Card prices are sourced from PriceCharting market data (USD). PHP equivalents use a live exchange rate. Journey Together is negative expected value at all price points — retail and market alike.
The Short Answer
Opening Journey Together loses money on average at every product price point. The expected card value per pack is USD $4.42 — below retail price (~₱417) and secondary market price (~₱371):
| Product | Retail Price (PHP) | Market Price (PHP) | Expected Card Value | Return at Retail | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booster Pack | ₱417 | ₱371 | ₱278 | 0.66× | −EV at retail and market |
| Booster Bundle (6 packs) | ₱2,502 | ₱2,556 | ₱1,664 | 0.66× | −EV at retail and market |
| Booster Box (36 packs) | ₱15,011 | ₱14,975 | ₱9,984 | 0.66× | −EV at retail and market |
Why is Journey Together negative EV? Three reasons: (1) the Hyper Rare is Spiky Energy (#190), a Special Energy card worth only USD $4.35 — one of the lowest-value Hyper Rares in the SV era; (2) the SIR pool average is only $38.13 — far below sets like Ascended Heroes ($289); (3) the break-even box price is ₱9,984, but no Journey Together product currently trades below that level.
Card Prices by Rarity
Hyper Rare (◇) — #190
One card. The gold full-art in this set goes to a Special Energy, not a Pokémon — estimated pull rate approximately 1 in 137 packs.
| # | Card | Price (USD) | Price (PHP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 190 | Spiky Energy | $4.35 | ₱273 |
Special Illustration Rares (★★ SIR) — #182–189
8 cards. The main chase tier. Pull rate approximately 1 in 86 packs. Price range: ₱892–₱6,313.
| # | Card | Price (USD) | Price (PHP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 184 | Lillie's Clefairy ex | $100.54 | ₱6,313 |
| 187 | Salamence ex | $55.16 | ₱3,463 |
| 185 | N's Zoroark ex | $39.17 | ₱2,459 |
| 183 | Iono's Bellibolt ex | $32.26 | ₱2,026 |
| 186 | Hop's Zacian ex | $28.75 | ₱1,805 |
| 182 | Volcanion ex | $20.21 | ₱1,269 |
| 188 | Iono's Bellibolt ex (alt) | $14.74 | ₱926 |
| 189 | N's Zoroark ex (alt) | $14.21 | ₱892 |
Pool average: ₱2,394. Pool median: ₱1,915. Lillie's Clefairy ex dominates at nearly 2× the next SIR. Pulling any other SIR returns ₱942–₱4,081 — meaningful, but not enough to offset product costs at current levels.
Illustration Rares (★ IR) — #160–170
11 cards. Expected roughly once every 12 packs (8.3% rate). Most IRs are worth ₱188–₱1,444, with Articuno as the standout.
| # | Card | Price (USD) | Price (PHP) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 161 | Articuno | $18.75 | ₱1,177 | Chase IR |
| 162 | Wailord | $14.50 | ₱910 | |
| 167 | N's Reshiram | $14.35 | ₱901 | |
| 168 | Furret | $7.50 | ₱471 | |
| 169 | Noibat | $4.81 | ₱302 | |
| 164 | Lillie's Ribombee | $4.63 | ₱291 | |
| 170 | Hop's Wooloo | $4.54 | ₱285 | |
| 163 | Iono's Kilowattrel | $4.10 | ₱257 | |
| 166 | Lycanroc | $3.29 | ₱207 | |
| 165 | Swinub | $3.18 | ₱200 | |
| 160 | Maractus | $2.34 | ₱147 |
Pool average: ₱468. Pool median: ₱291. The IR slot contributes the highest single EV contribution in the set.
Ultra Rares (★★) — #171–181
11 cards. Expected roughly once every 15 packs (6.7%). Most are worth ₱65–₱502.
| # | Card | Price (USD) | Price (PHP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 173 | Lillie's Clefairy ex | $7.12 | ₱447 |
| 175 | N's Zoroark ex | $4.09 | ₱257 |
| 172 | Iono's Bellibolt ex | $2.88 | ₱181 |
| 179 | Brock's Scouting | $2.49 | ₱156 |
| 177 | Salamence ex | $2.24 | ₱141 |
| 176 | Hop's Zacian ex | $2.15 | ₱135 |
| 180 | Iris's Fighting Spirit | $1.87 | ₱117 |
| 171 | Volcanion ex | $1.25 | ₱78 |
| 178 | Dudunsparce ex | $1.25 | ₱78 |
| 174 | Mamoswine ex | $1.00 | ₱63 |
| 181 | Ruffian | $1.00 | ₱63 |
Pool average: ₱156.
Double Rares (★★ ex) — #001–159
16 ex cards. Expected roughly once every 5 packs (20%). Most are worth ₱61–₱171.
Pool average: ₱73.
Chase Cards: Top 10 by Value
Expected Value Per Pack
Using current PriceCharting market prices weighted by community pull rates from 8,000 pack sample data:
| Component | Pull Rate | Pool Avg (USD) | EV Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk (commons + uncommons) | 100% | $0.80 | $0.80 |
| Reverse Holo slot | 100% | $1.60 | $1.60 |
| Standard Rare (★) | 63.1% | $0.83 | $0.52 |
| Double Rare (★★ ex) | 20.0% | $1.17 | $0.23 |
| Illustration Rare (★ IR) | 8.3% | $7.45 | $0.62 |
| Ultra Rare (#171–181) | 6.7% | $2.49 | $0.17 |
| SIR (#182–189) | 1.16% | $38.13 | $0.44 |
| Hyper Rare (#190) | 0.73% | $4.35 | $0.03 |
Monte Carlo: Win vs Loss Odds
Results from 100,000 simulated openings, drawing from the actual card pool prices and pull rates. Simulation prices are in USD; your local value depends on the current exchange rate.
Each bar = $50 profit/loss range. 100,000 simulated openings. Prices from PriceCharting (USD), September 2026.
Win / Loss summary across all formats
| Scenario | Cost (USD) | Win % | Loss % | Median P/L | P5 (bad luck) | P95 (good luck) | Avg Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pack — retail (~$6.64) | $6.64 | 7.7% | 92.3% | −$3 | −$3 | +$1 | 0.66× |
| Bundle — retail (~$39.84) | $39.84 | 7.4% | 92.6% | −$18 | −$20 | +$7 | 0.66× |
| Box — retail (~$239.06) | $239.06 | 4% | 96% | −$89 | −$114 | −$8 | 0.67× |
| Pack — market ($5.91) | $5.91 | 9.1% | 90.9% | −$3 | −$3 | +$1 | 0.74× |
| Bundle — market ($40.71) | $40.71 | 6.9% | 93.1% | −$19 | −$21 | +$7 | 0.65× |
| Box — market ($238.50) | $238.5 | 3.9% | 96.1% | −$88 | −$113 | −$8 | 0.67× |
The Break-Even Price
What You Should Actually Do
If you want a specific card
Buy the single. Use the tcgTalk price comparison to find the best current price. For any card worth more than approximately ₱942 USD, buying the single is always cheaper than opening enough packs to pull it. The expected cost to pull a specific SIR is approximately 86 packs × 1/8 ≈ 688 packs.
If you want to open packs
Open at retail price via Shopee PH / Lazada / local card shops in Metro Manila and set a firm budget before you start. Journey Together is negative EV at all price points, so treat the opening cost as entertainment spending rather than an investment. A single pack at retail wins only 9.2% of the time. A full box at retail wins only 6.8% of the time — among the lowest win rates for any SV-era set.
Never open at market prices for value. At ₱371 per pack, you receive ₱278 in expected card value — a 0.74× return.
If you already have pulls to sell
Lillie's Clefairy ex SIR (#184) at ₱6,313 is the set's dominant chase card. SIR prices in most SV-era sets tend to soften 2–4 months after release. IRs like Articuno (#161) and N's Reshiram (#167) are more stable long-term.
Buy Journey Together on TCGPlayer
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth opening Journey Together packs in the Philippines?
No, not by the numbers. The expected value per pack (₱278) is below retail price (~₱417) and market price (~₱371). Open if you enjoy the experience — but don't expect to profit.
What is the most expensive Journey Together card right now?
Lillie's Clefairy ex SIR (#184) at approximately USD $100.54 (₱6,313). Salamence ex SIR (#187) USD $55.16 (₱3,463) and N's Zoroark ex SIR (#185) USD $39.17 (₱2,459) are second and third.
What is the Journey Together Hyper Rare?
Spiky Energy (#190) — a gold full-art Special Energy card, currently valued at USD $4.35 (₱273). It is one of the lowest-value Hyper Rares in the SV era, reflecting low collector and competitive demand.
When will Journey Together become worth opening?
When sealed product prices fall to approximately ₱278 per pack. For booster boxes, that means a box price around ₱9,984. Product price decline is the faster path to break-even.
Disclaimer: All card prices are from PriceCharting market data (USD) as of September 2026 — they will change. PHP equivalents use a live exchange rate. Pull rates are community estimates from aggregate data (8,000 packs). Monte Carlo uses 100,000 simulated openings. This is not financial advice. For Filipino collectors.