You’re staring at a stack of empty booster wrappers. Your desk is covered in bulk commons. Maybe you’re feeling that familiar sting of "batching" issues that players have been complaining about since the set dropped. Temporal Forces chase cards are notoriously fickle, and honestly, if you’ve been hunting that Special Illustration Rare Iron Crown ex or the Raging Bolt ex, you’re not alone in your frustration. This set, which reintroduced the ACE SPEC mechanic to the Pokémon TCG, fundamentally shifted how we look at "hits." It isn't just about the shiny cardboard anymore; it’s about a meta-shift that made certain cards prohibitively expensive right out of the gate.
The pull rates are brutal.
Seriously. We’re talking about a set where some of the top-tier Special Illustration Rares (SIRs) were surfacing at a rate of roughly one in every 800 to 1,000 packs during the initial mass-opening data collections by groups like TCGplayer and Infinite. That’s insane. It’s not just bad luck. It’s the math. When you realize that the Paradox Rift successor brought back the "Ancient" and "Future" tag-team dynamic with even more complexity, it makes sense why collectors are scrambling.
The Iron Crown Problem and the SIR Reality
Walking into a local game store, you’ll likely hear people whispering about the Iron Crown ex SIR. It’s beautiful. The artwork, handled by Nagasawa, is a psychedelic dreamscape that looks nothing like the traditional 3D renders we saw in the early Sword & Shield era. But beauty has a price. Because Iron Crown ex is a literal "must-play" for the Future Box archetype—specifically for its Cobalt Command ability—it’s being squeezed from both sides. Collectors want it for the binder. Players need four copies to actually win a Regional.
That double-demand is why temporal forces chase cards like this stay high. You’ve basically got a supply bottleneck. Unlike some sets where the "waifu" cards (the female supporters) carry the value, Temporal Forces is a "monster set." The dinosaurs and the robots are the stars. Raging Bolt ex is the other side of that coin. If you’re a fan of the Johto beasts, seeing Raikou, Entei, and Suicune reimagined as prehistoric "Ancient" behemoths is a trip. The Raging Bolt ex SIR features that long-necked Raikou variant in a lush, prehistoric jungle. It’s striking. It’s also sitting at a price point that makes completing a master set feel like a secondary mortgage.
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Then there’s Walking Wake. It’s less "playable" in the top-tier meta compared to its lightning-fast cousin, but the aesthetic pull is undeniable. Most people forget that the pull rates for these specific SIRs are actually lower than the pull rates for Gold cards in this specific set. It feels backwards, right? Usually, the gold is the "ultimate" hit. Not here. In Temporal Forces, the "Illustration" is king.
ACE SPECS: The Chase You Can Actually Use
Let’s talk about the pink cards.
ACE SPECS returned after a decade-long hiatus, and they completely warped the secondary market. Prime Catcher is the one everyone wants. It’s essentially a Gust of Wind and a Switch combined into one card. You can only have one ACE SPEC in your entire deck, which should, in theory, keep prices low. It didn't. Because every single competitive deck runs Prime Catcher, it became a de facto temporal forces chase card despite not being a "secret rare" in the traditional sense.
It’s got this weird, holofoil pink border that looks like something out of a 90s arcade. Some people hate it. I kinda love it. It’s distinct. If you pull a Master Ball or a Reboot Pod, you might feel a bit let down compared to the Catcher, but from a collector's standpoint, these are the cards that define the "Temporal Forces era." They are historical markers. We haven't seen this mechanic since Boundaries Crossed and Plasma Blast.
Why the "Walking Wake" Hype is Different
Interestingly, the price of Walking Wake ex (SIR) fluctuated wildly in the first few months. Why? Because the Pokémon TCG market is reactive. When a Japanese decklist surfaces using a specific Ancient core, the price of the corresponding temporal forces chase cards in the West spikes within hours. It’s exhausting to keep up with.
Walking Wake is a great example of a "bridge" card. It’s blue, it’s iconic, and it appeals to the Suicune fans who have been collecting since Neo Revelation. But if you look at the actual sold listings on eBay, you’ll see a massive gap between "Pack Fresh" raw copies and PSA 10s. The centering on Temporal Forces has been... let's say "adventurous." Many cards coming out of the English print runs have had significant whitening on the back corners right out of the pack. This makes a gem-mint chase card even rarer than the pull rates suggest.
The Misunderstood Gold Cards
Gold cards are usually the ceiling. In Temporal Forces, they’re almost an afterthought for many. Iron Leaves ex, Gouging Fire ex, Raging Bolt ex—they all have Gold Hyper Rare versions. They are objectively rarer than the Ultra Rares, yet they often sell for less than the Special Illustration Rares.
Why? Because the SIRs tell a story. The Gold cards are just... gold.
In a world where Pokémon collectors value "alt arts" above all else, the Gold cards have become the "consolation prize" of the temporal forces chase cards tier. It’s a weird place to be. You see the gold glimmer in the back of the pack, your heart jumps, and then you realize you’d rather have the "cheaper" pull rate SIR because the art is just that much better. This is a nuance of modern collecting that a lot of old-school fans struggle with. The hierarchy is broken, but in a way that favors artists over rarity symbols.
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Bianca’s Devotion and the Supporter Market
We have to mention Bianca. Bianca’s Devotion is the primary trainer chase in this set. If you’re looking at the SIR version, it’s a cozy, nostalgic callback to the Black & White era. While the "Waifu Effect" is real in the TCG, it’s notably toned down in Temporal Forces compared to something like Evolving Skies or Team Up.
Bianca is holding steady, but she isn’t the $200 card people expected. This is actually a good thing for the health of the hobby. It shows that the "Paradox" theme—the rift between the past and the future—is actually what’s driving the value. People want the dinosaurs. They want the robots. They want the legendary beasts and the swords of justice.
Hidden Gems You’re Probably Ignoring
Everyone is looking for the SIRs, but the Illustration Rares (IRs) in this set are low-key some of the best art Pokémon has ever produced.
- Deerling and Sawsbuck: These two cards form a "seasonal" diptych. If you put them side-by-side, the art flows from one to the other.
- Metagross: The IR Metagross standing on a snowy mountain is an absolute vibe. It’s a "cheap" chase card, but it’s one that will likely appreciate because Metagross has a cult following.
- Chatot: Don't laugh. The Chatot IR is vibrant, colorful, and perfectly captures the "Temporal" chaos of the set's theme.
These aren't the cards that will pay your rent, but they are the temporal forces chase cards that actually make the set fun to open. If you’re only hunting the $100+ hits, you’re going to have a bad time. The hit rate for "something cool" is decent; the hit rate for "the big one" is a nightmare.
The Reality of Pulling vs. Buying Singles
Honestly? Buying packs of Temporal Forces is a gamble that the math says you will lose. If you want the Raging Bolt ex SIR, you are statistically better off just taking that $70-$90 and buying the single. I know, it’s not as fun. There’s no dopamine hit in an envelope from a TCGplayer seller.
But with the way English sets are structured now—massive set lists with bloated "filler" Ultra Rares—the odds of hitting your specific temporal forces chase cards are lower than they were three years ago. Temporal Forces has over 160 cards before you even get to the secret rares. That is a massive pool. Every time you hit a regular "ex" card like a Toedscruel or a Wugtrio, you’ve technically "hit," but you’ve missed the value.
How to Navigate Your Search
If you are determined to pull these cards yourself, look for the "Booster Bundle" boxes (the 6-pack boxes). For whatever reason, anecdotal evidence across the community suggests these have had slightly more consistent "hits" than the individual sleeved boosters found at big-box retailers. Is it true? Who knows. Pokémon doesn't release their collation algorithms. But when you're deep in the hunt for temporal forces chase cards, you start believing in all sorts of luck rituals.
Actionable Steps for Collectors
Stop blindly ripping packs if you're looking for a specific value return. It's a losing game with this set. Instead, follow this roadmap to actually secure what you want without going broke.
- Audit the "Playable" ACE SPECS first. If you play the game, secure your Prime Catcher now. Its price is tied to tournament performance, and as long as it's a "four-of" or "one-of" staple, it won't drop significantly until it rotates out of standard.
- Monitor the Japanese "Wild Force" and "Cyber Judge" markets. Temporal Forces is a combination of these two Japanese sets. Often, price trends in Japan for cards like the Iron Crown SIR will predict what happens to the English market three weeks later.
- Check for "Print Lines." If you pull a major chase card, inspect it under a bright LED light immediately. Temporal Forces is notorious for vertical print lines. If yours is clean, it might be worth the gamble of sending it to PSA or BGS, as the "10" population is being throttled by poor quality control at the factory.
- Target the Illustration Rares (IRs) during market dips. While everyone is fighting over the Raging Bolt and Iron Crown, the Metagross and Deerling cards often dip to their lowest prices about 3-4 months after release. That is your window to buy.
The "Temporal" era is a weird one. It’s a mix of nostalgia for the Johto and Unova regions and a push toward a high-power, fast-paced game. Whether you're in it for the art of the SIRs or the tactical advantage of the ACE SPECS, these cards represent a high-water mark for the Scarlet & Violet series. Just don't expect the Raging Bolt to come out of the first pack. It probably won't.