With a unique booster pack full of vibrant, nostalgic Pokémon cards, it's looking likely that the TCG's upcoming First Partner Illustration Collection - Series 1 box will sell out fairly fast. It's not packed with the newest boosters (you only get one Phantasmal Flames and one Mega Evolutions pack) the main appeal is the three exclusive IRs found in the extra pack. If you need those as much as I do, read on to find out which stores to watch, and when!
I'm not strong enough to avoid the inevitable nostalgia festival that is the Pokémon TCG's 30th Anniversary. Of course, we're getting a special new, celebratory Pokémon set scheduled to release later this year, and that's tempting enough - but other anniversary products are popping up already.
First we had February's Pokémon Day collection. Now it's the turn of Pokémon First Partner Illustration Collections: little three-pack boxes themed around (what else) the videogames' various starter Pokémon. The first series of these releases this Friday, March 20, 2026.
Each of the Series 1 First Partner packs contains a set of three new Illustration Rares from a selection of nine, those being the Kanto, Sinnoh, and Alola starters. Like so many leading Pokémon products these days, it's pure weapons grade nostalgia bait; whichever trio you get, it'll have lively, bright colored cards of former gens' memorable partner 'mons, as well as little iconic locations and items from each region.
How much you want that probably depends how much this odd, cross generational category of pocket monsters tugs on your childhood memories. But either way, like any Pokémon packs you care to name, there's still the thrill of the chase here. With each pack randomly containing three of the nine cards in total, there's the hope of completing a full mini-set with all nine. Add in the future series, and you've got yourself a multi-month hunt on your hands, so you might want to know where to buy the first collection from.
The Pokémon First Partner Collection Series 1 will set you back $14.99 / £14.99, but like most Pokémon products, it's expected to sell out faster than fireproof pants in a volcano, and has already shot up in price on the secondary market. While you can (and should) regularly take a look at TCGPlayer for anyone selling their box for lower than the inflated market prices, you should also keep an eye on the following retailers and set up any stock alerts, if possible:
- Amazon (global)
- Walmart (US)
- Magic Madhouse (UK, ships to US)
Make sure to join the Wargamer Discord, too, as we'll ping you if there's any Pokémon TCG products below market price or, gasp, any retail-priced listings coming up. You can also talk with like-minded collectors, show off your latest pulls (or rant about your lack of chases), and just have a good conversation, in general.