The Pokémon Company surprised fans by restocking Surging Sparks booster boxes on its U.S. website, but bundled them with the bulky Battle Academy set, potentially frustrating scalpers. This unpromoted drop sold out quickly amid ongoing stock shortages. The move adds an extra $20 and unwanted bulk to purchases, sparking speculation of intentional irritation toward resellers.
For over a year, acquiring booster packs from the official Pokémon Center website has been challenging due to site crashes from high traffic and bots scooping up stock in milliseconds. Strict purchase limits apply to human buyers, while automated tools bypass them. The Surging Sparks set, released about 15 months ago, ignited the current Pokémon TCG frenzy, driving resale prices sky-high, scalping issues, and even robberies at specialist retailers worldwide.
On February 5, 2026, without any promotion, the U.S. Pokémon Center restocked 36-pack Surging Sparks booster boxes—normally around $160—but only as bundles with the $20 Battle Academy for a total of $180. The Battle Academy, aimed at new players, includes a playing board, push-out cardboard counters, and three 60-card decks with non-standard card backs, no holos, and outdated late-2010s Pokémon V cards, rendering it worthless to collectors.
This bundling, while not increasing shipping costs (waived over $20), forces buyers to receive an enormous, unsellable extra box. Scalpers, who resell at premiums, now face inconvenience and added expense. 'It’s going to be such an epic pain in the ass for the scalpers,' notes the report, suggesting it might be a deliberate troll by The Pokémon Company.
Legitimate customers may also feel shortchanged, but independent stores could benefit by selling the Battle Academy to younger players. Store owners in the UK report that The Pokémon Company prioritizes larger retail chains over independents amid shortages. Improving website infrastructure to handle traffic would help more, but this quirky restock earns some praise for targeting scalpers.