Ns Reshiram
Quick take
- Illustration Rare in Journey Together, the set built around Trainers and their Pokemon
- Pairs N with his signature legendary Reshiram, the white dragon of truth
- Accessible art-tier card, not an ex or SIR chase
- A satisfying master-set pickup for sv9 driven by character demand
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Journey Together
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 167/159 · $14.44 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyThe truth dragon, drawn for N
Journey Together did something the main English sets had not done at this scale before. It built the whole expansion around Trainers and their Pokemon instead of tucking them into a side gallery. N's Reshiram is one piece of that idea. It is the Illustration Rare for the white dragon that has belonged to N since the Black and White games, and it leans on a bond fans have cared about for over a decade.
“Illustration Rare in Journey Together, the set built around Trainers and their Pokemon”
As an Illustration Rare, this card sits in the art-first tier. It is not an ex, and it is not a Special Illustration Rare, so it stays accessible while still giving master-set builders a card with real character pull. People who came up on Unova tend to put N near the top of their favorite-rival list, and Reshiram is his signature partner. The demand here is driven by who is on the card as much as the rarity stamp.
For a sv9 master set, this is a checklist card you actually want to land rather than one you grind for. It carries the N storyline alongside the bigger N's Zoroark ex pieces, and it photographs well in a binder next to the rest of the Trainer subset.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This is a mid-tier Illustration Rare from a Scarlet and Violet set, not a marquee chase. It sits well below the set's headline SIRs like Lillie's Clefairy ex and N's Zoroark ex, and it trades in the affordable end of the IR bracket. Raw copies are easy to source from singles sellers, which keeps the ceiling modest.
Pricing has tracked the normal arc for a modern IR. There was an early bump around the March 2025 launch, then it settled once supply caught up. Character demand for N keeps a floor under it, but it has not climbed the way the top SIRs in the set have.
Treat this as a collector card first. As a non-ex Illustration Rare it is unlikely to behave like a speculative chase, but the N and Reshiram combination gives it staying power as a character piece. Expect steady niche demand rather than rapid appreciation.
Clean gem-grade copies carry a premium over raw, as you would expect for any modern IR with a fragile textured surface. The premium is meaningful in percentage terms, though the absolute numbers stay reasonable because the raw base is affordable. Grading makes the most sense if you pull a copy that already looks pack-fresh.
In Scarlet and Violet sets, any Illustration Rare lands at roughly 1 in 12 packs. For comparison, any Double Rare is about 1 in 5, any Ultra Rare around 1 in 15, any Special Illustration Rare near 1 in 90, and Hyper Rares run anywhere from 1 in 300 to 1 in 700. Those numbers are for hitting any card of that rarity. Pulling this specific N's Reshiram runs much longer, because there are many Illustration Rares spread across the set, so you are looking at well over a hundred packs to find this exact card by chance.
An IR is a common chase tier next to the set's SIR and Hyper Rare headliners. You will see Illustration Rares far more often than the Lillie's Clefairy ex or N's Zoroark ex SIRs, which is why this one stays affordable and easy to complete in a master set.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Bun Toujo is one of the working illustrators in the Scarlet and Violet era, with card art across recent sets. The style here is character-and-Pokemon storytelling, which is exactly what the Illustration Rare format was built to show off.
The card puts N together with his white dragon Reshiram, the Pokemon that represents truth in Unova lore. N stands with the legendary against a sky of swirling cloud and color, the two sharing the frame rather than Reshiram standing alone. That framing is the point of the Journey Together subset, and it is what separates these IRs from a plain Pokemon portrait.
Standard Scarlet and Violet Illustration Rare treatment. Full-bleed illustration with the textured holo finish used across the IR tier in this era. Card number 167 sits in the set's IR range above the numbered main set of 159.
The pairing carries it. A solo Reshiram is a fine card, but Reshiram with N taps the rivalry and the Team Plasma storyline that Unova players remember. That narrative weight is what makes collectors reach for this over a generic legendary art card.
BackgroundAbout Ns Reshiram
Reshiram is the white, fire-and-dragon box legendary of Pokemon Black, the counterpart to Zekrom from Pokemon White. In the lore the two split from a single dragon when twin heroes fell out over truth versus ideals, with Reshiram siding with truth. In the games and anime it is N's signature partner, which is why a card labeled N's Reshiram lands with anyone who played through Unova.
- ›Box-art legendary status from a mainline generation
- ›Direct tie to N, one of the most-loved rival characters in the series
- ›The truth-versus-ideals story arc that defines Unova
- ›Strong fire-dragon design that reads well at card scale
- ›Pokemon Black version mascot legendary
- ›N's signature Pokemon in the Black and White storyline and anime
Journey Together is collected far more for its Trainer art than played for this card. N's Reshiram is a Basic with a damage-scaling attack, but the demand around it is about the character and the art, not the competitive tables.
Own it wellCollector guide
The textured IR surface shows whitening on edges and corners fast, and the holo can pick up fine scratches. Check the front under raking light before buying raw. Pack-fresh centering varies, so look at the borders if you care about a future grade.
Grade only a copy that looks clean out of the gate. Because the raw price is modest, grading fees can outweigh the bump unless you hit a strong gem candidate. If you do submit, surface and edges are the categories most likely to cap the grade on a textured IR. Read the grading guide →
Use a penny sleeve and a top loader at minimum, or a one-touch for a copy you plan to keep. Keep it out of direct light and away from humidity. For a binder build, use side-loading pages so the textured surface does not rub on entry. See the storage guide →
Singles are the smart route here. This is not a card worth ripping packs for given the per-card odds across the IR pool. Buy a raw NM copy from a reputable seller, or a graded one if you want the slab. Watch for the stamped staff and prerelease version, which is a different printing and should be priced separately. See the singles buying guide →
Modern IRs are far less faked than vintage holos, but still buy from established sellers. Confirm the 167/159 number, the Bun Toujo credit, and the correct IR texture and finish. For graded copies, verify the cert against the grading company database.
Protect your card
Low Chase Score — basic protection is plenty. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Collectors received Journey Together warmly for putting Trainers front and center, and the N cards drew particular attention from Unova fans. N's Reshiram is generally seen as a solid, likable IR rather than a set chase. People pick it up for the character, not for flipping.
Most of the set's online buzz centered on the bigger N's Zoroark ex and the Lillie's Clefairy ex SIR. N's Reshiram shows up in collection posts and master-set checklists more than in hype threads, which fits its accessible tier.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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