Preview: Pokémon TCG Journey Together - A Return To Form For Trainer's Pokémon Fans

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Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet — Journey Together drops connected March 28, 2025, bringing backmost a mechanic we haven’t seen since 2004. Trainer’s Pokémon are making a comeback, conscionable similar the classics from EX Team Magma vs. Team Aqua, and I couldn’t beryllium much excited to preview this set.

This acceptable focuses connected 4 iconic Trainers: N, Iono, Lillie, and Hop, each getting Pokémon ex that showcase the beardown bonds they stock with their teams. If you’ve ever wanted a platform wherever N’s Zoroark ex, Lillie’s Clefairy ex, oregon Iono’s Bellibolt ex instrumentality halfway stage, now’s your chance.

My Journey Together Product Openings

Journey Together Products I opened for the IGN preview.

With implicit 180 cards, there’s plentifulness to chase. The acceptable includes 40+ Trainer’s Pokémon, 16 Pokémon ex, 11 Illustration Rares, six Special Illustration Rares, and 3 Hyper Rare golden cards. Box Toppers are besides making a return, with Enhanced Booster Display Boxes featuring a stamped N’s Reshiram Illustration Rare.

Journey Together Standard Booster Box

Opening a Booster Box is axenic chaos successful the champion way. With 36 packs, the sheer measurement makes each propulsion truly exciting. My highlights see N’s Reshiram Illustration Rare, Iono’s Bellibolt ex Secret Rare, and a Hyper Rare Spiky Energy. Those were immoderate earnestly breathtaking moments, but adjacent extracurricular of the large hits, I pulled tons of coagulated ex cards that are going consecutive into my decks.

Journey Together Booster Box and Booster Packs

The 1 paper I wanted most, Hop’s Zacian ex, didn’t amusement up. Lillie’s Clefairy ex Special Art Rare? Also missing, but that’s conscionable however Booster Boxes go. You get a ton of chances, but thing is guaranteed. That said, this was inactive the champion mode to acquisition the set. If you emotion opening packs oregon conscionable privation a monolithic injection of cards into your collection, a Booster Box is ever a bully time. Check retired each the uncommon pulls further down. This container was perfectly worthy it for me.

Journey Together Elite Trainer Box

Elite Trainer Boxes ever consciousness much premium than conscionable grabbing escaped packs. Right away, the N’s Zorua promo caught my eye, and the container itself is cleanable for storing cards. The sleeves, dice, and information markers are large for anyone who plays the game, and with 9 booster packs, there’s inactive plentifulness of country for immoderate bully pulls.

I wasn’t expecting thing excessively brainsick with lone 9 packs, but I inactive walked distant with Iono’s Kilowattrel Illustration Rare, Articuno Illustration Rare, and a Veluza ex. Some truly amusive cards that made the opening consciousness wholly worthy it. ETBs don’t person the sheer fig of hits that a Booster Box does, but there’s thing bully astir having a structured, all-in-one merchandise similar this. If you privation a premix of pack-opening amusive and collectible extras, this is simply a large mode to acquisition Journey Together. Check retired the afloat database of uncommon cards from our preview further down. We ended up with immoderate superior gems.

Journey Together Build & Battle Box

Build & Battle Boxes are a wholly antithetic acquisition compared to a Booster Box oregon Elite Trainer Box, but they person their ain benignant of excitement. The large gully present is the prebuilt 40-card deck, which lets you leap consecutive into a crippled without spending clip sorting done stacks of cards. I pulled Hop’s Snorlax arsenic my promo, which is really a beauteous large card. Its quality gives each of Hop’s Pokémon a 30-damage boost, making it astir indispensable to immoderate platform moving his lineup.

Those 4 packs didn’t disappoint. I pulled Mamoswine ex and Swinub Illustration Rare, which couldn’t person acceptable my deck’s taxable better. The constricted fig of packs means you won’t get arsenic galore uncommon pulls arsenic a Booster Box (unsurprisingly), but if you’re looking for a accelerated mode to commencement playing with the caller set, this is easy the champion option. With 4 antithetic promo cards available, I already privation to prime up different container to spot which 1 I get next. Check retired my Journey Together preview pulls beneath to spot immoderate of the champion cards we got from crossed each our openings.

Our Pokémon TCG: Journey Together Pulls

I cracked unfastened 49 booster packs crossed each our products and ended up with 18 uncommon cards. Some were precisely what I was hoping for, and others were full surprises. One happening is for sure, trainers volition beryllium pulling a batch much uncommon cards than Prismatic Evolutions. Here’s what I pulled:

Hop’s Snorlax (Promo 184)

Hop's Snorlax (Journey Together Build and Battle stamp) 184 Promo

A bulky Basic Pokémon with 150 HP that boosts each of Hop’s Pokémon attacks by 30 other damage. This is simply a large paper for immoderate Trainer-themed deck, and portion Dynamic Press hits hard, that 80 recoil harm stings. Still, the quality unsocial makes it a worthwhile summation to immoderate Hop-based strategy.

N’s Zorua (Promo 189)

A cute but unremarkable paper that exists to germinate into thing better. 70 HP and 20 harm from Scratch won’t crook immoderate heads, but if Zoroark ex is beardown successful this set, Zorua volition person its moment.

Spiky Energy Hyper Rare (190/159)

An instant staple successful my decks. It deals 20 harm each clip the Pokémon it’s attached to gets hit, making it some violative and antiaircraft astatine the aforesaid time. Oh, and it provides Colorless Energy too. Absolute win.

Iono’s Bellibolt ex-Secret Rare (172/159)

A 280 HP Lightning-type beast with Energy acceleration for days. Its Electric Streamer quality lets you connect unlimited Lightning Energy to Iono’s Pokémon, making it an instant motor for Lightning decks. Thunderous Bolt’s 230 harm is great, adjacent if it does mean skipping a turn. This one’s going to spot play.

Iris’s Fighting Spirit Full Art (180/159)

A risk-reward gully Supporter that lets you discard 1 paper and gully until you person six. This is simply a large mode to refresh your hand, particularly successful decks that payment from discarding Energy oregon Pokémon. It’s a afloat art, too, which makes it adjacent sweeter.

Iono’s Kilowattrel Illustration Rare (163/159)

A Lightning-type enactment Pokémon that lets you refill your manus with its Flashing Draw ability. The catch? You person to discard a Lightning Energy first. Mach Bolt’s 70 harm is average, but this vertebrate is much astir manus vantage than brute force.

N’s Reshiram Illustration Rare (167/159)

A 130 HP Dragon-type that becomes much unsafe the much harm it takes. Powerful Rage tin rack up superior numbers, portion Virtuous Flame’s 170 harm is coagulated but a small Energy-intensive. If you similar high-risk, high-reward plays, this one’s for you.

Articuno Illustration Rare (161/159)

A Water-type setup Pokémon that tin accelerate 2 Basic Water Energy onto itself with Frigid Fluttering. That’s utile for getting it battle-ready fast, and Ice Blast’s 110 harm is respectable. This is simply a large starting portion for immoderate Water deck.

Swinub Illustration Rare (165/159)

This adorable small feline is really truly utile early-game. Call for Family lets you hunt your platform for 2 Basic Pokémon, which is immense for setup. Lunge Out’s 10 harm is laughable, but let’s beryllium real, Swinub isn’t present to attack.

Salamence ex Secret Rare (177/159)

This 320 HP Dragon-type monster does 2 things truly good — dispersed harm and deed similar a truck. Wide Blast deals 50 harm to each Benched Pokémon, and Dragon Impact slams for 300 damage, but you person to discard 2 Energy. Absolute beast.

Hop’s Zacian ex (111/159)

A Steel-type legendary with a brutal 240-damage attack. The downside? Brave Slash can’t beryllium utilized doubly successful a row, which means you request a switching strategy. Insta-Strike does a small dispersed damage, but Zacian is present to sound things retired successful 1 hit.

Alcremie ex (075/159)

A support-heavy Psychic Pokémon that heals 30 harm each crook acknowledgment to its Confectionary Gift ability. Whipped Shot’s 160 harm is solid, but this paper is champion utilized arsenic a prolong enactment successful power decks.

Mimikyu ex (069/159)

A tricky Pokémon that loves spreading damage. Mischievous Hands puts 3 harm counters connected 2 of your opponent’s Pokémon, mounting up knockouts later. Ghostly Trip deals 120 harm and Confuses the Active Pokémon, which is simply a large mode to disrupt their plays.

Veluza ex (043/159)

A Water-type solid cannon that tin deed for 240 harm — if you’re consenting to discard your full hand. Purging Strike is high-risk, high-reward, and Razor Fin’s 30 harm is hardly worthy mentioning. This paper is all-in oregon nothing.

Lillie’s Clefairy ex (056/159)

A Psychic-type that punishes Dragon decks with its Fairy Zone ability, which makes each Dragon Pokémon anemic to Psychic. Full Moon Rondo scales its harm based connected some players’ Bench size, making it a imaginable late-game sweeper.

Volcanion ex (031/159)

A Fire-type bruiser that burns the opponent’s Active Pokémon conscionable by being successful play, acknowledgment to its Scalding Steam ability.Scorching Cyclone’s 160 harm is great, and moving an Energy to a Benched Pokémon makes it adjacent better.

Mamoswine ex (079/159)

An implicit vessel astatine 340 HP that tin hunt your platform for immoderate Pokémon erstwhile per crook with Mammoth Hauler. Rumbling March starts astatine 180 harm but scales up if you person much Stage 2 Pokémon connected your Bench, which makes it terrifying successful evolution-heavy decks.

Salamence ex (114/159)

This is the 2nd Salamence ex I pulled, and I’m not complaining. Same brutal powerfulness arsenic the different 1 with Wide Blast for spreading harm and Dragon Impact for a monolithic 300 harm hit. If you similar big, hard-hitting Pokémon, this is the one.

Should You Buy Pokémon TCG: Journey Together?

Journey Together is shaping up to beryllium 1 of the astir breathtaking Pokémon TCG expansions successful years. The instrumentality of Trainer’s Pokémon, a nostalgic diagnostic that hasn’t been seen successful years, adds an other furniture of property to battles. If you're collecting cards for their stunning artwork, competitory value, oregon conscionable sheer nostalgia, this acceptable has thing for everyone.

With its March 28 merchandise day conscionable astir the corner, now’s the clip to commencement readying which cards you privation to chase. Whether it’s N’s Reshiram, Iono’s Bellibolt ex, oregon the elusive Hyper Rare Spiky Energy, there’s nary shortage of unthinkable pulls waiting to beryllium found.

Christian Wait is simply a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has implicit 7 years of acquisition successful the Gaming and Tech manufacture with bylines astatine Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian besides makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is besides the writer of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian connected X @ChrisReggieWait.

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