Prismatic Evolutions Shortage Prompts Pokemon TCG to Rush to Print More

Pokemon TCG's Prismatic Evolutions: High Demand Leads to Reprints

The Pokémon Company is addressing a significant shortage of its latest Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) expansion, Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions. High demand, exceeding initial production estimates, has resulted in limited availability at launch.

Addressing the Shortage

The Pokémon Company has publicly acknowledged the issue, stating they are working at maximum capacity to reprint the affected products as quickly as possible. While fans may experience delays, the company assures increased stock is underway.

Impact on Retailers

The unexpected surge in demand disproportionately affected smaller, local US retailers. Distributors, faced with overwhelming orders from both regular and non-regular Pokémon TCG stockists, reduced allocations to local stores by 10-15%. Larger retailers like GameStop and Target secured a larger share of the initial supply. This has led to concerns about price gouging, with some secondary market sellers already listing the unreleased Elite Trainer Box at significantly inflated prices ($127 vs. $55 retail).

Expansion Details and Future Releases

Announced on November 1, 2024, and launched January 17, 2025, Prismatic Evolutions features Tera Pokémon ex, new special illustration rare cards, and ultra-rare Supporter cards. Reprint cards from recent sets with new artwork are also included, such as Teal Mask Ogerpon ex and Roaring Moon ex. Additional product releases are scheduled for February 7th (Surprise Box and Mini Tin), March 7th (Booster Bundle), and April 25th (Pouch Special Collection), featuring Eevee and its evolutions as Stellar Tera Pokémon ex.

A digital version of the set launched on Pokémon TCG Live (iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows) on January 16, 2025, allowing players to experience the new cards before physical copies become widely available.