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. This article details the reasons behind the shortage and the company's response.

Pokémon TCG's Latest Expansion Faces Shortage Due to High Demand

Pokémon Company Increases Production to Meet Demand

On January 16, 2025, IGN reported that The Pokémon Company is actively working to resolve the 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 acknowledge this." While fans may experience delays, the company assures increased production to address the issue.

High Demand Impacts US Retail Stores

PokeBeach, a Pokémon TCG fan website, first reported the shortage on January 4, 2025. The report highlighted the impact on smaller US retailers. Deguire, owner of Player 1 Services (a major Maryland Pokémon store), commented that the unexpectedly high demand led to unusual ordering patterns from stores not typically stocking Pokémon products. Distributors responded by limiting supplies to local retailers by 10-15%, prioritizing larger chains like GameStop and Target. This resulted in significantly reduced stock for many smaller, independent stores.

This scarcity has also driven up prices on the secondary market. For example, the Elite Trainer Box, yet to be officially released, is already selling for $127 USD (retail price: $55). However, it's anticipated that increased stock from The Pokémon Company may mitigate this price inflation and discourage scalping.

Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions Launch and Subsequent Releases

Announced on November 1, 2024, Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions launched on January 17, 2025. The set features Tera Pokémon ex, new special illustration rare cards, ultra rare Supporter cards, and reprints of popular cards with new artwork (including Teal Mask Ogerpon ex and Roaring Moon ex).

Additional products, including the Surprise Box and Mini Tin (featuring Eevee and its evolutions), launched on February 7, 2025, with a Booster Bundle and Pouch Special Collection following on March 7th and April 25th, respectively. A digital version of the set was also released on January 16, 2025, via Pokémon TCG Live for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.