The newest Pokémon Trading Card Game set, Prismatic Evolutions, has amazing-looking cards, but the manner in which the cards are distributed to collectors and players leaves a lot to be desired. The new set, which was officially released on January 17, is the first "special set" for the Pokémon TCG in 2025. Prismatic Evolutions contains a handful of brand-new cards mostly focused on Eevee and its evolution, along with reprints of popular cards from the Scarlet and Violet era. Perhaps most importantly, Prismatic Evolutions also contains over 30 new Special Illustration Rare cards, featuring new artwork.
I've previously written about my dislike of special sets like Prismatic Evolutions, largely because I don't like how the sets are packaged and sold. Creating a set that's mostly reprints, adding a few chase cards, and then gatekeeping them behind boxed products feels predatory. It doesn't help that this set has drawn a lot of interest from casual fans, leading to an explosion of demand that has created widespread shortages and scalpers engaging in the worst behavior possible. So, the question is whether Prismatic Evolutions can overcome those shortcomings to deliver a quality set of cards worth collecting. And the answer is... kind of.
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Prismatic Evolutions Contains Some Amazing-Looking Cards
New Alternate Art Cards And Special Card Treatments Stand Out
The strength of Prismatic Evolutions is the Special Illustration Rare and other card treatments. As mentioned previously, there are over 30 new Special Illustration Rare cards. In addition to gorgeous versions of the new Pokémon ex cards in the set, the set also contains new versions of popular cards like Dragapult ex, Raging Bolt ex, and Teal Mask Ogerpon ex. These cards are absolutely phenomenal to look at and are often improvements over their original Special Illustration Rare cards.
Pokémon TCG: 10 Best Prismatic Evolutions Cards To Add To Your Deck
If you want the best cards to boost your decks from Pokemon TCG's Prismatic Evolutions, get the cards that counter other decks and amplify your own.
In addition to the usual "secret rare" cards, Prismatic Evolutions also includes several new card treatments. Reverse holofoil cards have two alternative treatments in the set, one featuring a Poke Ball pattern and another that uses a textured Master Ball foil treatment. The Master Ball cards are absolutely dazzling, with the textured treatment often combining with card art for unique effects. To be blunt, the Master Ball foil cards are such a massive upgrade over the normal foil treatments in the Pokémon TCG, and I'd prefer to see them incorporate the textured foils in more sets.
The other new treatment is the "Gold Rare" cards, which are the rarest cards in the set. Typically, the Gold Rare cards use the same artwork as the Full Art cards, which feels cheap given their rarity. For Prismatic Evolutions, the Gold Rare cards use a kind of etched reverse treatment, with the Pokémon etched out of the gold foil to reveal a sparkly rainbow pattern underneath. This treatment is so much better than the usual Gold Rare card style. Again, I can't help but wonder why this style isn't the norm for cards that are supposed to be the crown jewel of a set.
Prismatic Evolutions Demand Represents The Worst Of The Pokémon TCG
The Release Of Special Sets Continues To Be A Weakness For The Pokémon TCG
The other major story surrounding Prismatic Evolutions release is the high demand surrounding the set. The previous Eevee-focused set, Evolving Skies, contained several Special Illustration Rare cards that still sell for over $1,500 on the secondary market. Collector hype for this set was high and, unfortunately, the Pokémon TCG just couldn't keep up with demand. The result is widespread shortages everywhere and scalpers clearing out big box retailers to try to re-sell on eBay and elsewhere.
The good news is that the Pokémon TCG has announced more Prismatic Evolutions cards are on the way. The bad news is that these special sets continue to bring out the worst in consumers, particularly when it comes to scalpers. Viral videos have shown scalpers fighting over boxed sets for the previous special set Scarlet & Violet - 151, and the same could happen for Prismatic Evolutions. How these sets are released feels flawed, especially as no one can get their hands on Prismatic Evolutions cards without paying a . This is a problem the Pokémon TCG needs to fix.
Should You Buy Prismatic Evolutions Cards?
Wait Until You Can Find Prismatic Evolutions On Shelf
On its own, Prismatic Evolutions is a fun capstone for the last year of Pokémon TCG cards. With new alternative art cards for some of the best cards released in 2024 and fun card treatments unique to the set, Prismatic Evolutions is one of Pokémon TCG's best-looking card sets. Plus, the new Eevee cards are amazing for anyone who has any kind of affection for the continuously evolving Pokémon. If these cards had a normal release pattern, I'd have no problem telling people to buy up booster packs.
Prismatic Evolutions is one of Pokémon TCG's best-looking card sets.
However, the horrendous market conditions are a factor when deciding whether to recommend these cards. At the end of the day, Prismatic Evolutions is a Pokémon TCG set made up mostly of reprinted cards. Even with improved pull rates, there's a low likelihood that you'll pull a single Special Illustration Rare card. Unless you're an Eevee fanatic, I'd recommend waiting to grab Prismatic Evolutions until more products arrive in stores. This set will remain in print for a long time and there's no reason to pay a now when cards will be on the shelf later.
Copies of products from the Prismatic Evolutions were sent to Screen Rant for the purpose of this review.
