If you’re reading this, you’ve probably also told yourself this would be the month you don’t buy more Pokémon cards. Same. And yet here we are, staring down another lineup of Elite Trainer Boxes and tins like they’re life choices we already regret but will definitely make again.
Pokémon TCG: Azure Legends Tin - 5 Packs
0$29.99 at Amazon
Pokémon TCG: Stacking Tin (Q1 2025) - 3 Packs, Stickers (Random Design)
0$19.99 at Amazon
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Paradox Rift: Elite Trainer Box - Roaring Moon
0$56.77 at Amazon
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Temporal Forces: Elite Trainer Box: Walking Wake
0$53.64 at Amazon
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Temporal Forces: Elite Trainer Box: Iron Leaves
0$55.24 at Amazon
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box
0$57.98 at Amazon
Scarlet & Violet sets keep dropping bangers, both visually and competitively, and unfortunately for our wallets, some of these boxes are actually worth ripping open.
Pokémon TCG: Azure Legends Tin - 5 Packs
Pokémon TCG: Azure Legends Tin - 5 Packs
0Contains 2 x Surging Spark Boosters$29.99 at Amazon
This tin is surprisingly solid. You get five booster packs from a really good mix of sets — Surging Sparks, Stellar Crown, Temporal Forces, and Obsidian Flames — along with a promo featuring either Kyogre, Dialga, or Xerneas. It's essentially Pokémon’s version of a loot box, and yeah, I bought two. With chase cards like Pikachu ex, Terapagos, and Raging Bolt across the included sets, your chances of pulling something exciting are quite good. I don’t even like tins, but I’d still grab another one.
Pikachu ex - 238/191
0$399.99 at TCG Player
Milotic ex - 237/191
0$140.00 at TCG Player
Pikachu ex - 247/191
0$95.97 at TCG Player
Hydreigon ex - 240/191
0$79.99 at TCG Player
Alolan Exeggutor ex - 242/191
0$55.99 at TCG Player
Pokémon TCG: Stacking Tin (Q1 2025) - 3 Packs, Stickers (Random Design)
Pokémon TCG: Stacking Tin (Q1 2025) - 3 Packs, Stickers (Random Design)
0Contains 1 x Surging Sparks Booster$19.99 at Amazon
I wasn’t expecting much from this tin. I bought it mainly for the sticker sheets and the promise of a Surging Sparks pack. And it delivered. You get three packs, one of which might yield something like Pikachu ex or Latias ex, plus a tin that's great for storage. There’s a small chance you could pull a Milotic ex or Ceruledge ex if luck's on your side. Even if you don’t, you’ve spent twenty bucks to take a chance and got some useful storage in return. That’s more than I can say for half the cereal I’ve bought this year.
Alolan Exeggutor ex - 242/191
0$55.99 at TCG Player
Lisia's Appeal - 246/191
0$54.99 at TCG Player
Jasmine's Gaze - 245/191
0$54.94 at TCG Player
Latios - 203/191
0$36.79 at TCG Player
Archaludon ex - 241/191
0$34.99 at TCG Player
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Paradox Rift: Elite Trainer Box - Roaring Moon
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Paradox Rift: Elite Trainer Box - Roaring Moon
0$56.77 at Amazon
I initially got this box for the sleeves but stayed because Roaring Moon ex is essentially what happens when a Pokémon decides it’s done playing fair. If your goal is to end games in one powerful move and look great doing it, this is the card for you. Paradox Rift may not have as many chase cards, but the ones it does, like Iron Valiant ex and Groudon, feel like they were drawn by someone who knows we’ll all be staring at these like ancient cave paintings in 30 years.
Groudon - 199/182
0See it at TCG Player
Altaria ex - 253/182
0$65.99 at TCG Player
Roaring Moon ex - 251/182
0$59.99 at TCG Player
Garchomp ex - 245/182
0$39.49 at TCG Player
Steelix - 208/182
0$34.99 at TCG Player
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Temporal Forces: Elite Trainer Box: Walking Wake
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Temporal Forces: Elite Trainer Box: Walking Wake
0$53.64 at Amazon
The Walking Wake Elite Trainer Box comes with a full-art Flutter Mane and nine more Temporal Forces packs to roll the dice on the best art of the Scarlet & Violet era. This version leans into the ancient theme, and I picked it up mostly to increase my odds of pulling Walking Wake ex. Is it playable? That's up for debate. But it looks like it wandered out of a dream I had after eating too much sushi. With its vibrant blues and prehistoric drama, the vibe alone was worth the price. Plus, the sleeves are stylish, and I pretend to care about those.
Raging Bolt ex - 208/162
0$112.94 at TCG Player
Iron Crown ex - 206/162
0$65.11 at TCG Player
Walking Wake ex - 205/162
0$149.95 at TCG Player
Gouging Fire ex - 204/162
0$56.88 at TCG Player
Gastly - 177/162
0$50.36 at TCG Player
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Temporal Forces: Elite Trainer Box: Iron Leaves
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Temporal Forces: Elite Trainer Box: Iron Leaves
0$55.24 at Amazon
Iron Leaves ex is a rare combo of being both playable and beautifully drawn. It looks like it’s mid-leap out of a sci-fi anime, which is exactly the kind of energy I want from my pulls. The other heavy hitters — like Iron Crown ex and Gouging Fire ex — either hit hard or look like they’re about to. Raging Bolt ex steals the show, though. It’s loud, dramatic, and perfectly balanced between being a meta staple and a thunder god cosplayer.
Morty's Conviction - 211/162
0$69.99 at TCG Player
Iron Leaves ex - 203/162
0$38.01 at TCG Player
Bianca's Devotion - 209/162
0$35.87 at TCG Player
Sawsbuck - 166/162
0$32.07 at TCG Player
Metagross - 178/162
0$29.95 at TCG Player
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box
0$57.98 at Amazon
Shrouded Fable can quietly slip in cards like Houndoom, the kind of illustration that makes you lower your voice in reverence, and Persian, which looks like it’s plotting something appropriately cinematic. The promos and sleeves are nice, but I really wanted this box for the Illustration Rares that don’t just look cool — they tell a story. Fezandipiti ex, for example, is the Swiss Army knife of support attackers, and Cassiopeia is straight-up character drama in a foil rectangle. The art direction in this set is borderline pretentious, and I mean that as a compliment.
Persian - 078/064 - SV: Shrouded Fable
1$67.61 at TCGPlayer
Cassiopeia - 094/064 - SV: Shrouded Fable
0$59.98 at TCGPlayer
Fezandipiti ex - 092/064 - SV: Shrouded Fable
0See it at TCGPlayer
Houndoom - 066/064 - SV: Shrouded Fable
2$49.99 at TCGPlayer
Duskull - 068/064 - SV: Shrouded Fable
0$49.88 at TCGPlayer
