Let’s be honest: 2025 is not the ideal time to enter the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Products are hard to find, scalpers are everywhere, and good luck grabbing a booster without either lining up at 7 a.m. or paying double on the resale market. Prices have gone up due to distribution changes, and even your local newspaper shop is suddenly a TCG seller now. Stock is thin, the hype is insane, and if you’re new, TikTok might label you a “bandwagoner” destined to leave once it’s not trendy.
And yet… here I am. I jumped headfirst into the Pokémon TCG at the end of 2024. Now, I’ve got a few competitive decks, a binder full of bulk and rehomed cards, and an unhealthy obsession with cardboard. But with every set drop comes stress: fighting digital crowds on the EB Games website, watching scalpers clear shelves, and buying singles to finish a deck. So, how does a newcomer navigate the chaos of the most overhyped TCG year? Here’s my journey.
I Used To Be A Pokémon TCG Collector In The Past
Before anyone calls me a fake fan, I collected Pokémon cards as a kid. Unfortunately, half my cards were fake, and you really couldn’t tell. Also, I had no idea how to play. My brother, cousins, and I made our own rules and tossed cards into tins. The collection came with us when we moved to Australia, but eventually went to my cousin. I asked them recently if they still had them. Short answer? It’s probably in the bin. Any regrets? Not really. Again, most of them were bootlegs.
That said, I never fully left the hobby. I was gifted a couple of packs when I visited the Pokémon HQ in Seattle, and I’ve still kept them to this day. But I didn’t seriously consider playing until I was introduced to the TCG’s actual rules in 2024.
How Is The Pokémon TCG Different from Magic: The Gathering?
As mentioned before, I’m also into Magic: The Gathering. But with 2025’s endless Universes Beyond releases and the delay of the Lorwyn set to 2026, I hit pause, especially when the sets got more expensive. Pokémon, meanwhile, offered a breath of fresh air: smaller decks, cheaper cards (unless you’re after staples), and a more accessible meta.
Mechanically, Pokémon is a different beast. You can’t play cards during your opponent’s turn (no counterspells or instant-speed tricks). Evolution takes time, and Trainer cards are basically all “sorcery-speed.” Energy works like mana, but you don’t need much. When I showed my first decklist to friends, they laughed: “You’ve still got Magic brain.” They were right.
Eventually, I found the perfect bridge between the two words: a Ceruledge EX deck. It’s graveyard-based, energy-heavy, and lets me self-mill, which sounds awful but is incredibly fun. Unfortunately, it’s weak against N’s Darmanitan or the Joltik Box decks.
Completing My First Master Set – Journey Together
If Magic’s Throne of Eldraine and Kaldheim were my gateway into MTG collecting, then Journey Together marked my first attempt at building a Pokémon Master Set. For the uninitiated, that means collecting EVERY SINGLE CARD in the set: holos, reverses, alt arts, etc.
Why Journey Together? A few reasons:
- No Master Ball or Poké Ball foils, so it is easier to complete.
- It was not a super-hyped set, so stock was available.
- I’m obsessed with trainer partner cards (but I’m skipping Destined Rivals).
- It all started with trying to pull Lillie’s Clefairy for my Gardevoir EX deck.
At the time of writing, I’m one regular EX short and still hunting alt arts. I’m holding off until prices cool, but the chase is half the fun.
Completing The TCG PokéDex
Inspired by YouTuber Deep Pocket Monster, I decided to try something even more ambitious: completing a Pokédex binder. This means finding 1 copy of all 1025 Pokémon across all nine regions. This is a challenge as there are a handful of cards that have limited printings.
I grabbed a huge binder online and started sorting through bulk, old gifts, and packs from Journey Together. Even after donating some of my earlier cards, I was surprised to find I already had over 400 Pokémon. A week later, after hitting every LGS I could find, I was down to just 100 Pokémon left. The final stretch includes three Gen 9 cards, a lot of older cards from Sun and Moon, and a few baby Pokémon cards, which may require eBay hunting.
I Got Poké-Scammed on Facebook
Of course, not every part of this journey has been wholesome. I got scammed on Facebook trying to buy Prismatic Evolutions for near-retail. The seller blocked me immediately after I sent them the money. Although my partner managed to track down the guy’s bank branch, we couldn’t recover the stolen funds. According to the banker, the seller has been flagged multiple times before.
It sucks because I’ve bought heaps of stuff on Facebook before. Magic cards, camera gear, keyboards, PopMart figures. But Pokémon? It’s way too risky in Australia right now. Thankfully, my cousin added me to a more legit Pokémon group. However, it’s only for Philippine buyers, so I might go through relatives for potential purchases. But still, lesson learned. Be careful when it comes to who you buy online and time stamps can be easily altered with Photoshop an ChatGPT.
Attending My First Official Pokémon Event
This wouldn’t be a proper Pokémon TCG post without talking about Regionals. I attended Melbourne Regionals this year as a spectator (wasn’t ready to compete yet) and played a few side events. It was fun, but also a bit chaotic. Most of the merch I wanted sold out fast. I couldn’t do the metronome event because everyone was grinding other games for prize tickets. Still, I won a few matches, met some players, and soaked up the competitive atmosphere.
I didn’t stay the whole weekend as I was too exhausted due to Eurovision. But I will return and will do the full event next time.
What’s Next on My Pokémon TCG Journey?
The past few months in the Pokémon TCG have been a blast. I’ve built decks, made friends, and explored a new corner of gaming. I don’t go to every weekly LGS night, but I feel more confident in my skills and deck choices when I do. Also, it gave me a better appreciation for the franchise as someone who played the video games and watched the anime.
I’m especially excited for the next set featuring Mega Evolutions since it offers cards that will give my Gardevoir EX a chance to see another day during the next rotation. I also plan to attend a local card event in July. Hopefully, I can finish my Pokédex and maybe score some deals. I’d deffinately have PriceCharting, Card Kingdom, and eBay open to avoid getting scammed again.
Will I stay in the hobby if the hype dies down? Probably. Will I leave someday? Maybe. But I’m now riding the wave, balancing Magic and Pokémon and building decks around my favourites. And that’s enough for me.
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