The Pokémon Company has taken decisive action to crack down on resellers of its physical 'Pokémon Card Game' packs.

On the 3rd, the company announced a new purchase procedure for 'Pokémon Card Game' packs via its official website. According to the notice, purchasing specific decks and expansion packs from the official Japanese online store will now require a digital ID app that verifies Japanese residency using a 'My Number Card,' which is similar to a national ID card in Korea. Consequently, it will become difficult for foreigners to purchase certain 'Pokémon Card Game' packs through the official Japanese online store.

The primary reason for this sudden tightening of purchase verification is to eliminate resellers. Reselling of Pokémon card packs is currently rampant in Japan. For instance, the 'Storm Emerald' expansion pack released on July 31 has a retail price of ¥200 per pack and ¥6k per box, yet it is being traded on online secondary markets for several times that amount. With resellers effectively monopolizing supply and driving prices up, The Pokémon Company has finally stepped in.

However, this verification process does not apply to all card pack purchases; it is currently limited to 30th-anniversary commemorative packs. The affected products include the 'Pokémon Card Game MEGA Expansion Pack: 30th CELEBRATION BOX,' 'Pokémon Card Game MEGA: 30th CELEBRATION Premium Deck Set Espeon & Umbreon,' 'Pokémon Card Game MEGA: 30th CELEBRATION FUTURISTIC BOX,' and 'Pokémon Card Game MEGA: 30th CELEBRATION Card Set (9-Type Set).' These items are sold exclusively through online lotteries, and applicants must verify their Japanese residency using the aforementioned My Number Card to enter.

Retailers using various methods to combat resellers is nothing new. In Korea, measures such as legal restrictions on reselling at prices above retail, transfer bans, one-per-person purchase limits, and lottery systems have been introduced to curb scalping and other forms of reselling.

Reselling of various TCGs, including the 'Pokémon Card Game,' remains an ongoing issue in both Japan and Korea. All eyes are now on whether this special measure by The Pokémon Company will succeed in eradicating resellers and stabilizing supply.