Unscrupulous Pokemon card resellers are finally getting their just desserts, and it's all thanks to a simple yet surprisingly effective workaround.
Folks scooping up the best card games to flog at an absurd markup have caused trouble for years, and it's been tough to tackle beyond limiting availability – until now. A clever technique in a Japanese store stops resellers dead in their tracks, largely because you have to be an actual fan to buy Pokemon cards.
Basically, you must answer mandatory questions about Pokemon to buy a single pack of Pokemon cards (thanks go to our friends at Dexerto for spotting this). Because so many resellers are just in it for the money, they don't know the first thing about this franchise… and completely fail to pass the test. Meanwhile, actual fans breeze through those same questions. It's a deliciously cunning comeuppance.
At the time of writing, it's pretty hard knowing where to buy Pokemon TCG Chaos Rising. I've done a little digging, and US fans can currently get cards via Amazon, from Walmart, and at Miniature Market. As for those across the pond, it's leaner pickings; I'm yet to see any good listings in the UK.
According to Ryo Saeba on Twitter/X, Japanese store Bic Camera Ikebukuro began running a "mandatory" Pokemon quiz with "15 basic questions on the Pokémon universe that must be answered correctly to be able to buy cards. According to testimonials, the resellers failed to pass the test."
I don't know about you, but that fills me with a great sense of joy. I love the smell of resellers getting screwed over in the morning. What's that noise? Why, I think it's the sound of justice served.
- See all Pokemon card offers at Amazon
For an idea of what you should play next, why not check out the best board games or the best tabletop RPGs?
