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 plan to resolve the issue.

Pokémon’s Latest Expansion: High Demand Leads to Shortage

Pokémon Company Increases Production to Meet Demand

As reported by IGN on January 16, 2025, The Pokémon Company is responding to the widespread shortage of Prismatic Evolutions.

"We are aware that some fans are experiencing difficulty purchasing Pokémon Trading Card Game: Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions products due to unexpectedly high demand," a Pokémon Company spokesperson stated. "We understand this is frustrating, and we are working to increase production of the affected products as quickly as possible to address this."

While fans may need to be patient, the Pokémon Company's commitment to resolving the supply issues is reassuring.

High Demand Impacts US Retail Stores

The shortage was first highlighted on January 4, 2025, by the Pokémon TCG fan website, PokeBeach. The report revealed that US local game stores are particularly hard-hit due to the unexpected surge in demand. Deguire, owner of Player 1 Services, a major Pokémon store in Maryland, noted, "I think a large part of the issue is that stores who don't normally order Pokémon are requesting to buy this set from distributors."

This high demand led distributors to limit supplies to local retailers by "10% to 15%," leaving smaller stores struggling while larger chains like GameStop and Target received significantly larger allocations. This strategy aimed to distribute the product widely, retaining as many retail accounts as possible.

The shortage is also causing price inflation in the secondary market. The yet-to-be-released Elite Trainer Box, for example, is already selling for $127 USD (retail price: $55). However, once supply increases, scalpers may adjust their pricing strategies.

Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions: A 2024 Announcement

The Pokémon Company announced Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions on November 1, 2024, with a release date of January 17, 2025. The set features Tera Pokémon ex, new special illustration rare cards, ultra rare Supporter cards, and more.

On January 7, 2025, the company revealed that the set also includes reprints of popular cards from recent expansions with brand-new artwork. Examples include Teal Mask Ogerpon ex (illustrated by Yukihiro Tada) and Roaring Moon ex (by Shinji Kanda).

Additional Prismatic Evolutions products, such as the Surprise Box and Mini Tin (featuring Eevee and its evolutions as Stellar Tera Pokémon ex), launched on February 7, 2025. A Booster Bundle and Pouch Special Collection will follow on March 7 and April 25, 2025, respectively.

A digital version of the set was available in Pokémon TCG Live on January 16, 2025, for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.