Series: Scarlet & Violet
Release Date: March 28, 2025
Set Abbreviation: JTG
Journey Together is the Scarlet & Violet expansion that put Trainers like N, Lillie, Iono, and Hop right beside their partner Pokémon, and collectors have been chasing those Special Illustration Rares since March 2025. Here are the top 10 hits and chase cards, ranked by current market value.
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10. Wailord - $11.80
Set: Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together
Card Number: 162/159
Rarity: Illustration Rare
Wailord takes up the whole card here, floating upright in a coral reef with a little boat sitting on the surface above it. Katsunori Sato went all in on color, so the reef is pink, orange, and teal and it looks great in a binder. What I love is how big it feels. Wailord has been the "biggest Pokémon" for a long time, and this art actually sells it.
9. N's Zoroark ex - $12.51
Set: Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together
Card Number: 189/159
Rarity: Hyper Rare
Our first, but not our last, N's Zoroark ex. This is the gold Hyper Rare, with N tipping his cap in the background and Zoroark out front in full metallic foil. takuyoa's version trades the moody lighting of the Special Illustration Rare for pure shine. A gold card ranking under two Illustration Rares isn't something you see every set, and it tells you collectors care more about the art than the finish here.
8. N's Reshiram - $14.62
Set: Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together
Card Number: 167/159
Rarity: Illustration Rare
N is back for a second entry in a row, this time with his partner from Pokémon Black and White. Reshiram was the mascot of Black version, so seeing N sitting on its back is a pretty perfect callback. Bun Toujo's art is mostly whites and icy blues, with N looking completely calm in the middle of it.
7. Volcanion ex - $14.93
Set: Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together
Card Number: 182/159
Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
Volcanion ex gets the full eruption treatment, with lava and sparks all over the card and the Mythical Pokémon front and center. akagi drew it, and it feels like a still from a movie. It's one of only two Special Illustration Rares on this list without a Trainer's name in front of it, and the other one is much higher up.
6. Articuno - $15.97
Set: Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together
Card Number: 161/159
Rarity: Illustration Rare
It never fails with Kanto favorites and Illustration Rares. Articuno is soaring through a frozen forest covered in frost and ice crystals, and the whole card sparkles in icy blue. Illustrated by Kuroimori. Of the three Illustration Rares on this list, it's the highest.
5. Hop's Zacian ex - $26.46
Set: Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together
Card Number: 186/159
Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
Now we're getting into the real chase cards for Journey Together with Hop's Zacian ex. Hop reaches up toward Zacian with golden leaves and warm light all around them, and it's one of the friendlier looking SIRs in the set. DOM is the illustrator. It's also our first Trainer's Pokémon Special Illustration Rare on the list.
4. Iono's Bellibolt ex - $30.44
Set: Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together
Card Number: 183/159
Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
Speaking of Trainer's Pokémon, Iono's Bellibolt ex is a card players are paying attention to as well. Electric Streamer lets you attach as many Basic Lightning Energy as you like to Iono's Pokémon. Yuu Nishida's art matches that energy, with Iono and Bellibolt grinning at the camera in a burst of sparkles.
3. N's Zoroark ex - $40.19
Set: Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together
Card Number: 185/159
Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
Our second, and last, N's Zoroark ex, and this Special Illustration Rare is the one most collectors are after. N grins on the left while Zoroark glares out from over his shoulder, all in dark browns and reds. Megumi Mizutani is the artist. Night Joker copies an attack from any Benched N's Pokémon, so yes, it can borrow the Reshiram from #8.
2. Salamence ex - $47.60
Set: Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together
Card Number: 187/159
Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
Salamence ex is the other Special Illustration Rare without a Trainer's name in front of it, and it's the best placed of the two by a wide margin. Tsuyoshi Nagano has it soaring over mountains at sunset with flames trailing from its mouth, which feels like classic Hoenn poster art. Salamence has been a fan-favorite Dragon since Ruby and Sapphire, and it's still holding its own against the Trainer cards.
1. Lillie's Clefairy ex - $90.67
Set: Scarlet & Violet: Journey Together
Card Number: 184/159
Rarity: Special Illustration Rare
Lillie's Clefairy ex is the undisputed top pull in Journey Together, and it sells for close to double the next card on the list. Susumu Maeya has Lillie kneeling in a flower meadow with her fists clenched, cheering on a happy Clefairy, and it's about as wholesome as a card gets. Clefairy was reportedly in the running to be the franchise mascot before Pikachu took over, and I think that history is a big part of why collectors love it.
Final Thoughts
Journey Together came by its name honestly. Four of the top five cards put a Trainer right beside their partner Pokémon, and that character-driven art is what has kept collectors chasing this set. Lillie's Clefairy ex has a comfortable lead, and two Illustration Rares outranking a gold card says plenty about what this set values. It'll be fun to see if the next Trainer's Pokémon set pulls the same crowd.
FAQ
What are the best pulls from Pokémon Journey Together?
The best pulls are the Special Illustration Rares, led by Lillie's Clefairy ex (#184), Salamence ex (#187), and N's Zoroark ex (#185). Iono's Bellibolt ex and Hop's Zacian ex round out the top five.
Is Lillie's Clefairy ex from Journey Together worth buying?
If you love Clefairy or Lillie, yes. It's the most valuable card in Journey Together by a wide margin, and character-driven Special Illustration Rares tend to hold collector interest. Check the current market value on Rare Candy before you buy.
What is a Special Illustration Rare in Pokémon TCG?
A Special Illustration Rare (SIR) is a full-art card where the illustration stretches across the whole card and usually tells a small scene. They're pulled less often than regular Illustration Rares and are typically the chase cards of a Scarlet & Violet set.
How many cards are in Pokémon Journey Together?
Journey Together has 159 cards in the main set. Secret rares like Illustration Rares, Special Illustration Rares, and Hyper Rares are numbered past that, which is why you'll see cards like #184/159 and #189/159.
What are Trainer's Pokémon in Journey Together?
They're Pokémon tied to a specific Trainer, like Lillie's Clefairy ex, N's Zoroark ex, Iono's Bellibolt ex, and Hop's Zacian ex. Some work with other Pokémon from the same Trainer, such as N's Zoroark ex copying a Benched N's Pokémon's attack.
Wondering what came next? See the Team Rocket return in our Top 10 Pokémon Destined Rivals Hits & Chase Cards.
