The Pokémon Trading Card Game is marking three decades with an unusually aggressive product rollout spanning five separate waves through December. Beginning September 16th, collectors and players will have access to dozens of new items ranging from budget-friendly starter packs to a nearly $180 ultra-premium collection box.
The centerpiece of the anniversary celebration is a special booster pack design featuring five foil cards and one exclusive Pikachu card pulled from a set of 30 unique artworks. These packs will not be sold individually and will only be available as part of official product bundles.
Wave 1 launches September 16th with five distinct offerings. The Elite Trainer Box at $49.99 remains the anchor product, containing nine booster packs, a full-art Nidorina promo, 16 foil Energy cards, sleeves, dice, and organizational accessories. The choice of Nidorina as the flagship promo is deliberate: she sits at number 30 in the National Pokédex, a clever nod to the milestone year. A Pokémon Center exclusive version bumps the pack count to 11 and includes two Nidorina promos, one stamped with the Center's exclusive mark.
For those seeking specific cards or on tighter budgets, Wave 1 also includes a Poster Collection ($14.99) with three packs and legendary bird promos, a Tech Sticker Collection ($14.99) featuring Alolan Exeggutor or Lucario, a Pokémon ex Box ($21.99) with four packs and either Sylveon ex or Greninja ex, and both Knock Out Collections and 2-Pack Blisters ($9.99 each) with Eevee promos.
Wave 2 arrives October 2nd and shifts focus toward storage and display. Mini Tins at $9.99 each contain two packs and sticker sheets, with artwork that collectively spells "ANNIVERSARY" when assembled. A Binder Collection ($31.99) provides a premium 9-pocket binder with five booster packs, while a Booster Bundle ($26.94) offers six straight packs for players focused purely on opening product.
The third wave on October 30th caters to Eevee enthusiasts with Espeon ex and Umbreon ex Battle Decks ($19.99 each). These are ready-to-play 60-card decks including a deck box, coin, playmat, and bonus rare cards specific to each Eevee evolution.
Wave 4 in early November introduces the premium tier. The Ultra-Premium Collection ($179.99) arrives in Day and Night variants, each containing 29 booster packs, a themed playmat, sleeves, deck box, and a three-card Classic Collection pack featuring rare vintage-style cards. Collectors estimate these classic cards appear roughly once every 8 to 12 packs. Also in this wave, a Ditto Premium Collection ($39.99) pairs eight packs with an acrylic display stand, while Mewtwo and Mew Figure Collections ($29.99) bundle five packs with detailed figures and a jumbo promo card.
The final wave on December 4th wraps the celebration with a Pokémon ex Tin ($21.99) carrying four packs and either the Sylveon ex or Greninja ex promo.
Pokémon Center pre-orders are expected to open in August, roughly one month before Wave 1 ships. The company has not yet announced an official pre-order date.
Author Emily Chen: "This rollout is ambitious even by Pokémon standards, and that Nidorina promo choice shows The Pokémon Company is thinking beyond the obvious anniversary nostalgia plays."
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