The latest set to get pre-orders for thePokémon Trading Card GameisDestined Rivals.Featuring members of Team Rocket at its front and center,Destined Rivalsalready had a lot of hype ahead of time, with fans worried over scalpers buying up stock (a returning recent trend for the TCG). Sadly,Destined Rivalspre-orders sold out quickly, but there’s still good news for those who missed getting the Elite Trainer Box and other items.
When pre-orders ofDestined Rivalswent live onPokémon Center,the site had implemented a queue, ostensibly to combat scalpersafter recent sets likePrismatic Evolutionssold out and were scalpedfor exorbitant prices. And while these efforts may have paid off (it’s a bit too early to tell), one fact remained clear after yesterday:Destined Rivalsstill sold out on its first day.
Destined Rivals Set Sold Out Quickly On Pokémon Center
A Queue Wasn’t Enough To Stop Products From Selling Fast
Destined Rivalsmay have sold out simply because of high demand. Team Rocket brings a certain amount of nostalgia, and thecards shown off so farlook great. However, with the growing problem of scalping in thePokémon TCG, it’s a bit difficult to simply see this as a simple supply-and-demand issue. Regardless, allDestined Rivalsproducts are currently sold out on Pokémon Center.
Pokémon TCG: Destined Rivals - Release Date, New Cards, & What To Expect
Here’s everything we know about Destined Rivals, the new Pokémon Trading Card Game set that will bring back Team Rocket’s Pokémon cards to the game.
It’s unclear at this point if thePokémon TCGis simply printing fewer cards, or if demand has actually just increased this much. It’s likely that after printing more cards once the TCG spiked again in 2020, the company has gone back to printing fewer cards now. This has only been a recently returning issue, after a few years ofPokémon TCGstock being readily available, so hopefully it’ll even out again.
The Pokémon Company Assures Fans Destined Rivals Restocks Will Happen
Restocks Are On The Way, But A Date Is Still Unknown
There is, however, a silver lining to all of this. As mentioned onPokéBeach, the FAQ over on Pokémon Center says thatmoreDestined Rivalsproducts will be “available later this year.“No date is given, and considering how long it can take between restocks of certain TCG sets, it may be a while beforeDestined Rivalsitems are back on the site. Still, it’s good news that missing out on the initial pre-orders doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve missed out on them forever.
It’s also worth noting that pre-orders may still appear at major retailers, and that products like the Elite Trainer Box forDestined Rivalsmay still show up in stores. This is the third set in a row to have sold out, though, so thePokémon Trading Card Gamemay need to print more stock, as it once did after the 2020 spike. In the meantime, those who missed the initial round of pre-orders will want to keep an eye on Pokémon Center for the impending restocks.
