I think some of these reasons can be more insidious than others, so aside from trying to set (and sticking to) a budget, it might be important to try to hone in on where the need to keep buying is coming from
Effects like this typically split damage across multiple targets, but this just deals X to all targets
Sealed booster packs and boxes sell fast, draw foot traffic, and reorder well
Get that Elf some friends
While Magikarp is usually the butt of the joke for being weak, it holds a massive cultural status as a symbol of luck and perseveranceinspired by the ancient myth of the carp jumping the Dragon Gate to become a dragon
Abilities are special effects some Pokmon have that can change gameplay, like drawing extra cards, healing, or affecting your opponents Pokmon