Pokémon Center Surging Sparks restock ships with Battle Academy “troll” bundle

Kotaku reported that buying boosters on Pokémon Center had long meant bots or extreme luck (site collapse, queues, purchase limits). A Surging Sparks restock was described as shipping with an unwanted Battle Academy (low-resale starter product) attached — framed as an accidental or intentional scalper inconvenience (+$20, bulky, hard to flip). Kotaku also relayed UK LGS owner complaints that official retail suppliers allegedly prioritized large chains over independents during shortages. Surging Sparks is positioned as the set that kicked off the multi-month scarcity frenzy.