A Collector's Guide to the Destined Rivals Set

Destined Rivals 2025 Price & Grading Guide: What to Chase, What to Grade, and What to Hold

Destined Rivals (SV10) brings a Rocket-fueled mix of Special Illustration Rares, gold Hyper Rares, and fan-favorite character Illustration Rares from Misty and Ethan. Using real user-submitted scans from CardGrader.AI and verified eBay sold data, this guide breaks down where the money is flowing right now, which cards respond best to grading, and how to spot condition pitfalls before you slab.

Methodology: We filtered eBay sold listings for exact matches (English, correct number and rarity, single cards only) and excluded damaged copies, lots, and mislabeled/graded results when calculating typical raw prices. When relevant, we call out those filters explicitly so you can trust the numbers.

Chase Tiers in Destined Rivals (SV10)

• Special Illustration Rare (SIR): Full-art story cards with top-tier demand (e.g., Team Rocket’s birds, Mewtwo SIR).
• Hyper Rare (Gold): Gold-textured, premium versions of key EXs (e.g., Mewtwo and Ho-Oh).
• Illustration Rare (IR): Character-driven art pieces with strong collector appeal (Misty, Ethan, Team Rocket’s Pokémon).

Market Snapshot: Verified Sold Prices (Filtered)

Below are representative cards with filtered raw solds and notable graded sales. Each first mention links to its live CardGrader.AI result page with images, grade estimates, and sales history.

• 2025 Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex EX 231/182 Destined Rivals Special Illustration Rare: After filtering exact English SIR listings, raw sales cluster around $350–$425 with a ~$402 average. This is a flagship chase with deep liquidity.
  
• 2025 Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex ex 240/182 Destined Rivals Hyper Rare: Filtering exact gold Hyper Rare 240/182 sales yields ~$76 average raw. Graded premiums are real: PSA 10s sold between $205–$271 (avg ~$251), CGC 10s around $160–$175.
• 2025 Team Rocket's Moltres ex ex 229/182 Destined Rivals Special Illustration Rare: Exact SIR 229/182 sales land near $120–$140 (avg ~$126). Solid mid-tier SIR with steady demand.
  
• 2025 Misty's Psyduck 193/182 Destined Rivals Illustration Rare: After removing a damaged copy, filtered raw sales average ~$55 (common range $49–$69). One of the set’s stronger IRs.
  
• 2025 Team Rocket's Houndoom 191/182 Destined Rivals Illustration Rare: Filtering exact IR 191/182 sales (excluding graded and lots) shows most auctions in the $18–$26 band; one low outlier slipped to ~$9. Typical “true” average sits ~$22.
• 2025 Team Rocket's Meowth 203/182 Destined Rivals Illustration Rare: Exact IR sales sit ~$26–$32 (mid/high-$20s average). A CGC 10 realized about $291, showcasing the potential graded multiplier for clean copies.
• 2025 Ethan's Ho-Oh ex ex 239/182 Destined Rivals Hyper Rare: Filtering exact gold Hyper Rare 239/182 sales yields an average near $35 (common range $30–$40). Attractive lower-cost gold to grade if surface is pristine.
• 2025 Misty's Lapras 194/182 Destined Rivals Illustration Rare: After filtering exact 194/182 IR, raw averages around $29–$31. Good binder card; grading can make sense only for potential 10s.
• 2025 Ethan's Typhlosion 190/182 Destined Rivals Illustration Rare: Exact sales average roughly $40 raw ($33–$45 typical). Popular Johto pick that rewards strong centering/surfaces.
• 2025 Team Rocket's Ariana 237/182 Destined Rivals Special Illustration Rare: Despite the SIR tag, exact sales commonly fall in the $22–$30 range (avg ~$26). Not all SIRs are automatic premiums—character matters.

Where Grading Pays (and Where It Doesn’t)

Cards with clear, sustained demand and strong pop potential benefit most from grading. A few standouts:

• Mewtwo Hyper Rare (240/182): With filtered raw ~$76 and PSA 10s ~$251 average, the upside is obvious if you can hit a true 10. CardGrader.AI’s sample shows a high AI-estimated grade (9.41) but note a moderate surface scratch—even tiny flaws can be the difference between a 9 and 10.
• Team Rocket’s Meowth IR (203/182): Raw sits high-$20s, yet a CGC 10 hit ~$291. Illustration Rares can command huge premiums in pristine condition thanks to art-driven demand and lower total gem counts.
• Mewtwo SIR (231/182): Already expensive raw (~$402). Grading can protect value and add liquidity; ROI depends on crossing to 10s. Watch for print defects and micro-scratches noted in surface reports.

On the other hand, stable-but-lower tiers like Misty’s Lapras IR (~$30 raw) or Ariana SIR (~$26 raw) don’t always justify grading fees unless you’re extremely confident in a PSA/CGC 10 outcome (razor-thin centering, flawless corners, and clean surfaces).

Condition Pitfalls We’re Seeing (From Real Scans)

• Surface micro-scratches: Often the silent grade-killer on Hyper Rares (e.g., the Mewtwo and Ho-Oh golds). Tilt under strong light before you slab.
• Minute corner specks: Many of the IR/SIR examples show “one minuscule white speck” on a back corner—usually fine for 9s, but borderline for 10s.
• Centering: Several cards scored “Near Center” to “Almost Dead Center” in AI notes; tight borders on SIRs mean even slight shifts can matter.

Houndoom IR typically trades in the low-$20s after filtering for true 191/182 singles.

Meowth IR shows outsized gem premiums—inspect surfaces closely before grading.

Buying & Grading Strategy for Destined Rivals

• Target SIR headliners and Mewtwo gold for the best mix of liquidity and graded upside. The Mewtwo SIR and Mewtwo Hyper Rare lead this set’s price velocity.
• Hunt clean Illustration Rares (Misty/Ethan, Rocket Pokémon) when your goal is 10s. Low-$30 to ~$55 raw can become 5–10x in gem condition (see Meowth IR example).
• Be picky with surfaces. Our AI notes repeatedly flag fine scratches on Hyper Rares. If you see any, consider holding raw rather than grading.
• Know character premiums. Not every SIR is equal—Ariana sits sub-$30 raw, while Rocket birds and Mewtwo command far more.

Want a second opinion before you submit? Sign up for CardGrader.AI to get free credits and run your cards through AI condition checks, photo-grade simulations, and live comp tracking.

Starter Builds for New Collectors

• Misty mini-run: Misty’s Psyduck IR (~$55) + Misty’s Lapras IR (~$30) delivers affordable nostalgia with A-tier art.
• Rocket theme: Team Rocket’s Meowth IR (mid/high-$20s) + Rocket’s Moltres SIR (~$126) scales from binder to big chase.
• Gold pair: Mewtwo Hyper Rare (~$76 raw) + Ho-Oh Hyper Rare (~$35 raw) for an entry-level gold display.

Final Take

Destined Rivals rewards two types of buyers: (1) art-first collectors chasing SIRs/IRs from Rocket, Misty, and Ethan; and (2) profit-minded graders who can spot 10-potential on gold Hyper Rares and clean Illustration Rares. Our filtered sales show the Mewtwo cards (SIR and gold) anchoring the top end, while select IRs like Misty’s Psyduck and Meowth offer the best graded upside from modest raw buy-ins.

Not sure what to grade? Let the data decide. Create a free CardGrader.AI account, run your Destined Rivals scans, and compare your condition notes to the comps above. The right 10 can be a game-changer.