Pokémon Pocket’s Eevee Grove Expansion Is a Beautiful, Profitable Trap for Players
The Pokémon Company has announced the global release date for Eevee Grove, a new themed booster pack coming to Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket on June 26. Featuring all nine evolutions of the ever-adorable Eevee in vibrant new illustrations, the set is tailor-made for longtime fans, collectors, and most crucially spenders. While the update brings exciting new content and a wave of nostalgia, it also shines a light on the core issue that has always sat at the heart of Pokémon Pocket’s design: aggressive, layered monetization.
What’s in the New Expansion?
Eevee Grove delivers exactly what it promises cards centered around Eevee and its eight iconic evolutions. From Flareon to Sylveon, each receives fresh artwork showcasing their unique personalities. There’s even support for crafting a viable Eevee-themed deck, including the new Eevee ex card that can evolve into any of the Eeveelutions, breaking traditional evolution rules.
Complementing the expansion are themed display boards and binder covers designed to help you showcase your collection assuming you manage to pull anything worth displaying.
The Cost of Cute
Despite the cheerful presentation, there’s a darker side to this expansion. Pokémon Pocket’s monetization has been criticized since launch, with Shiny Mewtwo locked behind a premium pass being one of the earliest flashpoints. The system of multiple, obfuscated currencies and deliberate pricing tiers makes it difficult to track how much you’re spending and ensures players never quite get what they need without overspending.
To illustrate: ten packs require 60 Poke Gold, but the game only sells bundles like 50+7 Gold for $7.99, forcing most players to either buy twice or purchase a larger bundle. This pricing model common in mobile gaming feels particularly predatory in a title leveraging beloved childhood icons.
Eevee as the Ultimate Monetization Mascot
Eevee isn’t just a fan favorite it’s Pokémon’s second mascot, a market-tested powerhouse of merchandizing. From crockpots to card sleeves, Eevee’s charm sells. It’s no surprise that Eevee Grove feels like the most calculated cash-grab yet. Even the most cynical fans can’t help but be drawn in by the possibility of pulling a dazzling new Jolteon or Vaporeon alt art.
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And that’s exactly the point.
The expansion plays the long game, hooking players emotionally before hitting them at the register. With no V cards yet introduced, some speculate that Pokémon Pocket is deliberately pacing out its biggest reveals to fuel future spending cycles.
Wise Advice: Spend Smart Or Don’t Spend at All
For many players, Pokémon Pocket has gone from a thrilling mobile collectible game to a slow burn of monetization fatigue. The daily two-pack drops feel stale. The premium subscription no longer feels worth it. The joy of opening packs is dampened by the knowledge that everything has a price tag and that price is hidden behind at least three layers of in-game currency conversion.
If you're planning to dip into Eevee Grove, set a firm budget and stick to it. Ask yourself if this is really how you want to spend your money. For some, the answer will be yes and that’s fine. For others, this may be a good time to step back and enjoy the game as a free-to-play user.
Because at the end of the day, the only thing evolving faster than Eevee is the monetization strategy of Pokémon Pocket.
What are your thoughts on the new cards? Will you be picking some up for yourself? Let us know in the comments below!
