Who knew that after 30 years, Pokémon would continue to be a beloved franchise spanning games, trading cards, TV series and of course, Merchandise. In the same year that Pokémon marks its 30th anniversary, the LEGO Group have expanded their gaming-inspired offerings with a collection of LEGO® Pokémon sets. They include a line-up of builds that utilise the SMART Play system. Like many LEGO themes, Pokémon has two recruitment bags (previously known as polybags) that offer a taster of larger sets. Here’s a look at both the Premier Ball and Trainer Supplies minisets.
30729: Premier Ball
Pieces: 46 | Theme: Pokémon
The Premier Ball is a special variant of the standard Poké Ball, which was introduced in Gen 3 of the Pokémon game series. It is probably better known for its appearance in Pokémon GO, where it is used to catch shadow Pokémon after a Team Rocket battle or to capture a Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon at a Power Spot. They basically flip the colour scheme of a standard Poké Ball, although it lacks the black detail. In LEGO form, its size is similar to how Poké Balls appear before being thrown. It contains a surprising amount of elements for what the final build offers. I really hope other Poké Ball variants get the same treatment outside of the larger sets, as they would make a great collection of little builds.
30730: Trainer Supplies
Pieces: 56 | Theme: Pokémon
Unlike the Premier Ball set, the Trainer Supplies bag is meant to expand the play options of the LEGO Pokémon SMART Play sets. The set includes a Poké Ball and a Premier Ball along with some berries, fruits and a potion. Similar elements are found in the SMART Play sets, but most of them are unique. The two Poké Balls use a new element to create the ball’s lock catch. These are fun takes on the famous items used to capture Pokémon, but are far smaller than the Premier Ball from the other Recruitment Bag. The berries and fruit are a random collection of builds, but they do use some interesting and rare elements. The set also includes two targets; these feature printed 2×2 round tiles, and can be toppled by flinging a Poké Ball at them.
Both of these minisets offer something unique. The Premier Ball is probably the least exciting, as it can’t really be used with any of the other sets apart from 72165: Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle, which features a standard Poké Ball in the same scale. The same could be said about the Trainer Supplies set, but at least those elements can be incorporated into some of the SMART Play sets. It’s a shame that neither set has any SMART Play interaction. You can currently get the Premier Ball recruitment bag for free when you spend £35/$40/40€ on LEGO products until August 20th. Or you can purchase both sets from Brickabrac. They are also part of the 3 for £10 offer on select LEGO recruitment bags.
