Pokemon TCG Journey Together – Hands-On Preview

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Summary

  • Pokemon TCG’s Scarlet and Violet expansions are gaining momentum after a slow start.
  • Journey Together set features bold colors and focuses on Trainers’ Pokemon, with cool styles.
  • Despite great art, card pull rates in the set are low, causing inflation in card values and collector demoralization.

Currently, we find ourselves in the golden age of the Pokémon Trading Card Game’s Scarlet and Violet expansions. Following a somewhat lackluster debut, momentum has been steadily picking up with recent releases.

The Surging Sparks deck had plenty of Pikachus and boasted several impressive cards. Meanwhile, Prismatic Evolutions is one of the most eagerly anticipated sets ever released. Despite my terrible luck (I opened 13 booster bundles, which equates to 78 packs, but didn’t get a single SIR(!)), it showcases some exceptional artwork.

Toward the end of last year, The Pokemon Company announced that ‘Trainers’ Pokemon’ would make a comeback, and Journey Together was the initial collection to utilize this feature. With Pokemon, I had the opportunity to try out the new set, and let me tell you, it’s fantastic!

The Product Presentation

The “Journey Together” Pokémon Trading Card Game collection showcases vibrant and bold colors reminiscent of earlier sets in this generation. Unlike the more subdued Prismatic Evolutions, Journey Together employs a captivating pink-to-blue gradient, highlighting Trainer N and his Pokémon Zoroark prominently.

The artistic design of the pack emphasizes the unique abilities of each Trainer’s Pokemon, as four prominent non-player characters are showcased alongside their special creatures. Joining forces with their respective Pokemon are Hop (accompanied by Zacian), Lillie (with Clefairy), Iono (and her Bellibolt), and N, who is back with his Zoroark. This style is quite captivating.

The Pulls From 51 Packs

As a gamer, I thought I had finally dodged a bullet with those disastrous Prismatic Evolutions draws. Boy, was I mistaken! It seemed like fate was determined to keep me on my toes.

Initially, I unpacked both the Elite Trainer Box and Build and Battle Kit that were given to me by The Pokemon Company, and everything began smoothly.

I drew one of my beloved non-SIR cards, the full art N’s Zoroark ex, along with both the Wailord and Furret art rare cards in this round. Having three ex cards too, that made six good pulls from fifteen packs. It wasn’t fantastic, but things took a turn for the worse when I opened the Booster Box.

In my latest haul, I received approximately 12 items (if you choose to include the extras), but most of my draws didn’t turn out well. I made mistakes in two out of three of my Alternate Reality cards, and my only other impressive finds were a full art Salamence ex card and Iris’s Fighting Spirit. I would guess that once the market stabilizes, those cards are likely worth between $20 and $30, which seems quite meager considering the product originally cost around $150.

One issue among several escalating concerns in the Trading Card Game (TCG) is the difficulty in obtaining decent cards. Their value has become excessively high due to scarcity. While it’s unreasonable to expect a top-tier card like SIR from every Booster Box, the scarcity of good cards I’ve found, not just from pre-release hands-on products, but also my personal openings, seems unfair.

Overall Thoughts On The Set

Overall, I genuinely appreciate Journey Together, and I believe it might be the finest piece of art from the Scarlet and Violet era. Notably, it boasts a collection of 190 cards, which is 62 fewer than Surging Sparks. The reintroduction of Trainers’ Pokemon, found in both standard and special cards, is commendable; however, I’m still concerned about the hit rates.

Among the breathtaking artworks in this collection, you’ll find some notable ones such as Volcanion EX, Iono’s Bellibold EX, Lillie’s Clefairy EX, N’s Zoroark EX, and Salamence EX, to mention a few. However, obtaining them seems almost impossible with the current odds.

Every day, the prices of single cards on the secondary market are skyrocketing to unimaginable heights. It can be disheartening, especially when you come across such exceptional cards, to realize how much they will set you back financially.

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2025-03-14 16:09