Pokémon Pocket's latest set, Secluded Springs, arrived today, but are fans ready for it? When the trailer dropped last week on August 22, there was just as much complaining in the YouTube comments about not having finished the latest set or still missing important cards, as actual discussion of the new release.
I also feel pretty rushed this time around, so I thought this would be a good time to ask a key question: has Pokémon Pocket's pace gotten too fast for its fanbase?
It's an interesting ask because on the face of it, it doesn't make much sense. The pace of set releases has picked up, but not since the very beginning of 2025. Back in February, we went from a month and a half between set releases to getting one at the end of every month, but Pocket has maintained that cadence ever since.
Perhaps this grumbling is just a monthly thing, and those who had bad luck with the previous set always lament the coming of the next one. But the sentiment does seem louder than usual - with Reddit also full of folks talking about their incomplete 'dexs.
If it's not related to the actual pace of set releases, perhaps it's the set size that's to blame. At 241 cards total, Legend of Sea and Sky is the largest Pokémon Pocket since the original Genetic Apex packs.
It's also the third Pokémon set this year with its cards spread across two packs, and these are obviously much more difficult to complete than one-pack sets.
Another factor to consider is what rare cards players need to collect in order to feel like they've - if not totally finished a set - at least gathered everything important.
Compared to the other two-pack sets, Celestial Guardians and Space-Time Smackdown, Sea and Sky has far fewer vital supporters and other trainer cards. But these are only two diamond cards. And the set actually does have more important cards at higher rarity levels.
To have gathered most of the meta-relevant cards from this release, you need to pick up four exs: Ho-oh, Lugia, Espeon, and Crobat. You also have to get both three-diamond baby Pokémon: Magby, and Pichu. On top of that, the extra lightning support has also made rare cards from older sets more valuable, like Zeraora and Tapu Koko, forcing many of us to head back and revisit releases we thought we'd left in the dust.
Compare that to Celestial Guardians - where the only cards above two rarity you really needed were Solgaleo, Decidueye, Incineroar, and Oricorio - and it's no contest.
Pokémon Pocket walks a delicate tightrope. Too many sets, and players can't keep up and lose interest. Too few, and players get bored and lose interest. So far, it's managed to keep players engaged enough to keep growing, but I wonder if we'll need a break from the relentless pace soon - a longer window between two releases - for fans to catch up.
This could be particularly important in the next couple of months, as it looks like the Mega Evolution release has three packs just like Genetic Apex. If another set drops a month later, it could easily be a tipping point, a move that turns many players off the game.
For more Pokémon stories, check out our list of the most expensive rare Pokémon cards ever. And if you know exactly how often Pokemon Pocket should release sets, let me know on the Wargamer Discord.