While the Pokemon Center’s latest bot protections have helped some lucky buyers of Pokemon Trading Card Game products, lots of the stock issues proceed to persist. For everything of 2025, and the back half of 2024, it has been nigh on unimaginable to nab the Pokemon TCG’s latest sets, with bots and scalpers scooping up as much of the stock as they’ll get their mits on, then reselling them on resale sites for extortionate prices.
Excuse my concerns then, now that The Pokemon Company has just officially revealed its next expansion will likely be focused on Mega Charizard and Mega Gengar (plus Mega Heracross, the Mega Evolution of my favorite Pokemon). It’s prime fodder for those seeking to make a fast buck off desperate Pokemon fans, especially with the products which were revealed, just like the Mega Charizard X Ultra Premium Collection.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Phantasmal Flames Expansion Officially Revealed
Unlike Black Bolt and White Flare, Phantasmal Flames will likely be a daily Pokemon expansion, meaning it would have Booster Boxes, alongside the same old Elite Trainer Boxes and other products. This time, the ETB will likely be emblazoned with a Mega Charizard, and the packs will contain Mega Charizard, Mega Gengar, Mega Lopunny, and Mega Heracross.
Alongside the same old offering will likely be a Mega Charizard X Ultra Premium Collection, which we all know will likely be a nightmare to pay money for. It looks very like the Elite Trainer Box, but will contain 18 Booster Packs, a Mega Charizard Ex promo, and an Oricorio ex promo, plus a bunch of other goodies. We’re already dreading it.
The Pokemon Trading Card Game’s Phantasmal Flames Will Be A Scalper’s Dream
We’re at the purpose now where scalping is a significant problem within the Pokemon TCG. Driven predominantly by crypto investors and ‘sneaker bros’, products have gotten increasingly scarce because these groups know they’ll make a fast profit. As time has passed, more of those people have turn out to be aware of the situation and have turn out to be involved, making it harder to buy with each passing set. Phantasmal Flames looks like a scary tipping point.
Very similar to Prismatic Evolutions and its faux Moonbreon, Phantasmal Flames is a set with tons of probably expensive, highly collectible cards. It focuses on what’s arguably the Pokemon series’ hottest gimmick, Mega Evolutions, and it features two of its hottest Pokemon, Gengar and Charizard. It implies that collectors are going to be eager to get their hands on some packs, and scalpers are going to take advantage of this.
It doesn’t help that probably the most invaluable modern cards features Gengar, the Gengar VMAX from Fusion Strike, and all of us know the way expensive Charizard cards can get.
Here’s hoping that Pokemon’s bot protection is locked in, and we will all get all the things we wish.