Prismatic Evolutions Shortage Prompts Pokemon TCG to Rush to Print More

The Pokémon Company is addressing a significant stock shortage of its latest Pokémon TCG expansion, Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions. Read on to discover the cause of the shortage and the company's response.

Pokémon’s Latest Expansion: High Demand Creates Shortage

The Pokémon Company Increases Production

As reported by IGN on January 16, 2025, The Pokémon Company acknowledges the widespread shortage of Prismatic Evolutions. A spokesperson stated, "We’re aware that some fans may experience difficulties purchasing certain Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions products at launch due to high demand impacting availability. We understand this inconvenience can be disappointing for fans, and we are actively working to print more of the impacted Pokémon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity to address this." While fans may need to wait, the company's commitment to increasing production is reassuring.

High Demand Impacts Smaller US Retailers

The shortage was first highlighted on January 4, 2025, by the Pokémon TCG fan website, PokeBeach. The report details how smaller US retailers are disproportionately affected. Deguire, owner of Player 1 Services, a major Pokémon store in Maryland, explained, "I think a large part of the issue is that stores who do not normally order Pokémon are requesting to buy this set from distributors." This increased demand led distributors to limit supplies by 10% to 15% for smaller retailers, while larger chains like GameStop and Target received significantly larger allocations. This strategy aimed to distribute the product widely, retaining as many accounts as possible.

The limited supply has already driven up prices on the secondary market. The upcoming Elite Trainer Box, for example, is reportedly selling for $127 USD, significantly above its $55 USD retail price. However, once The Pokémon Company increases stock, scalpers may adjust their pricing strategies.

Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions: 2024 Announcement and Release

Announced on November 1, 2024, Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions launched on January 17, 2025. This expansion features Tera Pokémon ex, new special illustration rare cards, ultra rare Supporter cards, and reprints of popular cards with new artwork. Notable examples include Teal Mask Ogerpon ex (illustrated by Yukihiro Tada) and Roaring Moon ex (by Shinji Kanda).

Additional Prismatic Evolutions products, including the Surprise Box and Mini Tin (featuring Eevee and its evolutions as Stellar Tera Pokémon ex), launched on February 7, 2025, with further releases (Booster Bundle and Pouch Special Collection) scheduled for March 7 and April 25, 2025, respectively. Players could also experience the set early via Pokémon TCG Live on January 16, 2025, for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.