Both a blessing and a curse, exclusive promos are a huge part of the Pokémon TCG. Whether they're given at events, given as bonuses for certain orders, or simply locked to products, promos can end up being some of the most sought-after cards - which makes them worth a lot in the eyes of collectors. While it is a limited release, the 'Pikachu at the Museum' promo card has a few tricks to make it less scarce, and thankfully, it's not a legal card in competitive matches. You'll see why.
The best Pokémon cards typically shape the TCG's meta in interesting, sometimes overpowering ways, and even if you're not a player, there are clearly powerful options across the many expansions. However, some abilities are just outright broken and, while you're not allowed to play this promo at competitive matches like Pokémon TCG tournaments and some local events, it's clear there's a good reason for that.
Pikachu at the Museum showcases the iconic yellow 'mon, you guessed it, at a museum. Specifically, it's a Pokéversion of the Natural History Museum in London, capital of the UK. With a fairly basic 70HP, it looks like a fairly basic card, at least, until you read the first ability. The Best Collection only costs one Normal energy to play, but allows you to search your entire Pokémon TCG collection for any Pokémon, reveal it, and put it in your hand. Imagine chilling at a tournament with your entire binder, playing your deck, and then whipping out this bad boy and having free choice to pull whatever card you want.
Fortunately, there's no regulation letter on the bottom left, indicating that it's illegal to play competitively. Wipe that sweat off your brow; you don't have to worry about this electrifying promo being played suddenly. However, as our site editor Alex Evans reminds me, this resembles Magic: The Gathering's beloved 'Un-sets', and I like these fun cards - so long as they don't plague the competitive scene.
However, if you're looking to add Pikachu at the Museum to your binders, there are two things to note. Firstly, it's UK-exclusive, and while you can get it by buying stuff at the Pokémon pop-up store at the Natural History Museum, you can also get it at 'select UK retailers'. It isn't clear which ones yet, but we'll update as and when we spy those retailers sharing details.
The other issue is that it's not a simple card - in fact, it's an oversized (or jumbo) card. That means it's a bit unruly to collect, but at least it should prevent it from being heavily scalped, like Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat was. Of course, I wouldn't be shocked if loads of people still flocked to London and bought as many dinosaur snowglobes and neanderthal pencil sharpeners as they could, just to stack up as many Pikachu at the Museum promos as possible. Jumbo cards are typically less sought after than the regular ones, though, so they won't get scooped up too quickly - hopefully.
Fortunately, it's not a waste of money to buy some Pokémon Natural History Museum collaboration products. At least, not in my eyes. Everything from gorgeous posters to stunning notebooks, pins, and of course, the all-too-familiar Poképlushes can be bought during the event, and certain products will be available on Pokémon Center, too. So, don't go and buy those train or plane tickets just yet - you may be fine to stay at home.
We'll be sharing more Pokénews as the 30th Anniversary celebrations start, so make sure to join our Wargamer Discord to be kept up-to-date. We also share news on some potential deals to grab, and you can chat with other Trainers about everything from the struggles of buying sets to your favorite 'mon.