The Pokemon TCG (Trading Card Game) has been a hot commodity for the last few years, but its newest set, Prismatic Evolutions, is causing an even bigger fervor.
Released on January 17, Prismatic Evolutions is a special expansion, one where boosters aren’t sold individually but rather in packages like the Elite Trainer Box, or collections with a bonus like a binder or poster. And as you may have already seen on social media, or even in the aisles of local businesses, demand for this set is high even by Pokémon TCG standards.
Let’s take a look behind all the hype and check out the good, the bad, and the sparkly of Prismatic Evolutions.
Eevee’s In The Spotlight
Pikachu may be one of the most recognizable characters on the planet, but truly cultured people know Eevee, an unofficial “secondary” mascot for the franchise, is truly the cutest face in the Pokedex. Its unique evolutionary path—starting as a Normal type, with the capacity to evolve into one of eight different types—has helped earn it a special place in fans’ hearts.
Eevee and its different forms are the heart of Prismatic Evolutions, marking the first time these nine Pokemon have appeared in EX or “Stellar Tera” form in the TCG’s Scarlet/Violet era. All told, their family line accounts for about 28 of the 180 cards in the total set, with each represented as an EX at rare and super rare rarities.
That alone is worth a lot of excitement for a large group of Pokémon fans. An equivalent set in the Sword/Shield era, Evolving Skies, was a huge draw as well back in August 2021, and big Eevee fans haven’t had this much to get hyped for since then.
Moonbreon 2.0
Speaking of Evolving Skies, one famous card from that set is driving up demand for Prismatic Evolutions.
The Alternate Secret Art version of Umbreon VMAX, number 215/203 and nicknamed “Moonbreon,” has become one of the most highly-valued, non-promo Pokémon TCG cards of the modern era. As of this writing, there are several copies listed on eBay for well over a thousand dollars, depending on the condition; the regular version, however, would barely crack triple digits at PSA Grade 10. Evolving Skies‘ secret rares, especially the Eeveelutions, have remained incredibly expensive over the last four years.
So with this huge legacy to live up to, surely many enterprising collectors (and resellers) are expecting Prismatic Evolutions to rank about as high. And sure enough, as of this writing, the new Umbreon ex Special Illustration Rare (161/131) has debuted at a market price of $1633; by comparison, the next closest is Sylveon ex’s alternate art at $708, the Master Ball Pattern foil Umbreon at $600, and Leafeon ex Special Illustration Rare at $475.
Ace Tools
Admittedly, most of the hype for a new Pokemon TCG comes from the collecting side of the hobby, but Prismatic Evolutions has a returning feature that could excite those who actually play the game.
Ace Spec cards return, a special variety of Pokemon Tool cards which are deemed so powerful that you can only have one of them in a deck. That’s one copy of any Ace Spec card in your entire 60-card deck. There are only six in the set, but each could find a niche in many different types of decks.
As of this writing, the Ace Spec cards are far from the most prized pulls in terms of sheer card value; the most sought after are the Scoop Up Cyclone, Max Rod, and Treasure Tracker, and they’ve yet to crack more than a $20 appraisal. They have some interesting strategic potential, however, like the Maximum Belt, which adds an additional 50 damage when attacking a Pokémon ex, or the Max Rod, which lets the player put up to 5 in any combination of Pokémon and Basic Energy cards from their discard pile into their hand.
Pessimism Evolves
Unfortunately, big sets like Prismatic Evolutions now come with a big downside: they bring out an ugly, greedy side of collectors. When Pokémon TCG‘s popularity spiked around the pandemic, the shelves of big box stores like Wal-Mart were typically picked clean, even driving people to scrapping in the aisles of Targets to get their hands on any product. Prices skyrocketed in the face of this intense demand, leading to situations like Moonbreon’s hefty price tag.
And now we’re seeing that fervor reignited again with Prismatic Evolutions. Retailers fought to keep up, resellers cleaned out whatever they could, and listings on services like Facebook Marketplace are beginning to outpace the MSRP. Events like this can highlight the greedier side of the community (or perhaps, a community adjacent to the game’s actual community which sees it as a resource to be exploited, not a game or hobby).
With prices inflating and supply nigh-impossible to find at retail (thanks in large part to hoarders), it can make the product seem all the more desirable; the hype begets more hype, especially when amplified by FOMO. Yet the game’s online forums are already flooding with posts from dejected, regular players or collectors who were cut out in the madness, who (rightfully) don’t want to feed scalpers by paying them double MSRP or more in ransom just to crack some packs and seek a favourite Pokémon. Of all the people opening Prismatic Evolutions packs this weekend, the vast minority of them will be the franchise’s main target demographic: children.
Ironically, as some have pointed out, many Prismatic Evolutions cards are reprints of cards already available in English. And it looks like we might be right back here again in March with the next proper set, Journey Together; it includes the return of a fan-favourite card type, Trainer’s Pokémon, which will surely demand a high value on the singles market.
The excitement froths over into fervor, which is simultaneously good for the business and potentially harmful for the community. Unfortunately much of the excitement is based around the perceived resale value of the cards and product; the true point of the game and/or hobby is getting lost in the weeds of pursuing “god packs” and “investing.”
A Victory Lap For The Scarlet/Violet Era
And in fact, if we didn’t know there was another set like Journey Together on the horizon, Prismatic Evolutions would almost feel like a fitting end to the franchise’s Scarlet/Violet era.
Its 180 cards span most of the cornerstones of the Paldea region experience, particular things featured in the excellent downloadable content for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disc. Among the Eeveelutions are new icons like Ogerpon and Terapagos, the Blueberry Academy League’s Elite Four and Kieran, and popular new additions from the Paldea Pokedex like Palafin and Ceruledge.
Paradox Pokemon are also represented with the likes of Raging Bolt and Iron Valiant. Meanwhile, Team Star’s leaders have awesome alternate art cards showing them in their school uniforms instead of their bombastic battle fatigues.
If there was more representation for Paldea’s starters and the mascot legendaries Koraidon and Miraidon, Prismatic Evolutions would feel like the perfect encapsulation of this era, especially with the Nintendo Switch 2 and Pokémon Legends Z-A now on the horizon.
