The Pokemon Journey Together Hype Is Way Too High

We’re in a major Pokemon card boom at the moment, and it’s causing some pretty strange things to happen. Technically, we’ve been in that boom since the start of the pandemic, but it feels like just when things were getting back to normal, we’re seeing the same kind of unbelievable demand that hit Evolving Skies and Celebrations like a speeding Revaroom.

One Silly Pokemon Go Rule Nearly Lost Me A Shiny

The worst case scenario in Pokemon Go nearly came to pass.

We’re smack dab in the middle of Pokemon’s second pandemic-era boom, thanks to the back-to-back-to-back mega super special releases of Prismatic Evolutions, Journey Together, and the upcoming Team Rocket-themed Destined Rivals. People were fist-fighting at Costco over Prismatic Evolutions, and while we haven't seen the same level of chaos surrounding Journey Together, we are seeing sold-out shelves and outrageous prices on the second-hand market. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Journey Together actually deserves the hype it’s getting.

Pokemon Journey Together Isn’t All That

Before it launched, it was easy to see why Journey Together was such a hot topic. The return of Trainer’s Pokemon for the first time in a long time hit a lot of us right in the nostalgia, and coming off the incredible rush of Prismatic Evolutions, there was a lot of FOMO energy in the air. Like most people, I didn’t manage to get my hands on very many Prismatic packs, so by the time Journey Together launched, my fingers were itching for some shiny cardboard.

Unfortunately, Journey Together didn’t really live up to the hype. I got into a lot more detail about it in my full review, but suffice to say, this isn’t the full-sized lega-sequel to Gym Heroes many were hoping it would be. The actual Trainer’s Pokemon cards are few and far between in the set, with only one character from the past four generations represented. Rather than Gym Heroes or Gym Challenge, a better comparison would actually be 2021’s Battle Styles for its deck building synergies - and we all know how (un)popular Battle Styles was.

Unfortunately, the market hasn’t exactly realized what a middling set Journey Together actually is yet. If you’re looking for sealed product on TCGPlayer, you’ll find booster boxes marked up to a shockingly high $237 dollars, while ETBs are going for $80 and booster bundles are set at $45, or $7.50 a pack. No one should be spending double or triple MSRP for Journey Together product. If you’re paying these kinds of prices for this set right now, you’re almost surely going to regret it.

Where’s The Value In Journey Together?

Every set has to have a chase card, and the market has decided that the Secret Illustration Rare version of Lillie’s Clefairy is it. It’s currently demanding a whopping $206 because, well, something has to.

Lillie’s Clefairy almost wins by default. The other trainers, Hop, N, and Iono aren’t really any more popular, and in Pokemon, cute little girls like Lillie are always going to demand a premium (I assure you, I do not make the rules). But Lillie isn’t a top-tier character like Cynthia or Misty, nor is Clefairy a typical chase Pokemon. The card doesn’t seem particularly playable either, so the only logical reason this card is so expensive right now is because everyone expects there to be a really expensive card in this set.

SIR Salamence ex currently comes in second at $115, while SIR N’s Zoroark ex comes in third at $111.

I’m not a market analyst and this isn’t financial advice, but I suspect anyone who invested heavily in Journey Together is going to lose their shirts over it. It’s a huge shame, because if everyone had acted normal about it and not hoovered up every loose pack in existence as fast as possible, this is actually a decently fun set to open and collect.

Pokemon has thrice promised that it's in the process of increasing supply to meet demand, but in the case of Journey Together, I think this is a problem that’s going to solve itself in a month or two when everyone realizes no one really wants this stuff that bad.

Your Rating

Your comment has not been saved

Pokemon TCG