Pokémon Company breaks silence on lack of prismatic evolution and thanks fans for their patience

The Pokémon Company International has released a statement addressing the recent Pokémon TCG shortage, thanking the community for its patience as it attempts to print more of the popular sets that continue to sell out, such as the latest expansion for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Prismatic Evolutions. A spokesperson told IGN:

“We are aware that some fans may experience difficulty purchasing certain Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions products at launch due to high demand affecting availability.

“We understand that this inconvenience may be disappointing for fans, and we are actively working to print more of the affected Pokémon TCG products as quickly as possible and at maximum capacity to acknowledge this.”

“Reprint products are expected to be available at participating retailers as soon as possible to ensure more fans have the opportunity to access Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions. In addition, several new products from the Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions series will be launched in the coming months.

“We want to thank the community for their continued support and patience as we work to deliver this highly anticipated expansion to fans.”

This is welcome news for the Pokémon TCG community, which has been struggling to secure pre-orders and new release products since the Pikachu-focused “Surging Sparks” expansion on November 8, 2024.

Stock appears to be slowly flooding the market, with Surging Sparks restocks, including Elite Trainer Boxes, still on sale in the UK at the time of writing on Amazon. It’s a similar story in the US, but stocks run out much faster.

The inventory shortage also affects the recently announced “Journey Together” expansion, which sees trainer Pokémon return to the TCG for the first time since the early 2000s with “Gym Heroes.”

Looking at the dealer market, trainers don’t have much of a chance to get a fair deal with new expansions either. Within the first hour of pre-orders going live, Elite Trainer Boxes, Enhanced Booster Boxes and more appeared for more than triple their original price.

Obviously, the only way Pokémania 2025 will work for trainers is if the print runs increase going forward, which should in turn allow everyone to “Catch ‘Em All”. Of course, we’ll make sure to keep readers posted on rebuilds and pre-orders as they become available worldwide.

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN, covering all things collectibles and trades. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the gaming and technology industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.