch on May 30th, bringing these villainous favorites to a global audience. Containing 98 cards in its main set and expected to reach around 130 cards with secret rares, this set brings back the iconic villains of the Pokémon world, introducing a variety of powerful and strategic cards centered around Team Rocket’s signature mischievous style.
Among the standout reveals is Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex, a powerful card with a unique ability and a devastating attack:
- Ability: This Pokémon can only attack if you have four or more Team Rocket’s Pokémon in play.
- Attack: You may discard up to two Energy from your Benched Pokémon. This attack deals an additional 60 damage for each Energy card discarded this way.
The set also showcases the cunning tactics of Team Rocket’s Meowth and its evolution, Team Rocket’s Persian:
- Team Rocket’s Meowth: Choose a random card from your opponent’s hand. They reveal it and shuffle it back into their deck. Then, flip three coins — this attack does 20 damage for each heads.
- Team Rocket’s Persian: Reveal the top 10 cards of your opponent’s deck. You may use the attack of any Pokémon revealed this way. Then, your opponent shuffles those cards back into their deck. Additionally, your opponent’s Active Pokémon becomes Confused.
Other notable Pokémon include Team Rocket’s Tarountula, who inflicts damage to itself, and Team Rocket’s Spidops, which can attach Basic Energy from the discard pile and scale its damage based on the number of Team Rocket’s Pokémon in play.
The Porygon line also makes a devious appearance:
- Team Rocket’s Porygon: Discard a card from your hand, then force your opponent to discard a card from theirs.
- Team Rocket’s Porygon2: This attack deals 20 damage for each Supporter card in your discard pile with “Team Rocket” in its name.
- Team Rocket’s Porygon-Z: Its ability lets you discard two cards from your hand to draw one. Its attack mirrors Porygon2, scaling damage based on discarded Team Rocket Supporters.
The villainous Team Rocket leaders also return as Supporter cards with game-changing effects:
- Team Rocket’s Giovanni: Switch your Active Team Rocket’s Pokémon with one of your Benched Pokémon, then force your opponent to switch their Active Pokémon as well.
- Team Rocket’s Ariana: Draw until you have five cards in hand. If all your Pokémon in play are Team Rocket’s Pokémon, draw until you have eight instead.
- Team Rocket’s Archer: Usable only if a Team Rocket’s Pokémon was Knocked Out during your opponent’s last turn. Both players shuffle their hands into their decks, but you draw five cards while your opponent draws only three.
To support these strategies, the set introduces Team Rocket’s Receiver, which allows you to search for a Team Rocket Supporter, and Team Rocket Energy, providing two of any combination of Psychic and Darkness Energy, but only if attached to a Team Rocket’s Pokémon.
Overall, Glory of Team Rocket — and its English counterpart, Destined Rivals — is shaping up to be a nostalgic yet tactical set for Pokémon TCG enthusiasts. With the return of these iconic villains, it promises an exciting experience filled with trickery and surprise strategies that fans will love!
