Journey Together vs Brilliant Stars ETB: Which to Buy (2026)
By Dexhaul Team · October 12, 2026 · 7 min read
Buy Journey Together if you want a Scarlet and Violet set with 9 packs, current-era ex and tera mechanics, and direct relevance to the competitive format as of 2026. Buy Brilliant Stars if you want the SWSH-era set that introduced the VSTAR mechanic, featuring Arceus VSTAR and Charizard VSTAR as its marquee chase cards.
Both ETBs trade within a narrow $5–10 price band on the secondary market right now. That convergence is unusual: Brilliant Stars launched in February 2022 and Journey Together launched in March 2025, yet the price difference between a sealed standard ETB from each set is minimal.
That makes this a decision about which era and which chase content you actually want, not a straightforward value call.
On this page 5 sections
At a glance
Journey Together (SV09, released March 28, 2025) is the ninth mainline Scarlet and Violet expansion. Brilliant Stars (SWSH09, released February 25, 2022) is the ninth Sword and Shield expansion, notable as the set that introduced the VSTAR mechanic to the Pokémon TCG for the first time.
| Feature | Journey Together (SV09) | Brilliant Stars (SWSH09) |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | March 28, 2025 | February 25, 2022 |
| Game era | Scarlet & Violet | Sword & Shield |
| Standard ETB packs | 9 | 8 |
| Card mechanic | ex cards, tera types | VSTAR (introduced here), V, VMAX |
| Key chase cards | Arcanine ex, Gyarados ex (tera) | Arceus VSTAR, Charizard VSTAR |
| Standard ETB price range | $135–$175 (October 12, 2026) | $170–$180 (October 12, 2026) |
| Pokémon Center ETB price range | $199–$240 (October 12, 2026) | $222–$245 (October 12, 2026) |
The most surprising figure in that table is the standard ETB price spread. Journey Together can be found for $135 at the lower end, while Brilliant Stars starts at $170. A newer set trading cheaper than a three-year-older set reflects how demand for SWSH-era Arceus and Charizard VSTAR content has stayed elevated well past the original print window.
Where Journey Together wins
One extra pack at a comparable price
Every SV-era ETB ships with 9 booster packs versus the 8-pack count on SWSH-era ETBs. At the same original MSRP of $49.99, that was one additional pack for free at launch. In 2026 the standard ETBs trade within $5–40 of each other, which means Journey Together still tends to offer the better pack-per-dollar ratio at its lower observed prices.
If you are buying to open, that extra pack matters. Nine rolls versus eight changes the odds of hitting a particular rare across a session of opening.
Current-era mechanics and competitive relevance
Journey Together is a Scarlet and Violet expansion, which means every card uses the ex card template introduced in SV01. There are no HP-inflated VMAX cards with the three-prize knockout structure. Cards from this set are also closer to the current competitive rotation, making them more useful to anyone who plays the game rather than purely collecting sealed product.
Brilliant Stars cards have largely rotated out of Standard play. That is not a problem for collectors, but it removes one of the reasons a player might reach for a box.
Arcanine ex and Gyarados ex content
Journey Together's featured Pokémon are Arcanine ex and Gyarados ex, with both appearing in standard and Illustration Rare versions. Gyarados ex carries a tera typing, which produces some of the most distinctive full-art designs in the SV era. Neither character appears in Brilliant Stars, so this is straightforward: want Arcanine or Gyarados ex pulls, buy Journey Together.
Where Brilliant Stars wins
The VSTAR origin set
Brilliant Stars introduced the VSTAR mechanic to the Pokémon TCG. Every VSTAR card in every subsequent Sword and Shield expansion traces directly back to this set. That historical position is something Journey Together cannot claim: it is the ninth SV set, not the first of anything.
For collectors who build around milestones, first appearances, mechanic introductions, format-defining releases, Brilliant Stars (per Bulbapedia) holds a distinct collector position that no later set can claim.
Arceus VSTAR and Charizard VSTAR demand
The two most-sought cards in Brilliant Stars are Arceus VSTAR and Charizard VSTAR. Both are chase cards across multiple art variants: standard, alt art, and rainbow rare. Both retain strong collector demand in 2026. Arceus has consistent cross-generational appeal, and Charizard's collector floor has held through multiple format cycles.
Neither Arcanine ex nor Gyarados ex commands the same secondary market gravity as Charizard VSTAR. If the chase card itself is what you are after, Brilliant Stars is the more historically significant pick.
The PC ETB premium is nearly identical across both sets
Both sets have a Pokémon Center exclusive ETB with additional booster packs and exclusive promo cards. Observed prices for the Brilliant Stars PC ETB sit at $222–$245, while Journey Together PC ETBs run $199–$240. The premium over the standard variant is roughly $50–65 in both cases. This means the PC exclusivity holds consistent value regardless of which era the set belongs to, so if you are weighing PC vs standard, the set-era decision should drive your choice first.
The deciding question
Four types of buyers make this comparison, and each has a clear answer.
If you are a collector focused on SWSH-era milestones or specifically want Arceus VSTAR or Charizard VSTAR content, Brilliant Stars is the only option. Those cards do not appear in Journey Together, and the set's position as the mechanic-launch product gives it a fixed place in the SWSH era that future sets cannot replace.
If you play the competitive game or want cards that remain closer to the current rotation, Journey Together is the practical choice. SV-era cards use the current ex template, tera types are the active mechanic, and this set's cards are still relevant to Standard play in 2026.
If you are buying to open and want the most packs per dollar, Journey Together wins at its lower observed prices ($135 vs $170 at the bottom of each range). Nine packs versus eight at the same price band is a straightforward advantage for a box-opening session.
If you are buying a sealed display piece, the price spread is narrow enough that the decision comes down to artwork preference and which era's box art you want on the shelf. The SWSH-era artwork style on Brilliant Stars differs noticeably from the SV-era design on Journey Together.
Frequently asked questions
How many packs does each ETB contain?
Journey Together (SV09) contains 9 booster packs. Brilliant Stars (SWSH09) contains 8 booster packs. The jump from 8 to 9 packs happened with the Scarlet and Violet base set in 2023, and has been consistent across all SV-era ETBs since.
What is the VSTAR mechanic in Brilliant Stars?
VSTAR is a card subtype introduced in Brilliant Stars that gives Pokémon V an evolved form with high HP and a one-per-game VSTAR Power ability or attack. Serebii's Brilliant Stars card list documents all VSTAR cards in the set. The mechanic replaced VMAX for most sets from SWSH09 through the end of the Sword and Shield era and was not carried into Scarlet and Violet.
Is Journey Together or Brilliant Stars better for a gift?
Journey Together is the more accessible gift for someone unfamiliar with the current game. SV-era cards are closer to what someone will encounter at a local game store or in current boosters, and the set's box art is the most recent generation. Brilliant Stars is the better gift for a collector who specifically wants SWSH-era product or is targeting Arceus or Charizard VSTAR.
Why does Brilliant Stars cost as much as a newer set?
Arceus VSTAR and Charizard VSTAR maintain strong collector demand independent of competitive relevance. Both are high-visibility Pokémon with cards that hold consistent secondary market interest. The SWSH09 print run has also had three years to be opened and consumed, tightening sealed supply in a way that Journey Together's larger and more recent print run has not yet experienced.
Does the Pokémon Center ETB make a difference for either set?
Both sets have a Pokémon Center exclusive ETB with additional booster packs and exclusive foil promo cards. The premium over the standard variant is roughly $50–65 for each set, observed in October 2026. The PC ETB is the right pick if you want the exclusive promos or the larger pack count. For buyers primarily focused on opening packs, the standard ETB delivers better value per pack unless the exclusive promos are a specific target.
Browse Journey Together and Brilliant Stars ETBs, along with the full range of Elite Trainer Boxes from the SV and Sword and Shield eras, at DexHaul's Elite Trainer Box collection, where independent shops list both sets at current secondary market prices. DexHaul is independent and not affiliated with The Pokémon Company.
Catch 'em all
More Journey Together and Brilliant Stars ETB listings from independent shops.