30th Celebration Pikachu Cards: The Full Chase Map

30th Celebration Pikachu Cards: The Full Chase Map

Pokemon's 30th Celebration drops one of 30 different foil Pikachu into every booster pack, but the top chases are the two debut Futuristic Rares: Mewtwo ex (157/128) and Mew ex (158/128), both illustrated by Japanese graphic artist YOSHIROTTEN. Among the Pikachu, the card by Atsuko Nishida — who co-designed Pikachu — is the one to target. The set launches everywhere the same day, September 16, 2026, the first simultaneous global Pokemon TCG release, so no region gets an early-supply price dip.

What are the 30th Celebration Pikachu chase cards?

Every 30th Celebration pack guarantees one of 30 unique foil Pikachu, each drawn by a different artist and stamped with its own /30 number. As of July 12, 2026 only three are revealed — 14/30 by OKACHEKE, 15/30 by Yuu Nishida, and 25/30 by Atsuko Nishida — with the other 27 still to come.

Each pack holds five foil cards plus a foil Basic Energy card, so six cards total, every one foil. The English base set numbers 128 cards, with roughly 30 secret cards stacked above it — the two Futuristic Rares land at 157/128 and 158/128 — for a total of about 158-plus, per Pokellector and TCGRadar.

The Atsuko Nishida slot matters more than the others. She co-designed Pikachu and illustrated the Pikachu Illustrator, whose PSA 10 copy sold for $16.5 million at auction in February 2026 (Eneba). Any card carrying her name draws collectors who chase provenance, not just the Pokemon.

If you want to complete the 30-Pikachu rainbow, track your progress on the Valusaur collection tracker so you only buy the slots you are missing.

What is a Futuristic Rare, and which cards have it?

A Futuristic Rare (FUR) is a brand-new rarity debuting in 30th Celebration, defined by a vibrant, high-shine foil and original artwork from graphic artist YOSHIROTTEN. The two confirmed FURs are Mewtwo ex (157/128, 230 HP) and Mew ex (158/128, 160 HP), sitting in the secret-rare slots above the 128-card base set, per Pokellector and TCGRadar.

In Japan these are already the set's marquee cards. SNKRDUNK pegged each around ¥150,000 estimated market value with a ¥105,000 buyback price as of June 8, 2026 — roughly $950 and $670 at mid-2026 exchange rates.

More FURs may surface before launch. The November Ultra-Premium Collection also carries Pikachu ex promos, but the two Kanto Mythicals are the anchors of the rarity.

What are all the cards in the 30th Celebration chase set?

The 30th Celebration chase set is 30 numbered foil Pikachu — one guaranteed in every pack, each by a different artist — plus the two YOSHIROTTEN Futuristic Rares, Mewtwo ex (157/128) and Mew ex (158/128), which sit at the very top of the numbering. As of July 12, 2026, only three Pikachu artists and both FURs are confirmed; the other 27 slots are numbered but unrevealed. The premium-outlook column below is my projection, grounded in each artist's or subject's secondary-market history.

Slot	English no.	Artist / subject	Status	Premium outlook
Pikachu 25/30	047/128	Atsuko Nishida	Revealed	Top tier — Pikachu co-designer; her art holds the hobby's price records
Pikachu 15/30	037/128	Yuu Nishida	Revealed	High — Nishida name recognition
Pikachu 14/30	036/128	OKACHEKE	Revealed	Mid — modern illustrator, watch community reaction
Pikachu 1/30–13/30	TBA	Not revealed (Jul 12)	Pending	Reveal cadence expected through summer
Pikachu 16/30–24/30	TBA	Not revealed (Jul 12)	Pending	Watch for marquee-artist reveals
Pikachu 26/30–30/30	TBA	Not revealed (Jul 12)	Pending	Late reveals sometimes hide the best art
Mewtwo ex	157/128	YOSHIROTTEN	Confirmed FUR	Top chase — ~¥150,000 in Japan
Mew ex	158/128	YOSHIROTTEN	Confirmed FUR	Top chase — ~¥150,000 in Japan

Watch the reveal drip for two names in particular. A Ken Sugimori or a second Atsuko Nishida contribution would immediately jump the queue, and any Charizard-adjacent art tends to carry a premium the moment it lands. Separately, a 30-card Classic Collection reprints franchise landmarks like Base Set Charizard and Base Set Pikachu (TCGRadar), sold in their own packs rather than the base 128.

How much will packs, boxes, and the chases cost?

English MSRPs land at $26.94 for the six-pack Booster Bundle and $179.99 for the Ultra-Premium Collection (29 packs plus a Classic Collection pack; distributor PHD Games lists $177.21), per PHD Games and Pokémon's storefront as of July 2026. The Elite Trainer Box (9 packs, a foil Nidorina promo, 16 foil energy) is where sources split — $49.99 on PHD Games's distributor sheet, $54.99 on Pokémon's own storefront. Japanese packs run ¥360, and boxes ¥7,200 for 20 packs — a Japan-only SKU, since the English lineup tops out at the six-pack Booster Bundle with no sealed 20- or 36-pack box.

Product	MSRP	Projected launch-week secondary
Elite Trainer Box	$49.99–$54.99 (PHD Games $49.99; Pokémon storefront $54.99)	$80–$110 (PokeWallet, Jun 16 2026)
Booster Bundle (6 packs)	$26.94 (PHD Games, Jul 10 2026)	$40–$55 (PokeWallet, Jun 16 2026)
Ultra-Premium Collection	$179.99 consumer (PHD Games distributor $177.21)	Not yet estimated
Booster pack	¥360 / ~$2.30 (JP est., SNKRDUNK)	$9–$14 EN, projected (PokeWallet)
Booster box (Japan, 20 packs)	¥7,200 / ~$46 (JP only, SNKRDUNK)	No English sealed box — closest is the 6-pack Booster Bundle
Mewtwo / Mew ex FUR	No English anchor yet	~¥150,000 each JP est., ¥105,000 buyback (SNKRDUNK, Jun 8 2026)

Sources disagree on the ETB's sticker price: distributor PHD Games lists $49.99, while Pokémon's own storefront shows $54.99, and PokeWallet's June projection floated $59–$69. Treat anything in the roughly $50–55 band as legitimate retail; only listings well above ~$55 are flipper markups, not the real price.

Here is the original math preview posts skip. If each pack's Pikachu is equally likely to be any of the 30, completing the rainbow by ripping alone averages 30 × H₃₀ ≈ 120 packs — the coupon-collector formula — or about six Japanese boxes, roughly ¥43,200 (~$275). Buying the common Pikachu as singles is far cheaper: at SNKRDUNK's ¥500 each, the full 30-card run is about ¥15,000 ($95). That leaves the marquee-artist Pikachu and the two FURs as the only cards actually worth opening packs to chase.

Why does the worldwide launch change pre-order strategy?

Because 30th Celebration is the first Pokemon TCG set to launch everywhere on September 16, 2026, the usual pattern does not apply. Normally Japan releases first, and imported singles plus early supply soften Western prices a few weeks later; here every region hits peak demand at once, so presale and launch week are more likely to be the local top than a dip.

That removes the reliable "wait three weeks for the import dip" play Western buyers have leaned on for years. Supply floods all regions simultaneously instead of staggering, which can still cool prices — but the timing is untested, so it pays to watch rather than guess.

My recommendation: pre-order sealed at MSRP only if you intend to rip for the FURs, and skip flipper-marked presale listings entirely. For the Pikachu rainbow, wait and buy singles after launch. Track the curve from presale through week three or four with live pricing so you buy the Atsuko Nishida Pikachu and the two YOSHIROTTEN FURs when the launch spike fades rather than at its peak. Valusaur charts that presale-to-release movement per card.

FAQ

When does Pokemon 30th Celebration release?

The main expansion launches worldwide on September 16, 2026, the first simultaneous global Pokemon TCG release. Follow-up products roll out October 2 (Booster Bundle, Mini Tins, Binder Collection), October 30 (Espeon and Umbreon battle decks), and November 6 (Ditto Premium, Figure Collection, and the Ultra-Premium Collection), per the official Pokemon showcase.

How many Pikachu cards are in 30th Celebration?

There are 30 unique Pikachu, one guaranteed in every pack, each illustrated by a different artist and numbered its own /30. As of July 12, 2026 only three are revealed: 14/30 by OKACHEKE, 15/30 by Yuu Nishida, and 25/30 by Atsuko Nishida. The remaining 27 are expected to be revealed through the summer.

What is the rarest card in 30th Celebration?

The two Futuristic Rares by YOSHIROTTEN — Mewtwo ex (157/128) and Mew ex (158/128) — sit at the top of the set as the debut of an entirely new rarity. In Japan each was valued around ¥150,000 with a ¥105,000 buyback as of June 8, 2026 (SNKRDUNK), before any English pricing existed.

Are the Base Set reprints in 30th Celebration?

Yes. A separate 30-card Classic Collection reprints franchise landmarks such as Base Set Charizard and Base Set Pikachu, distinct from the 128-card base set (TCGRadar). These come in their own Classic Collection packs, including one guaranteed in the Ultra-Premium Collection.

Is it worth pre-ordering 30th Celebration?

Pre-ordering sealed at MSRP to rip for the FURs is reasonable, but MSRP itself is a moving target: the ETB lists at $49.99 on PHD Games's distributor sheet and $54.99 on Pokémon's storefront, so treat the low-$50s as fair and flag only listings well above ~$55 (or above the $26.94 Booster Bundle) as markups. Because there is no early-supply region this cycle, the common Pikachu run is cheaper as post-launch singles than as pack pulls.