Newly Revealed Pikachu Promo Card by Iconic Artist Brings Back a Classic Look & It’s an Instant Hit
One of the year’s most anticipated new Pokemon TCG releases is quickly approaching. On September 16th, 30th Celebration will be the first-ever simultaneous worldwide release in Pokemon card history. And it’s likely to be the biggest drop of the year, as everything we’ve seen so far suggests it will be a highly coveted collection. From new Futuristic Rares to classic callback reprints, 30th Celebration is absolutely stacked with must-have chase cards. Now, a newly revealed Pikachu promo from OG Pokemon character designer Ken Sugimori adds another hit to the lineup.
As shared via PokeBeach, The Pokemon Company recently dropped yet another 30th Celebration card reveal. The set will feature 30 unique Pikachu promos, with one guaranteed in every pack. Now, we know that those promos will include a brand-new card designed by the original Pokemon artist, Ken Sugimori. The card will be labeled as Pikachu Promo #1, in honor of Sugimori’s role as the OG artist behind Pikachu and many other iconic Kanto Pokemon.
New Pikachu Promo Brings Back Chubbychu With a Fresh Card Design
The newly revealed card features new artwork from Sugimori, but it has a classic feel to it. The Pikachu in the card is slightly chubbier, closer to the original chonky design that many fans would love to see return to the Pokemon TCG. Alas, it’s not a full art card, but it does have the glittery firework-style design that all of the new Pikachu promos will use. That includes a massive 30th anniversary logo right smack dab in the middle, as a background to the attack description. We’ve now seen quite a few of the Pikachu promos that will be released with 30th Celebration, and this one just might be the best yet.
Generally speaking, Pikachu promo cards can be among the trickiest Pokemon cards to get ahold of. But with 30th Celebration, that could change. Since there will be one of the 30 unique Pikachu designs in every pack, they shouldn’t be quite as rare as your Van Gogh and Illustrator Pikachu promos. However, we don’t yet know whether some of the promos will be intentionally more scarce than others. So, it remains to be seen whether you’ll have decent odds of snagging this callback to Pokemon history just by opening packs. But it’s obviously going to be one of the most sought-after cards, since it features artwork from the artist who designed most of the original 151.
Having Sugimori design a new Pikachu card for the 30th anniversary set is a fitting homage to the franchise’s history. This, along with the reprinted classic card designs, makes 30th Celebration an interesting mix of brand-new and returning Pokemon cards. As such, many fans are already bracing for the continued issues with scalping that have plagued the Pokemon collecting hobby for the last few years. In fact, many retail locations are already planning to mark up 30th Celebration product well above MSRP before resellers even get their hands on it. But despite the concerns, the release will nevertheless be exciting for those who are able to get some 30th Celebration boosters.
30th Celebration releases simultaneously worldwide on September 16th. The first wave of products includes the following:
- 30th Celebration Tech Sticker Collection
- 30th Celebration 2-Pack Blister
- 30th Celebration Knock Out Collection
- 30th Celebration Poster Collection
- 30th Celebration Pokemon ex Box – Sylveon ex & Greninja ex
- 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box & Pokemon Center exclusive Elite Trainer Box
Additional items from the collection will release on October 2nd, October 30th, and November 6th. This should ensure a good series of chances to catch a 30th Celebration restock in stores. Thus far, along with the ETBs, it looks like the November 6th Ultra Premium Collection drop will be the most elusive, and quite possibly most expensive, item in the lineup. Wishing us all luck in actually managing to get our hands on some 30th Celebration for a shot at pulling the newest chunky Pikachu promo.
