Image courtesy of TCGdex.net
Overview
Jirachi is a Basic Psychic-type Pokémon card released as part of the HeartGold & SoulSilver series in the Unleashed expansion (HGSS2). Classified as Rare Holo, this print showcases Jirachi’s celestial motif and its role as a wish-granting Pokémon within the Pokémon world. In the trading card game, the card centers on a combination of energy acceleration and strategic disruption, leveraging a Poke-Power that fuels its own energy resources and an attack that can hinder the opponent’s evolution line. With its compact 60 HP, Jirachi embodies the archetype of a support-oriented basic Pokémon whose value lies in ability-driven versatility rather than raw aggression.
The flavor text on the card draws directly from Jirachi’s in-universe lore: generations have believed that any wish written on a note on its head will come true when it awakens. This thematic connection between wish-granting and the card’s mechanical toolkit reinforces the card’s role as a tempo- and resource-generating entity within a Psychic-focused deck strategy.
Card Information
- Name: Jirachi
- Dex number: 385
- HP: 60
- Type: Psychic
- Stage: Basic
- Rarity: Rare Holo
- Set: Unleashed (hgss2)
- Card number: hgss2-1
- Illustrator: Wataru Kawahara
- Flavor text: Generations have believed that any wish written on a note on its head will come true when it awakens.
- Variants: holo (standard), reverse holo
- Legal formats: Standard: not legal; Expanded: not legal
- Abilities: Stardust Song (Poke-POWER) — Once during your turn, when you put Jirachi from your hand onto your Bench, you may flip 3 coins. For each heads, search your discard pile for a Psychic Energy card and attach it to Jirachi.
- Attacks: Time Hollow — [Psychic] energy cost. Choose a number of your opponent’s Stage 1 or Stage 2 Evolved Pokémon up to the amount of Energy attached to Jirachi. Remove the highest Stage Evolution card from each of those Pokémon and put those cards back into your opponent’s hand.
- Weakness: Psychic ×2
- Retreat cost: 1
- Evolution line: none (Jirachi is a Basic, non-evolving Pokémon in this print)
- Variations in print: The holo and reverse-holo variants reflect the common distribution within the Unleashed era, with holo featuring Jirachi’s glossy finish and reverse holo presenting the card’s artwork with a holo pattern on the card border.
Gameplay and Strategy
This Jirachi centers on a two-pronged approach: energy acceleration through Stardust Song and battlefield disruption via Time Hollow. The Poke-Power Stardust Song is activated when Jirachi is placed onto the Bench from the hand. The ability uses coin flips to determine how many Energy cards—specifically Psychic Energy—can be pulled from the discard pile and attached to Jirachi. The deal is twofold: it accelerates Jirachi’s own durability and sets up future turns by boosting energy on Jirachi, enabling Time Hollow to leverage higher energy totals for greater disruption. Because the ability triggers only once per turn, timing and resource management are essential to maximize value, especially in matches where Psychic energy density in the discard is variable or where opponents aggressively accelerate their own threats.
The Time Hollow attack provides a versatile disruption tool. By targeting up to a number of the opponent’s Stage 1 or Stage 2 Evolved Pokémon equal to the Energy attached to Jirachi, the player can remove the highest Evolution cards from those Pokémon and return them to the opponent’s hand. This effect can slow or destabilize opponents that rely on evolving strategies, blunting key threats in formats where Stage 2 and above are central to the opponent’s plan. In practice, Jirachi is most effective when paired with decks that can reliably supply Psychic energy to Jirachi and that benefit from denying the opponent access to their most powerful evolutions in the moment—particularly in control- or stall-oriented matchups where tempo swings are decisive.
Deck builders often consider Jirachi alongside other Psychic-type staples that benefit from energy acceleration or from disrupting the opponent’s resource lines. Because Stardust Song can increase Jirachi’s attached energy, it may indirectly enable other Psychic attackers to reach their own attack costs more quickly, while Time Hollow’s removal of elevated Evolutions can force opponents to rethink their sequencing. However, the coin-flip aspect of Stardust Song introduces variability. Players must assess risk versus reward in both resource-rich and resource-constrained games, balancing the potential energy acceleration against the chance of unfavorable coin outcomes. Jirachi’s low HP (60) also means it is vulnerable to fast, high-damage threats, so protection from removal and timely retreat or switching remains important in practical play.
Collector and Market Information
As a Rare Holo print from the Unleashed set, Jirachi commands collector interest, particularly among those pursuing holo-foil or reverse-holo variants. Its status as a basic with a distinctive Poke-Power and a tactical disruption attack adds to its appeal for completionists and for players who appreciate the historical significance of the HeartGold & SoulSilver era.
Market pricing data reflect multiple printings and the card’s age. As of late 2025, typical market values are shown as follows:
average price around 5.64 EUR (non-holo average); holo average around 6.61 EUR. Recent trends indicate modest volatility with holo variants generally priced slightly higher than non-holo copies. holofoil prints show a range from low around 7.50 USD to mid prices near 17.50 USD and highs approaching 38.75 USD for high-value copies; market price around 14.93 USD. Reverse-holo copies typically display a broader spectrum, with low prices near 9.45 USD and highs near 29.99 USD, market price near 10.92 USD. The card’s entry lists Standard and Expanded legality as false for the current data snapshot, reflecting its status as part of an older generation’s print run rather than contemporary competitive legality.
Price observations rely on publicly accessible market data and can vary by condition, printing, and language. Collectors and players should consult current listings from CardMarket and TCGplayer for the latest values and availability. The historical context of the Unleashed print means that demand is often driven by both nostalgia and the card’s unique combination of energy acceleration with disruptive control.
Art and Lore
The artwork for this Jirachi print, illustrated by Wataru Kawahara, embodies the celestial and wishful symbolism associated with Jirachi in the Pokémon universe. Kawahara’s depiction emphasizes the star-like features of Jirachi and its serene, otherworldly presence, aligning with the card’s flavor text and its mechanics focused on starlit energy and wishful outcomes. The Unleashed era of the HGSS line is noted for its bright, high-contrast holo effects and character-focused illustrations, and Jirachi is no exception; its art communicates both a sense of wonder and a tactical readiness that mirrors how the card functions within a match.
The flavor text connects the mechanical theme to Jirachi’s mythic status as a wish-granting Pokémon. In the broader Pokémon world, Jirachi is associated with granting desires when awakened, often described as sleeping within a meteor and releasing a magical light when it awakens. The card’s Stardust Song Poke-Power and Time Hollow attack thematically echo this lore, with starlight energy enabling further actions and the disruption of an opponent’s evolving threats acting as a strategic “wish” that could alter the course of a game.
Trivia
- The card is part of the Unleashed (HGSS2) set, with the hgss2-1 listing in the official set compilation.
- Jirachi’s Stardust Song Poke-Power requires coin flips, a mechanic that introduces an element of randomness into energy acceleration, contrasting with more deterministic energy attachment effects.
- Time Hollow’s effect scales with the Energy attached to Jirachi, allowing players to tailor disruption based on the energy cushion established during the turn.
- Print variations include holo and reverse holo, reflecting the standard distribution for holo-foil cards in this era.
- The card’s flavor text reinforces Jirachi’s mythic association with wishes, tying flavor and mechanics to a consistent in-universe theme.