The Morning
Finished work at 8am and went straight to my nearest Smyths Toys. I always find Smyths reliable on release day — they tend to have decent stock and it’s usually a good atmosphere. I joined the queue a bit later than I’d have liked (I normally aim for 7am at least!), but I was pretty confident I’d at least be able to grab some loose packs.
The Queue
One of my favourite parts of release day is meeting other collectors. There’s always a good vibe. I got chatting to a lovely lady who was picking up product for her grandson — he wanted the new “frog” set. I also had a great chat with a guy called Harrison. Really good energy, clearly loves the hobby.
The Pulls
I managed to grab an ETB and 5 loose packs. Out of those I pulled Xerneas, Claydol and Emma. Seeing cards in person is always so much better than preview images online — the Xerneas especially. It has this ethereal, fairy-like art style that really pops when you see it in person up close.
Harrison’s Froakie
Harrison had a great session — he pulled one of my favourite cards from the set: Froakie. I wish I’d managed to pull one myself! He was kind enough to share a picture of his pull above. I guess I’ll just have to open more packs…