Eevee Heroes (TCG): Difference between revisions

In each of the five available languages, Eevee Heroes packs contained five cards from the subset. Japanese and Korean packs also included one puzzle card as part of a Pokémon Card Puzzle (Japanese: ナゾトキ ポケカ; Korean: 포켓몬 카드 수수께끼) campaign. Ten puzzle cards were available in Japanese packs, each of which has a collection number, while seven unnumbered cards were included in Korean packs. The reverse of the Japanese puzzle cards included a solution hint and a QR code for the campaign companion website;<ref>[https://www.pokemon-card.com/ex/s6a/index.html ''ナゾトキポケカ 特設サイト'' | Pokémon Card Game Trainers Website] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20220305213336/https://www.pokemon-card.com/ex/s6a/index.html archived copy])</ref> the Korean cards included a QR code for the official Korean Pokémon TCG {{wp|YouTube}} channel. The puzzles featured on the Japanese cards were also included on the companion website complete with hints, multiple-choice answers, and their solutions. As these puzzles were self-contained to each card, they were labeled 'exercises' as a prelude to the puzzles on the website, which required the use of cards from Eevee Heroes. To this end, images of some cards on the Pokémon Card Game Trainers Website were altered to remove elements pertinent to puzzle solutions. Puzzles featured on the Japanese companion website also provided the basis for the puzzle cards enclosed in Korean packs.

The card-specific puzzles on the Japanese website comprised several stages of increasing difficulty. Stages with multiple puzzles only required users to solve one before they could progress. Unlike the exercises, these puzzles required users to input an answer, the majority of which spelled out a Pokémon's name. Stage 01 offered seven puzzles; stage 02 offered four; stage 03 offered three; stage 04 offered two. A battle scenario followed the fourth stage, which required users to identify which opposing Pokémon would be Knocked Out by their own and discern a word by correctly intersecting lines between them. Moving onto a subsequent stage would also add cards to an album, which were clues used to form the question for the final stage. Upon clearing the final stage, users could enter a lottery to win one of 100 {{TCGMerch|Sword & Shield|Era|Pokémon Card Puzzle Eevee Flip Deck Case}}s by following the official Pokémon {{wp|Twitter}} account and posting the link on the clear screen. Entries were accepted between May 28 and June 17, 2021<ref>[https://www.pokemon-card.com/info/2021/20210528_002874.html ''ナゾトキポケカキャンペーン！'' | Pokémon Card Game Trainers Website] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20220305234421/https://www.pokemon-card.com/info/2021/20210528_002874.html archived copy])</ref> and winners received their prizes in late July 2021.<ref>[https://twitter.com/nido_climax/status/1418398697696600069 ニド on Twitter] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210723023301/https://twitter.com/nido_climax/status/1418398697696600069 archived copy])</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/mamesan_9/status/1418557976369975297 えだまめこ on Twitter] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210724025327/https://twitter.com/mamesan_9/status/1418557976369975297 archived copy])</ref> Users could then attempt an extra stage, which required reviewing the solutions from completed puzzles and noting characters that appeared within certain star graphics. Users could submit the phrase in the final stage's answer field and, if correct, would be presented with another clear screen and the option to share another achievement post.

The Japanese version of Eevee Heroes was subject to overwhelming consumer demand due to the increased profile the TCG experienced over the course of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. Pre-orders for the subset went live on the Pokémon Center Online on May 7, 2021 and stocks for booster boxes, the {{TCGMerch|Sword & Shield|Era|Eevee Heroes Eeveelution Set}}, the {{TCG|Eevee Heroes VMAX Special Set}}, and {{TCGMerch|Sword & Shield|Era|Gengar VMAX & Inteleon VMAX High-Class Deck Double Box}} all sold out in a short space of time. This activity, speculated to have been driven by Western-based groups utilizing software agents, prompted [[The Pokémon Company]] to issue a statement on May 12, in which an apology was made to people unable to secure pre-orders and that the most popular products would be given a higher priority for subsequent manufacturing runs.<ref>[https://www.pokemon-card.com/info/2021/20210512_002934.html ''「ポケモンカードゲーム」品薄への対応状況について'' | Pokémon Card Game Trainers Website] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210512053400/https://www.pokemon-card.com/info/2021/20210512_002934.html archived copy])</ref> Another statement was issued the same day to address how the release of certain products would be handled in the short term. Actions included limiting the sale of the affected products to the Pokémon Center Online and handling further pre-orders with the implementation of a lottery system. The application period was open between May 14 and 18, 2021 and those successful were notified after May 27. Pre-orders secured on May 7 received their products on release day and were ineligible to participate in the lottery. Pre-orders through the lottery were scheduled to receive their products between mid-June and mid-July.<ref>[https://www.pokemon-card.com/info/2021/20210512_002935.html ''5月28日発売商品のポケモンセンターでの販売方法についてのお詫びとお知らせ'' | Pokémon Card Game Trainers Website] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20210710234717/https://www.pokemon-card.com/info/2021/20210512_002935.html archived copy])</ref>