The morning of 17th Jan was supposed to be one of the biggest launches for Pokemon, as they released their new prismatic evolutions set.
Prismatic Evolution features many Evelutions, which collectors highly sought after.
In the past, Eeveelutions like Umbreon—especially the highly sought-after ‘Moonbreon’ alternate art from the Evolving Skies set—have been known to go for staggering prices in the trading card market.
This card, featuring Umbreon a.k.a. ‘Sunbreon’ reaching for the moon in a stunning, atmospheric design, has become a holy grail for collectors. Its scarcity and demand have driven its value and other Umbreons to extraordinary heights.
Due to this, Umbreon cards have been known to be highly sought after.
Hence, an increase in Pokemon card prices in the secondary market and the hype behind the newly released set have led to many people queuing at the Pokemon Center to buy it.
Queuing For ‘Prismatic Evolutions’ Sets Started As Early As 10 pm, 16 January 2025
Source: Guidesify
Even though the set only releases on the 17th of January, a line had already started to form as early as 10 pm the night before.
At 5 am, a crowd of more than a hundred people gathered around the Pokemon Center.
The queuing situation was so intense that security and police were unable to tell the crowd to disperse.
After dispersing, the crowd just reformed again within a few minutes.
On countless occasions, the security tried to get the crowd to disperse, but to no avail, as everyone was reluctant to move from their spots in fear of losing their opportunity to buy the beloved set.
Rampant Queueing Even Though Instructed Not To By The Official Pokemon Centre Instagram Account
Source: Instagram
Days before on the Pokemon Official Singapore page, they released a statement saying, OVERNIGHT QUEUING IS EXPLICITLY NOT ALLOWED.
Despite this, the public did not deter the fans, as many came in the wee hours of the morning just to queue.
Even then, security felt powerless as they were unable to get the crowds to disperse, as no one was listening to their instructions.
Tragedy Strikes… Pokemon Centre Cancels The Physical Release Of ‘Prismatic Evolutions’ 30 Minutes Before Release
Source: Guidesify
As the store opening hour drew near, a wave of Pokemon staff delivered the devastating news to all eager fans waiting for their chance to get the exclusive product.
The announcement was broadcast throughout the mall, declaring the cancellation of physical sales for the safety of the public and instead being listed on their Shopee Official Store.
This shocked the tsunami of people stuck in the snaking queue, angering fans who waited hours and even overnight in hopes of getting their hands on any ‘Prismatic Evolutions’ product.
Many Left Disappointed As Online Stocks Get Copped By Bots
Stocks that were released haphazardly between 10.00 and 10.30 am were quickly sold out within milliseconds, some speculating that these sales on Shopee were made by bots rather than actual hobbyists.
Source: Pokemon Centre Singapore Shopee Account
A Telegram group of a TikTok streamer also confirms that bots were securing these products, despite limiting to a purchase quantity of 1 per product.
Source: Telegram
Is this the end for genuine Pokemon collectors? Only time will tell.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned and check back soon for the latest updates.
Related to Prismatic Evolutions:
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet 151: THE Collector’s Dream Set – Guidesify
Pokemon TCG Reprints Explained: How Reprints Drastically Affect Prices – Guidesify
