I’ve lived through all of Pokémon’s 30 years, so I’ve watched as the ‘90s Pokémania descended into the modern-day scalper culture that has soured millions of people on the hobby and put those who remain in a constant state of vigilance. Maybe because I was so young when Pokémon was first starting out, I still have a lot of joy and whimsy attached to the series, but it’s been pretty tragic to watch the light leave the eyes of our collective consciousness when we see the little yellow guy because scalpers have turned the whole thing into a get-rich-quick scheme. There’s something darkly funny about hearing that PokéBeach was talking to a kid at a recent card show and the boy told them that he didn’t actually know much about Pokémon, but he’d begun flipping cards after seeing influencers talking about how it was a good investment right now. My inner child weeps for this kid who is grinding and hustling instead of grinding to win his eight badges.
PokéBeach relayed this anecdote in the context of reporting that Pokémon will be banning partnered vendors from selling graded slabs at its official events, as well as preventing sales for items over $1000, as well as plushies and cards from the Japanese Pokémon Center that are not yet available overseas. The Pokémon Company won’t be making an official announcement, but the rule will go into effect at the Indianapolis Regionals this weekend, and will also be enforced at the Pokémon World Championship in San Francisco in August. We’ve reached out to The Pokémon Company for comment on the situation and will update the story if we hear back.
The fansite also talks about meeting an 11-year-old kid named Rob at a recent card show, who told them he had not played the games or watched the anime. Instead, he said his experience with Pokémon was far less whimsical: “I just flip cards,” he told PokéBeach. “I don’t know much about Pokémon.” He went on to say that TikTok and Instagram influencers had taught him that Pokémon cards were “the best investment right now.”
Oof. That hurts. Obviously not every kid has to grow up enjoying the same things I did, but it does feel sad to know that there’s a generation of kids who may end up mostly associating Pokémon with the scalper nonsense that has plagued the series in recent years, rather than the adventures and friendships that have defined it for decades. The youngsters no longer care for the joys of “comfy shorts” and the power of friendship, only the resale value of cardboard. Go outside, little king. Adventure awaits outside of the scummy corners of the internet, which are ruining this series for everyone else.