If you’ve been following my content around the first main Pokemon TCG set of 2025, Journey Together, you should know how excited I am for this particular set. Not only does this set look chalk full of valuable cards, it’s got quite a few new decks that are going to shake things up in a good way. Below, I’ll be ranking the top new Pokemon TCG Journey Together deck from worst to best.

#6 Iono’s Bellibolt ex

Pokémon - 15
3 Iono's Bellibolt ex
3 Iono's Tadbulb
3 Raging Bolt ex TEF 123
2 Iono's Kilowattrel
2 Iono's Wattrel
1 Iono's Voltorb
1 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169
3 Iono PAF 80
3 Professor's Research PRE 125
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
2 Professor Sada's Vitality PRE 120
4 Ultra Ball PAF 91
3 Buddy-Buddy Poffin PRE 101
3 Earthen Vessel PRE 106
3 Energy Switch SVI 173
3 Nest Ball PAF 84
2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
2 Superior Energy Retrieval PAL 189
1 Prime Catcher PRE 119
3 Levincia
Energy - 11
8 Basic Lightning Energy SVE 4
3 Basic Fighting Energy SVE 6

Iono’s Bellibolt ex affords some interesting energy acceleartion and draw power, but ultimately pairing it with Raging Bolt ex won’t be enough for players to switch to this way of playing that particular strategy. Post rotation, Raging Bolt ex is in a decent place without having to add in Bellibolt ex. Still, it’s an intriguing strategy that many will want to try out simply because of how fun it will undoubtedly be.

#5 Salamence ex

3 Bagon
3 Salamence ex
3 Torchic
2 Blaziken ex
2 Pidgeot ex OBF 164
2 Pidgey OBF 162
1 Combusken
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Pidgeotto MEW 17
1 Shelgon
1 Tatsugiri TWM 131
4 Arven OBF 186
3 Iono PAF 80
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
1 Crispin PRE 105
1 Professor's Research PRE 125
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin PRE 101
4 Rare Candy PAF 89
2 Earthen Vessel PRE 106
2 Nest Ball PAF 84
2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
2 Ultra Ball PAF 91
1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Super Rod PAL 188
1 Rescue Board PRE 126
1 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
1 Grand Tree SCR 136
5 Basic Fire Energy SVE 2
3 Basic Water Energy SVE 3

I really like Salamence. It’s a beast of a Pokemon with high HP, and capable of KOing many Pokemon in the game in a single blow. As if that weren’t already enough, its also got a strong attack that does 50 damage to all benched Pokemon.

The above deck list pairs Salamence with Blaziken ex which also comes out in Journey Together. This Blaziken accelerates energy while also acting as a secondary attacker to your behemoth dragon Pokemon. Grand Tree is also a solid choice as your ACE SPEC, making it more reliable to evolve your many stage 2 Pokemon.

The main issue this deck is going to face will just be reliable energy acceleration. Even with the Blaziken it’s going to be a little tough to get all the energy you need when you need it for Salamence’s strongest attack.

That being said, there’s plenty to enjoy here and I’ll be doing my part to optimize the list once I can test these decks on Pokemon TCG Live.

#4 Mamoswine ex

Pokémon: 23
4 Swinub SV9 44
2 Piloswine SV9 45
3 Mamoswine ex SV9 46
2 Pidgey OBF 162
1 Pidgeotto MEW 17
2 Pidgeot ex OBF 164
2 Nacli PAR 102
1 Naclstack PAR 103
2 Garganacl PAR 104
2 Luxray PAL 71
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 112
Trainer: 30
4 Arven OBF 186
2 Iono PAL 185
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
1 Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171
4 Rare Candy SVI 191
3 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
2 Ultra Ball SVI 196
2 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
2 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Super Rod PAL 188
1 Precious Trolley SSP 185
2 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
1 Big Air Balloon MEW 155
1 Rock Chestplate SVI 192
1 Pokémon League Headquarters OBF 192
Energy: 7
6 Fighting Energy SVE 14
1 Reversal Energy PAL 192

Mamoswine looks to be a perfectly adequate new deck coming out in Journey Together. You’ll be taking advantage of a host of fighting type attackers and leaning into your stage 2 Pokemon to get access to a bevy of handing card search and energy acceleration abilities, as well as to power up the attack of your Mamoswine ex.

Indeed, manage to stack up a full bench of Stage 2 Pokemon and your Mamoswine becomes very, very scary of an attacker. Not to mention its got high HP and can be healed every time it takes a hit via Garganacl.

This should be a very fun deck to roll with online even if it probably won’t make a huge splash on the in-card competitive scene.

#3 Hop’s Zacian

Pokémon: 12
2 Hop's Zacian ex SV9 69
2 Hop's Cramorant SV9 87
2 Hop's Snorlax SV9 75
2 Munkidori TWM 95
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex TWM 141
1 Latias ex SSP 76
1 Iron Bundle PAR 56
Trainer: 42
4 Professor's Research SVI 189
4 Arven OBF 186
3 Boss's Orders PAL 172
2 Iono PAL 185
1 Morty's Conviction TEF 155
1 Kieran TWM 154
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
3 Night Stretcher SFA 61
2 Hop's Bag SV9 91
2 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186
2 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Energy Switch SVI 173
1 Prime Catcher TEF 157
4 Hop's Choice Band SV9 92
1 Technical Machine: Devolution PAR 177
3 Postwick SV9 99
2 Calamitous Snowy Mountain PAL 174
Energy: 6
5 Darkness Energy SVE 15
1 Jet Energy PAL 190

Despite possessing something of a quirky play style, this Hop’s Zacian ex deck has been doing pretty well at City Leagues in Japan, and does possess some interesting plays. The most intriguing one is to whittle your opponent’s Pokemon HP down to a manageable amount then used a buffed Zacian ex to take two knockouts in a turn.

Now that Greninja is out of the game, it’s going to be less easy for decks to tech in a two-knock out attacker in their deck, giving deck’s like this one capable of it something of an advantage in the meta.

Another standout card at this deck’s disposal is the powerful Hop’s Bag Item card. This handy card lets you quickly fill your bench with any two basic Hop’s Pokemon. That’s a huge advantage to any deck fielding Hop’s Pokemon!

#2 N’s Zoroark

Pokémon: 17
4 N's Zorua SV9 60
4 N's Zoroark ex SV9 61
3 N's Darumaka SV9 15
2 N's Darmanitan SV9 16
1 N's Reshiram SV9 74
1 Budew PRE 4
1 Pecharunt ex SFA 39
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
Trainer: 35
4 Arven OBF 186
4 Iono PAL 185
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
3 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
3 Ultra Ball SVI 196
3 N's PP Up SV9 89
2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
2 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
1 Unfair Stamp TWM 165
1 Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178
1 Binding Mochi PRE 95
1 Defiance Band SVI 169
2 N's Castle SV9 97
1 Pokémon League Headquarters OBF 192
Energy: 8
6 Darkness Energy SVE 15
2 Reversal Energy PAL 192

While there’s one deck to likely outperform this particular strategy, my personal favorite deck coming out in Journey Together is N’s Zoroark ex. I love the many different synergies available to this deck following the release of Journey Together, especially talking about the N-specific cards like N’s PP Up and N’s Castle that grant advantageous effects to N’s Pokemon.

N’s Zoroark is a deck that highlights how interesting the Pokemon TCG can be when elements are focused on more tribal attributes beyond the basic typing available to all Pokemon.

Beyond that, players should really enjoy fielding N’s Zoroark itself as its Trade ability will be the closest thing to Radiant Greninja’s powerful Concealed Cards following that card’s rotation out of the game.

#1 Tera Box

Pokémon: 22
3 Hoothoot SCR 114
1 Hoothoot PRE 77
4 Noctowl SCR 115
2 Teal Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 25
2 Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 64
2 Fan Rotom SCR 118
1 Pikachu ex SSP 57
1 Mew ex MEW 151
1 Lillie's Clefairy ex SV9 33
1 Latias ex SSP 76
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Ditto MEW 132
1 Terapagos ex SCR 128
1 Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex TWM 141
Trainer: 28
3 Crispin SCR 133
2 Professor's Research SVI 189
2 Boss's Orders PAL 172
1 Iono PAL 185
1 Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171
4 Nest Ball SVI 181
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196
3 Energy Switch SVI 173
2 Night Stretcher SFA 61
1 Earthen Vessel PAR 163
1 Counter Catcher PAR 160
1 Sparkling Crystal SCR 142
3 Area Zero Underdepths SCR 131
Energy: 10
5 Grass Energy SVE 9
2 Psychic Energy SVE 13
1 Water Energy SVE 11
1 Metal Energy SVE 16
1 Lightning Energy SVE 12

If you want to know what the best new deck in Journey Together is, my best guess is it’s going to be Tera Box. Box decks like this tend to do very well, and the deck this guy reminds me most of is the old Lost Zone Box deck that once dominated the meta. It has several solid ways to accelerate energies and relies on the powerful Tera type Pokemon cards to hit for weakness regardless of the deck it is facing.

While not an entirely net new deck to Journey Together, it’s in this set that we really start to see this deck take it’s shape as its very own Archetype. A huge boost to this deck is Lillie’s Clefairy – a Pokemon who lends this Box deck the ability to hit for weakness against powerful Dragon type Pokemon.

The above deck list was created and piloted by Pokemon TCG Tord Reklev at the Champions League Fukuoka to an impressive 11th place finish.

Every Journey Together Pokemon Deck, Ranked