Deerling
Quick take
- Illustration Rare by Susumu Maeya from Scarlet & Violet Temporal Forces
- Art connects with the Sawsbuck IR to form one continuous seasonal scene
- Affordable, must-have slot for a Temporal Forces master set
- Sits below the set's Special Illustration Rares and Hyper Rares on price
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Temporal Forces
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 165/162 · $42.28 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyA connecting-art Deerling that rewards collectors who buy the pair
Deerling 165 is an Illustration Rare from Scarlet & Violet Temporal Forces, illustrated by Susumu Maeya. On its own it's a soft, color-forward nature scene. What makes it matter more than that is the link to its evolution. The Deerling IR and the Sawsbuck IR were drawn to sit side by side, so the two cards form one continuous illustration across the seasons. Pair art like this is uncommon, and it pulls hard at anyone who likes their binder pages to tell a story.
“Illustration Rare by Susumu Maeya from Scarlet & Violet Temporal Forces”
For master-set builders, Deerling fills a standard Illustration Rare slot on the Temporal Forces checklist, so you need it either way. The connecting-art angle just makes it one of the more satisfying boxes to tick. It sits well below the set's Special Illustration Rares and Hyper Rares on price, which makes it an easy add early in a build.
The card came out March 22, 2024. It started cheap and quiet, then drifted up as modern Scarlet & Violet product dried up and the Temporal Forces market firmed. It's not a marquee chase. But it has a clear identity and a built-in reason to own two cards instead of one.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Deerling sits in the mid tier of the Temporal Forces Illustration Rare lineup. It trades well under the set's Special Illustration Rares and the headline Hyper Rares, more like a popular common IR than a true chase.
Raw copies started near the floor at launch and stayed cheap for a while. As Temporal Forces firmed up and modern SV product got harder to find, this Deerling climbed off its lows. The connecting-art story with Sawsbuck gives it a reason to hold demand beyond pure speculation.
Treat it as a collectible with a niche hook, not a flip. Upside is tied to the broader Temporal Forces market and to collectors chasing the Deerling and Sawsbuck pair together. Downside is limited because it's an affordable IR that almost every set builder needs anyway.
Clean full arts like this grade well, so high grades carry a premium over raw. For an IR in this price band the gap to a top grade is real but modest. Most collectors are happy with a sharp raw copy unless they're chasing a registry set.
In Scarlet & Violet sets you can expect to hit some Illustration Rare roughly once every 12 packs. That's the rate for any IR, though, not this exact Deerling. Temporal Forces has a long list of Illustration Rares, so the odds of pulling this specific card run much longer, into the low hundreds of packs. For comparison, any Double Rare lands around 1 in 5 packs, any Ultra Rare around 1 in 15, any Special Illustration Rare around 1 in 90, and Hyper Rares anywhere from roughly 1 in 300 to 1 in 700. If you only need this one card, buying the single is far cheaper and faster than ripping packs for it.
As IRs go, Deerling sits on the affordable end of the Temporal Forces lineup. It's no marquee chase like the set's top Special Illustration Rares, but the connecting-art tie to Sawsbuck gives it more pull than a typical filler IR.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Susumu Maeya has illustrated a range of Pokemon TCG cards, with a style that leans on soft color and clean composition rather than busy detail. The Deerling IR is a good example of that approach.
Maeya places Deerling in a calm seasonal nature scene built around warm, layered color. The composition continues past the card's edge so it lines up with the Sawsbuck IR, turning two cards into one wider illustration that runs through the seasons. It plays directly off Deerling's gimmick of changing with the time of year.
Illustration Rare full art with a holo finish and the borderless IR frame used across Scarlet & Violet. There is also a regular non-holo Deerling in the set (16/162) illustrated by Rond, so make sure you're looking at the 165 IR and not the common print.
The connecting illustration is the hook. Most IRs stand alone. This one was built to sit next to the Sawsbuck IR, so owning the pair gives you a single scene across two cards. That kind of intent is rare in a modern set, and it photographs beautifully in a binder.
BackgroundAbout Deerling
Deerling is the Season Pokemon, introduced in Generation V. Its whole identity is seasonal change. Its color and scent shift with spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and it evolves into Sawsbuck. That mechanic is exactly what this card's art leans into, which is why the Deerling and Sawsbuck pairing feels so natural.
- ›Strong design tied to the four seasons, which artists love to use
- ›Direct evolutionary link to Sawsbuck for connecting-art sets
- ›Cute, approachable Pokemon with broad collector appeal
- ›Fits cleanly into nature and seasonal themed binder pages
- ›Generation V games (Black and White) as the Season Pokemon, with four seasonal forms
- ›Recurring background and anime appearances tied to its seasonal changes
Deerling has never been a competitive staple. Its value here is on the collectible and artwork side, not the play side.
Own it wellCollector guide
The borderless IR frame shows edge whitening and corner wear fast, and the holo surface can pick up scratches and print lines. Check the corners and the flat color areas under angled light before you buy.
Grade only a genuinely clean copy. At this price tier the math works only on a strong grade. If you want the Deerling and Sawsbuck pair displayed together, many collectors keep both raw in sleeves rather than slabbing, since slabs break up the connecting scene. Read the grading guide →
Penny sleeve plus a top loader or one-touch for singles. For the connecting pair, side-by-side pages in a quality binder show off the combined art. Keep the cards out of direct sunlight to protect the color. See the storage guide →
Confirm you're buying the 165 Illustration Rare and not the common Rond print of Deerling in the same set. If you care about the connecting illustration, plan to buy the Sawsbuck IR at the same time so you complete the scene. Buy the single rather than chasing it in packs. See the singles buying guide →
Modern SV Illustration Rares are far less faked than vintage chase cards, but still buy from reputable sellers and check the holo pattern, texture, and print quality against a known-good photo. For any larger purchase, a graded copy removes the guesswork.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Collectors single this one out as some of the nicer art in Temporal Forces, usually mentioned alongside its Sawsbuck counterpart. The seasonal theme and the connecting illustration get the most praise.
Online comments lean positive on the look, with people calling out how well it shows off the seasons. The pairing with Sawsbuck is the detail that keeps coming up.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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