Pokémon TCG Celebrates 30th Anniversary

The Pokémon Trading Card Game first launched in Japan on October 20, 1996, released by the company Media Factory. This initial set, known as the Base Set, featured 102 cards with illustrations by artists like Ken Sugimori and Mitsuhiro Arita. It took over two years for the TCG to reach the United States, where it was published by Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Magic: The Gathering. The US version debuted on January 9, 1999, capitalizing on the "Pokémania" that had gripped the nation. The game's development was handled by Creatures Inc. and designed by Tsunekazu Ishihara, Kouichi Ooyama, and Takumi Akabane. By March 2017, the game had already shipped over 23.6 billion cards worldwide, a number that has continued to grow substantially. While the physical card game remains popular, the franchise has expanded into the digital realm with *Pokémon TCG Pocket*. Released on October 30, 2024, the mobile game generated over $1.3 billion in revenue in its first year, surpassing *Pokémon Go's* initial launch performance. The "Team Rocket's Moltres" mentioned in the giveaway has historical roots in the game. The original *Team Rocket* expansion was the fifth set released in English, and a "Rocket's Moltres ex" card was later featured in the *EX Team Rocket Returns* set. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, the villainous Team Rocket successfully captured all three legendary birds, including Moltres. Previous anniversaries have been marked with special sets. For its 25th anniversary, The Pokémon Company released the *Celebrations* collection, which included reprints of iconic cards from the game's history, each stamped with a 25th-anniversary logo.