The Vital Info

A little Pidgey told us that Pokémon Japan is ramping up production to meet demand. Starting this weekend, newly printed stock of several popular sets will be available at Japan's Pokémon Centers and other retailers:

What We're Thinking

While distribution may take up to a week for some stores, the reprint quantities are substantial, not Wailord-sized, but definitely not Joltik-small either...

Looking ahead to April, preorder listings indicate fresh stock of Paradise Dragon (September 13th) and Supercharged Breaker (October 18th) will be shipping to retailers.

Meanwhile, Heat Wave Arena sales are currently underway at physical Pokémon Center stores with a 10-pack purchase limit per person. The planned March 14th online release was postponed due to website congestion and payment processing issues. Maybe their IT could use some help from Bill? In the meantime, a lottery sale is being organized with details forthcoming.

In contrast, North American retailers like Target, GameStop, and Best Buy continue facing severe shortages of Prismatic Evolutions. While The Pokémon Company has announced additional print runs, historical patterns suggest we may not see increased availability until summer or fall, as reprints typically take six to nine months. Currently, the limited stock is commanding prices well above MSRP, creating challenges for collectors.