It’s been a couple of weeks since the release of the Journey Together expansion (March 28th) and a few days (April 11th) since the enforcement of the new rotation for the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG).
While we await Destined Rivals to hit the Western market next month, we thought it would be a good time for a pulse check over at the secondary market and see how things are shaking up with the new Trainer Pokémon and what the best-selling cards are for the set so far.
5. Iono's Kilowattrel
There’s a surprising calm over at the online stores like TCGplayer. Unlike the Prismatic Evolutions debacle some time ago, there are no hyperinflated cards selling for thousands of dollars from the Journey Together expansion.
Iono’s Kilowattrel comes in as this list’s rearguard. Her Special Illustration Rare (SIR) asks for a more modest $10-20 average, while her standard Holofoil versions are going for less than a dollar.
Illustration art aside, Iono's Kilowattrel is a very good draw engine for any Lightning-focused deck.
Energy and draw acceleration are some of the pillars of modern Pokémon deck-building philosophy. Having access to a recurring draw engine for just one basic lightning energy is pretty enticing for its cost.
4. Lilie’s Clefairy ex
With Gardevoir ex heavily cementing itself as one of the top performing decks since the last rotation, there was very little doubt that competitive players would find a way to slip in Lilie’s Clefairy ex into their roster.
Clefairy’s ability to to just slap a x2 weakness to psychic on enemy dragon types is a very good tech choice -even as a single copy- with all the Dragapult ex decks running around.
Any Psychic-type focused players will be happy to know that Ultra Rare (UR) copies of Lilie’s Clefairy are going for about a $17 average with the odd one or two copies easily doubling that ($34) depending on supply.
But for those wanting to add the SIR version to their deck or collection, be ready to open that wallet further as prices for the SIR start at around $200 to just over $300.
These prices, alongside the low demand for running more than a single copy, are the most likely reasons stopping Lilie’s Clefairy ex from reaching the top spot on this list.
In case you don't have the cash to spare, the normal variants are going for about $5 - $10 over at the secondary market.
3. N’s Reshiram
In a somewhat similar position to Llilie’s Clefairy ex, we have N’s Reshiram taking spot number 3.
For its normal version, N’s Reshiram can be found in droves under a dollar value in the secondary market. Thankfully, unlike Lilie’s Clefairy ex, the Illustration Rare (IR) version of N’s Reshiram doesn’t ask for much by comparison.
For the promotional version of N’s Reshiram, where the Journey Together log is displayed on the card, copies can be found at $10 at its cheapest, with some copies going as high as $20.
Surprisingly, the original copy of the IR without the logo has a higher price floor of about $15. Like its promotional cousin, the original IR is struggling to push past anywhere higher than $20 at the moment.
It’s a little bit curious as to why there’s a price difference, but we can probably say that the Journey Together logo detracts a bit from the card’s beauty. Say what you will about Pokémon cards and their price in the secondary market, but it’s hard to deny how outstanding some of the artwork can be.
2. Wailord
The only non-Trainer Pokémon on this list, Wailord comes in at the number 2 spot. Specifically, the IR version of Wailord is the second-best-selling card from the entire set, and it’s not too difficult to see why.
Outside its magnificent artwork by illustrator Katsunori Sato, Wailord offers a pretty amusing time when being used.
Pairing up Wailord with the energy acceleration capabilities of Baxcalibur and energy cards like Reversal Energy, can see Hydro Pump pushing out 210 damage at worst. With a little extra energy investment, Wailord can easily start one-shotting most competitive staples like Dragapult ex or Gardevoir ex.
It also helps the player that Wailord and its basic evolutionary form, Wailmer, enjoy a very robust health pool. This makes these Pokémon rather tough nuts to crack, even against a competitive deck.
1. N's Zoroark ex
Taking the number 1 spot for Journey Together’s current best-selling card is N’s Zoroark ex. While N’s Zoroark ex comes in a variety of versions, it is the more standard Double Rare version that is standing head and shoulders above its cousins.
The Double Rare version of N’s Zoroark ex is playing around an $8-12 average, making it highly accessible for players of different budget levels wanting to use N’s roster of Pokémon. This couples nicely with N’s Reshiram, the most consistent target for Zoroark’s Night Joker.
Unfortunately, like Lilie’s Clefairy, the SIR and Hyper Rare (Secret Rare) version of N’s Zoroark easily commands a greater sum. For the SIR, copies are being sold at around $90 at the cheapest, but that is easily brought to over $100 with savvier sellers.
Thankfully, the Hyper Rare copy isn’t as demanding, sitting at a more reasonable $35 with the occasional piece hitting the $40 mark.
That’s the list for Journey Together’s best-selling cards. The market is oddly stable and quite friendly for pieces from this set if all you’re looking for is to play the cards themselves. Thankfully, it’s not backbreaking to your wallet if you’re willing to spend on the illustration rares.
We’re still a little bit away from Destined Rivals hitting store shelves. Hopefully, this kind of stability will continue forward into the next set.