Let’s be real for a second. If you walked into a local card shop today and saw a stray evolving skies booster pack sitting on the shelf for its original retail price of $3.99, you’d probably think you were hallucinating. Or dreaming. Or maybe you’ve stumbled into a time machine. It’s been years since this set dropped in August 2021, yet the obsession hasn't cooled down even a little bit. In fact, it’s gotten weirder.
People call it "Evolving Cries." They call it the "Moonbreon Chase." They call it a literal gambling addiction disguised as a cardboard hobby. But despite the thousands of dollars burned on "green code cards" and bulk rare Holographics that aren't worth the paper they're printed on, the community remains absolutely feral for this specific set. It’s the undisputed king of the Sword & Shield era.
The Brutal Reality of Pull Rates
The math is honestly terrifying. When The Pokémon Company International released this set, they packed it with an unprecedented number of "Alternative Art" cards. We’re talking about the Eeveelutions—Umbreon, Sylveon, Rayquaza, Glaceon, Leafeon. These aren't just cards; they are tiny, textured masterpieces. But here’s the kicker: your odds of actually pulling a top-tier Alt Art from a single evolving skies booster pack are roughly 1 in 100 to 1 in 200.
If you want the "Moonbreon" (Umbreon VMAX Alternate Art), you’re looking at odds closer to 1 in 1,600 packs.
Think about that. You could buy forty booster boxes—entire cases of product—and still never see that purple-and-black cat staring back at you. This scarcity is what drives the secondary market price. It’s why a sealed pack that used to cost four dollars now regularly clears triple that on eBay or TCGplayer. Collectors aren't just buying a pack; they’re buying a lottery ticket where the jackpot is a card currently valued at over $800 in a PSA 10 grade.
Why This Set Killed The "Standard" Pokémon Formula
Before 2021, most sets had one or two "big" hits. Maybe a Charizard. Maybe a Pikachu. Evolving Skies changed the game by including fifteen different Eeveelution V and VMAX Alt Arts, plus the Rayquaza V and VMAX Alt Arts. It was a perfect storm of nostalgia and aesthetic brilliance.
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Artists like Mitsuhiro Arita and Teeziro pushed the boundaries of what a Pokémon card could look like. Instead of a Pokémon just standing in a field looking tough, we got Rayquaza soaring through a neon-lit forest and Umbreon reaching for a literal moon that looks like it was plucked from a Van Gogh painting. It felt sophisticated. It felt like "high art" for people who grew up playing Game Boy Color in the backseat of a minivan.
But this complexity created a massive rift in the hobby. On one side, you have the "investors" who hoard sealed evolving skies booster packs in acrylic cases, waiting for the day they hit $50 a pop. On the other, you have the actual players and "rippers" who just want to feel the rush of the foil tearing open.
The Card List That Ruined Wallets
If you look at the set list, it's bloated. There are 203 cards in the main set, plus secret rares. This "set bloat" is exactly why it’s so hard to complete. You’ve got:
- Umbreon VMAX (Alt Art): The holy grail.
- Rayquaza VMAX (Alt Art): The "Azure Sky" dragon that keeps people coming back.
- Sylveon VMAX (Alt Art): A pastel nightmare for your bank account.
- Dragonite V (Alt Art): Just a sleepy dragon taking a nap, yet it costs more than a decent dinner for two.
The sheer volume of high-value cards means that even if you miss the big one, you might "settle" for a $70 Glaceon. That "close but no cigar" feeling is what keeps the demand for an evolving skies booster pack so incredibly high, even years after the print runs have dried up.
Spotting Fakes in a High-Stakes Market
Because these packs are so valuable, the scammers are out in full force. It’s getting scary out there. I’ve seen "resealed" packs where someone carefully melts the plastic back together after fishing out the hits. If you're buying a single evolving skies booster pack from an unverified seller on a marketplace, you are playing a dangerous game.
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Here is what you actually need to look for:
- The Crimp: Real Pokémon packs have a very specific, machine-pressed vertical crimp at the top and bottom. If it looks "melted," wavy, or has glue residue, run.
- The Material: Genuine packs have a metallic, slightly crinkly feel. Fakes often feel like thin plastic or cheap paper.
- The Color: Scammers often struggle with the saturation of the Rayquaza or Sylveon artwork on the front. If it looks too dark or "fuzzy," it’s a red flag.
- The Weight: "Scaling" is a real thing. While newer sets are harder to weigh due to the varying weights of the code cards, some people still try to weigh Evolving Skies to find "heavy" packs that likely contain a holographic or better. If you’re buying "light" packs, you’re almost guaranteed to get nothing but bulk.
The Investment Angle: Is It Actually Worth Holding?
Financial "influencers" love to talk about Pokémon as an asset class. They treat a evolving skies booster pack like a share of Apple stock. Honestly? It’s not a bad comparison if you look at the numbers. Since its release, the value of sealed Evolving Skies product has outperformed many traditional stocks.
But there’s a risk. Pokémon could, at any moment, decide to do a "surprise" reprint. They did it with Roaring Skies years ago, and it crashed the market overnight. While it’s unlikely for a set this old, it’s the "Sword of Damocles" hanging over every investor's head.
However, the consensus among experts like SMPratte and other high-end collectors is that Evolving Skies is the "Team Up" of the modern era. It’s the set that defined a generation of collecting. Even if a small reprint happened, the sheer demand would likely swallow the supply in minutes. It is the gold standard for modern Pokémon.
The Psychological Trap of the "Green Code"
If you’ve opened a pack lately, you know the dread. You see that green border on the TCG Live code card and your heart sinks. In the Sword & Shield era, a green code card meant you weren't getting a "hit" in the rare slot. It’s a cruel system.
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The evolving skies booster pack experience is defined by this emotional rollercoaster. You spend $15 on a pack. You slowly slide the cards. You see the green code. You realize you just paid $15 for a Reverse Holo Pikachu and a non-holo Hippowdon. It hurts. But then you see someone on Reddit pull a Moonbreon from a random tin they found at a pharmacy, and the cycle starts all over again. It’s dopamine. Pure and simple.
Where to Actually Find Them Today
You aren't finding these at big-box retailers anymore. Target and Walmart shelves have been picked clean by "investors" and flippers long ago. Your best bet nowadays is looking for "collection boxes" that happen to include Evolving Skies as a pack-in.
Tins like the "Vaporeon/Jolteon/Flareon VMAX Premium Collections" or certain "Staking Snax" tins sometimes have them hidden inside. It’s like a treasure hunt. You’re often paying a premium for the whole box just to get that one evolving skies booster pack tucked in the back.
Actionable Steps for Collectors
If you're serious about getting into Evolving Skies now, stop gambling on single packs. The "loose pack" market is a minefield of weighed and resealed products. If you want to experience the set, you have three real options that make sense:
- Buy the Singles: It’s boring, but it’s smart. If you want the Rayquaza VMAX Alt Art, just buy it. You will almost certainly spend less money buying the card directly than you would trying to pull it from packs.
- Look for Sealed Blisters: If you must buy packs, look for "sleeved" boosters or cardboard blister packs. These are much harder to tamper with than loose packs from a booster box.
- Check Local Card Shows: Face-to-face transactions allow you to inspect the seals and the "crimp" of the pack in person. Plus, you can often negotiate a better price if you're buying more than one.
The window for "cheap" Evolving Skies is closed. It’s a legacy set now. Whether you're chasing the high of the pull or trying to build a long-term collection, treat it with the respect (and caution) its price tag deserves. Don't let the FOMO—fear of missing out—drive you to make bad buys from sketchy sellers. Stick to reputable dealers and stay disciplined with your budget. The Moonbreon is beautiful, but it's not worth going into debt for.