I've been locked in on Pokemon TCG Pocket since day 1, and despite some reservations about how quickly new set expansions have been released, I log in at least twice a day to open my free packs.
My girlfriend, on the other hand, stopped playing the game shortly after it came out. I was hoping that I could keep her engaged as my trading card buddy -- we met through playing Pokemon Go on the same college campus, and I pulled out my physical card collection during one of our first dates (I know, very romantic).
Alas, I've had no such luck when it comes to hooking her on Pokemon TCG Pocket, which launched in October 2024 as another way for fans of the franchise to get their collecting fix (especially those who've invested in the real-life cards). She'll still get excited when I let her rip open one of the game's virtual packs on my phone, but I haven't been able to convince her of the joys of consistently opening her own packs.
Now, developer DeNA is releasing its ultimate weapon: the Eevee Grove card packs. This expansion set is going to do gangbusters, because I'm using it to drag my partner back to the game (and you can, too).
If you told me you thought this little guy isn't cute, I'd call you a liar. DeNA/Screenshot by CNET
Eevee is a powerful marketing tool
Pikachu might be the face of Pokemon, but Eevee is the electric rat's right-hand man. The adorable fox-dog-thing has universal appeal.
They're cute, they're intrinsically tied to Pokemon's evolution mechanics, and they turn into so many different monsters that people love. Eevee can change into cool Pokemon like Jolteon and Umbreon, or they can become something more elegant, like Sylveon or Glaceon.
My girlfriend's favorite Pokemon is Ralts, but she loves Eevee nonetheless -- so I've convinced her to open some packs and use up her wonder picks, at least for now.
I already have her chasing the holographic Sylveon card. Only when she pulls it will I tell her about the even more rare full art versions, in order to keep the chase alive. It's hard to say if I'll be able to keep her momentum up as the set loses its novelty and luster, but I'm happy to share this small part of my daily routine with my partner until she falls off the game again.
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