Modern Pokémon Isn’t the Problem — Expectations Are

Modern Pokémon is often criticized for being overprinted, oversaturated, or lacking meaning. These complaints aren’t entirely unfounded—but they’re usually aimed in the wrong direction.

The real issue isn’t modern Pokémon itself. It’s what collectors expect modern Pokémon to be.

Many collectors approach modern sets expecting them to behave like vintage: immediate scarcity, long-term reverence, and clear hierarchy. When sets like Scarlet & Violet Base or Obsidian Flames don’t produce that experience, disappointment follows.

Modern Pokémon isn’t designed to feel scarce in the moment.

It’s designed to be accessible, playable, and visually expressive. Illustration rates, alternate arts, and modern rarity systems exist to reward engagement, not long-term restraint. Expecting instant historical weight from a set that’s still actively being printed is a mismatch of timelines.

Compare this to how earlier modern-era sets are viewed today. Hidden Fates was once dismissed as another hype-driven special set. Now it’s remembered for how it reshaped collector expectations around shiny Pokémon and premium presentation. The meaning arrived later.

Modern Pokémon suffers when collectors treat it like a race. Opening becomes the goal. Hits become validation. Once the chase ends, interest collapses.

That’s not a design flaw. It’s a framing problem.

Modern Pokémon becomes far more interesting when collected with intention. Focusing on illustration styles, specific Pokémon across multiple sets, or design shifts like the introduction of full-art Trainers creates continuity where chaos usually lives.

For example, following how Pokémon like Gardevoir or Charizard are reinterpreted across modern eras tells a clearer story than owning one isolated chase card.

Modern Pokémon doesn’t ask to be worshipped immediately. It asks to be understood over time.

When expectations change, the experience changes with them.