I’ve always had odd feeling about this. Pokemon was for children 10+ just like Ash but the reality of the card game and trading aspects means the target audience is 12-25ish.
Young children can’t handle the strategy of the game and get scammed during trading. Pokemon might market towardsthem now but they’re just debasing them selves.
People older than 25 that never previously collected cards or played the game I always side eye.
When the average collector at trade nights and cons smells like sweat and cigarettes.
When adults are talking about it on an internet site that they themselves built.
We built this city for Po-ke-mon. ♫
Cigarettes only at NY Cons.
…And Japan, judging by the packages I receive.
edit: random fact. D’you know it’s illegal to smoke practically anywhere in NYC? 
I just had a thought about this,
When TPC markets Pokémon only to adults they will charge adult-level pricing for sets and other tcg merchandise. The last example of one was the Pokémon Trading Card Game Classic in late 2023. It retailed for 35000 yen in Japan and $399.99 USD in the US at Pokémon Centers. Although the cards aren’t tournament-legal and it’s not really a set, I feel it’s not unrealistic to expect JP set boxes to be priced even half that
I would say if they would actually put some effort into making the games more difficult or added more adult themes. Right now it is clearly designed to be beaten without much thought.
It’s funny that in that sense the original games (Red & Blue) were the most adult games yet with a hungover man blocking your path, a casino and Pokémon dying. Also, those games made you think hard (at times). Blue was the closest thing to a real life person encounter. Someone who doesn’t hold your hand but makes you think about things.
Edit; I just realised that the question was regarding the TCG? Well, here’s a video games take.
Question of the Days are open to any interpretation that youd like, so your viewpoint centered on the games is absolutely valid.