The Journey to Complete Pokémon TCG Pocket's Genetic Apex Set: A Player's Experience and Insights

For fans of the Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, understanding the time and investment required to complete the first set has become a topic of interest. A dedicated player has shared their experience, shedding light on the journey of collecting every card in the initial Genetic Apex series.

One user from a community platform has provided the community with firsthand information regarding the challenging task of finishing the first set in Pokémon TCG Pocket. After an impressive investment of $1,500, they managed to open a staggering 1,741 booster packs to obtain every card in the Genetic Apex collection.

Prior estimates suggested that completing this set would take almost two years, and this seems to align with their experience. This timeframe accounts for the inclusion of 60 exceedingly rare alternate art cards, in addition to the standard 226 cards from Genetic Apex. The player shared that they obtained the initial set of cards for around $200 but had to spend an additional $500 to $700 to finally acquire the last three alternate cards.

For those opting for the completely free approach, patience will be necessary. The game is designed to initially provide a generous quantity of booster packs but quickly limits players to just two packs a day during slower periods.

Moreover, Genetic Apex is just the beginning, as the game developers have indicated that another smaller card set will be introduced in December. Additionally, data analysis has hinted at a new full set with over 200 cards slated for release in January.

Utilizing the Wonder Pick feature aided the player in enhancing their collection. However, this feature only boasts a 20% chance of securing the desired card, making it somewhat unreliable. Ultimately, the player achieved a complete collection of 286 cards, having opened an impressive total of 8,582 packs, which included a large number of Slowpoke and a rare version of Mewtwo. Interestingly, not a single special pack was obtained during their efforts.

Despite the extensive effort and financial commitment, the player expressed no regrets, indicating that the investment was justifiable. However, they clarified intentions to focus solely on the base cards moving forward, steering clear of alternate versions.

Such dedicated efforts are reflected in the game's impressive financial success, which is estimated at $120 million within just three weeks of its launch. In just nine days, it attracted approximately 30 million downloads.

To maintain engagement, the game's developers have been rolling out numerous events tailored to various playstyles, though currently, only one event emphasizing player-versus-player matches is ongoing. In this competitive landscape, iconic cards like Charizard ex and Mewtwo ex are leading the charge, with Pikachu ex also showing considerable strength.