Pokémon TCG Temporal Forces (SV05): Ancient Pokémon, Ace Specs, and Every Sealed Format Explained
By Dexhaul Team · August 25, 2026
Temporal Forces is the Scarlet and Violet expansion that delivered two things at once: Ace Spec Trainer cards back to the format after more than a decade away, and the deepest roster of Ancient and Future paradox Pokémon in any single English expansion.
Released March 22, 2024 as the fifth English Scarlet and Violet expansion, SV05 runs 162 cards in the main numbered set, with additional Secret Rare slots above that. It builds directly on SV04 Paradox Rift, which introduced the Ancient and Future mechanic but left several legendary paradox forms unrepresented.
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The six paradox Pokémon in SV05
Six legendary Pokémon received paradox forms in Temporal Forces.
The Ancient side covers the Johto legendary beasts: Walking Wake ex (the paradox counterpart to Suicune), Gouging Fire ex (Entei), and Raging Bolt ex (Raikou). Each carries the crystallized, archaic visual language that distinguishes Ancient Pokémon from their familiar original designs. These three complete the beast trio in Ancient form, a lineup SV04 left unfinished.
The Future side brings Iron Leaves ex (Virizion), Iron Boulder ex (Terrakion), and Iron Crown ex (Cobalion), completing the Swords of Justice trio in their mechanized, chrome futures. Bulbapedia's SV05 set listing has full card numbers and rarities for each form if you are tracking individual pulls.
The Special Illustration Rare versions of Walking Wake ex and Iron Leaves ex are among the most visually ambitious pulls in the set, featuring full-bleed scene compositions that differ substantially from the standard ex versions. These two SIRs drive most of the ongoing box-opening interest more than a year after the set's English release.
The Ace Spec return
Ace Spec cards come with a strict rule: only one is permitted in a competitive deck, regardless of which Ace Spec it is. The mechanic sounds straightforward, but it reshaped how SV05 decks are built in ways no prior Scarlet and Violet set required.
Ace Spec cards first appeared in the Black and White era, spanning 2011 to 2013, then vanished from the format entirely for over a decade. SV05 reintroduced them with a new lineup designed for the Scarlet and Violet ruleset.
The one-per-deck restriction forces every builder to choose.
The most played Ace Specs from Temporal Forces in competitive settings are Prime Catcher, Master Ball, and Unfair Stamp. Prime Catcher functions as a gust effect combined with switching your own Active Pokémon. Master Ball searches any Basic Pokémon directly from the deck.
Unfair Stamp disrupts the opponent's hand at a critical moment of the player's choosing. For players, drawing an Ace Spec that does not fit their deck is genuinely frustrating. For collectors, completing the full Ace Spec subset is a separate objective from filling out the SIR and Illustration Rare slots.
Key cards for collectors
Pikachu ex SIR
The Special Illustration Rare Pikachu ex is the most widely recognized pull target in the set outside the paradox legends. It places Pikachu in the modern ex card format with full-bleed illustration art. The tone is different from the retro-design Pikachu ex cards in the 151 and 30th Anniversary releases, leaning into a Paldea-era visual style rather than nostalgia.
Walking Wake ex and Iron Leaves ex SIRs
Both paradox legends received Special Illustration Rare versions with scene-style compositions that use the entire card face. Together with the Pikachu ex SIR, these three are the pulls collectors most commonly flag as the headline hits when discussing SV05's pull distribution.
The Illustration Rare Supporter cards are a separate highlight worth knowing.
Several Supporter cards featuring Paldea characters received full-bleed Illustration Rare treatments, including Arven and Nemona in large-scale scene compositions that differ substantially from their standard card art. Collectors who prioritize Supporter art over Pokémon art have rated SV05's IR Supporter lineup as one of the stronger ones in the Scarlet and Violet era.
Which format to buy
Temporal Forces product is accessible through independent sellers at every price point, from a single $10 pack to a $470 full booster box. The format that makes sense depends on whether you are playing, collecting the set, or targeting specific cards.
Single booster pack
A single pack ($10 to $15 at most independent sellers) is the lowest-commitment entry into the set. Players chasing a specific Ace Spec they need for a deck often prefer buying individual packs over a full ETB, since the Ace Spec subset is spread across the set rather than concentrated in ultra-rare slots.
Five-pack bundle
Sleeved five-pack bundles typically run $50 to $60 and give a broader sample of the set without the full ETB investment. This format suits collectors who want variety across the lower rarity slots and a few shots at hitting an Ace Spec or Illustration Rare before committing further.
Elite Trainer Box
The standard ETB contains nine booster packs plus card sleeves, dice, and condition markers. Two themed versions were produced, one featuring Walking Wake and one featuring Iron Leaves as the box art Pokémon. The Pokemon Center-exclusive ETBs used different promo cards and carried a higher retail price, and they now sit above standard ETB pricing on the secondary market.
Half booster box
An 18-pack half-box is the most efficient way to sample the set's full rarity spread without committing to a full case. At around $166 from independent sellers, it lands well below the full box price while giving meaningful exposure to SV05's Ace Spec and hit slots.
Full booster box
A 36-pack booster box gives the widest possible coverage of the set's rarity distribution and the best per-pack cost from most storefronts. English Temporal Forces booster boxes typically price in the $400 to $470 USD range from independent sellers. As a set that has been in the market since March 2024, availability through independent channels remains stable, and secondary market prices for sealed boxes have settled well below the launch-window peaks seen immediately after release.
DexHaul searches independent Pokémon shops for Temporal Forces products across all formats. Find packs, bundles, ETBs, and booster boxes from verified sellers at DexHaul's Temporal Forces search. Prices, seller locations, and shipping options vary by storefront.