What’s happening with Prismatic Evolutions? — Shortages, scalpers, and questions about pull rates plague newest Pokémon TCG expansion

The newest set to be added to the Pokémon Trading Card Game is Prismatic Evolutions, and the Eevee-forward expansion has already had quite a chaotic release weekend. The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) acknowledged the issues it was having supplying the set even before its official international release on Friday, January 17th, and shortages seem to be a trend the company is aware of. Meanwhile, Prismatic Evolutions and preorders for it are sold out at retailers across the web, and the secondhand market is similarly discouraging. On top of how difficult it is to even purchase the new set, fans have been speculating that the rate at which highly-desired cards, like the new Eevee and its evolutions’ special illustration rares (SIR), appear is different from previous expansions.

High demand, low supply
Despite The Pokémon Company International printing more and more cards each year, according to their own data, shortages of new cards and other TCG products seem to be a repeating problem that the company has acknowledged in the past. Speculation that the recently released Pokémon TCG Pocket app has created an increased demand for physical cards has circulated among fans and retailers, though the shortage issue certainly predates the app’s release. As mentioned, TPCi has already released a statement concerning the shortage of Prismatic Evolutions, assuring fans that there would be a reprint before the expansion was even released. “...We are actively working to print more of the impacted Pokémon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity…” the company announced on its official X (Twitter) account two days before the scheduled release. Independent reports seem to suggest that retailers are not able to get as much of the new set as they would like from TPCi, though exactly why is unclear.

Scalpers and safety concerns
Scalpers are nothing new to the world of the Pokémon TCG, as anyone looking to purchase cards on the secondhand market knows. After being sold out almost instantly from primary marketplaces such as the Pokémon Center, Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainers Boxes are currently selling on secondhand sites like Ebay for more than four times their original MSRP of $59.99 USD. Scalpers and scarcity are causing a litany of safety concerns across the world as well. Videos from Costco stores on the US West Coast posted throughout the weekend show customers grabbing armfuls of a different TCG product, the 151 Blooming Waters Premium Collection, as they are being put out for sale, resulting in a brawl between several people.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

​

Back in Prismatic Evolutions news, Singapore’s Pokémon Center announced that they would not be selling the new set in-store due to safety concerns just 30 minutes before opening on Friday, apparently having vastly underestimated the crowd the new expansion would pull in. Reports from the location say that an estimated 1,000 people were waiting outside the store for a chance to get their hands on Prismatic Evolutions, just for the store to post a note stating that the set would only be available on their online store -- which instantly sold out. Singaporean police were thoroughly unimpressed with Pokémon Center Singapore’s handling of the situation after being called in to assist with crowd control.

Other stores have also outright refused to carry Prismatic Evolutions upon launch, though certainly with more warning than Pokémon Center Singapore. An independent shop in Washington State, Kent’s Retro Emporium, announced on January 6th that they would not be carrying the expansion due concerns for the safety of their staff and the store. On their Facebook page, the shop mentions they were robbed twice in 2023 for Pokémon products. They also place the blame squarely on resellers, stating, “The entitlement and the aggressiveness is already at an UNACCEPTABLE level and we fear this is only going to escalate with the highly anticipated Prismatic Evolutions set…”

Pull rates
Fans and content creators who have actually been able to get their hands on Prismatic Evolutions packs are raising questions about the pull rate of some of the special cards, especially special illustration rares and hyper rares. Data from one secondhand seller who opened 2,700 packs of Prismatic Evolutions suggests that pull rates for all the categories of special cards are actually very similar to other sets, despite rumors, and that SIRs are actually easier to find. However, because there are so many special cards, the odds of pulling any specific one are low.

The Pokémon Company International, for their statements about making Prismatic Evolutions more available, understands that rarity drives demand. One of the most sought after cards in the entire Pokémon TCG is the Special Full Art of Umbreon VMAX from Evolving Skies, nicknamed “Moonbreon” by fans. The card features Umbreon against the full moon in the background and has a selling price in accordance with its desirability, often selling for over $1,000 USD secondhand. A card from Prismatic Evolutions, the SIR of Umbreon ex, happens to feature Umbreon against the full moon and is being dubbed by some fans as Moonbreon 2.0 -- and is being listed for sale at a similar price. According to current estimates, fans have about a .05% chance of pulling the card.

Currently, Prismatic Evolutions packs are available as part of Elite Trainer Boxes, poster collections, sticker collections, and binder collections, but there is more variety coming. Prismatic Evolutions mini tins and surprise boxes will release February 7th, while booster bundles are coming March 7th.