The game’s golden anniversary is still 30 years away, but you can get your hands on a pure-gold Pokémon card this winter.
This month marks 20 years since the initial release of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. While the paper-based arm of the Pocket Monster franchise may not have soared to quite the same level of worldwide fame and fortune as its video game and anime cousins, two decades of sustained success is a serious achievement for a collectible card game, and so the Pokémon Company has come up with something very special to celebrate the milestone.
As part of a partnership with Japanese company Tanaka Precious Metals, the Pokémon Company is now taking orders for a reissue of the very first Pikachu card. That would be cool enough in and of itself, but this card is made with pure gold!
Pikachu has had dozens of Pocket Monster cards bear his likeness, but the historical basis of this 20th-anniversary version means it retains his original attack set of Gnaw and Thunder jolt.
The two old-school moves are listed as causing 10 and 30 points of damage, respectively. Meanwhile, this luxurious Pokémon card, which uses 11 grams (0.4 ounces) of 24-karat gold and comes with an acrylic display case, will hit your wallet with a purchase price of 216,000 yen (US$2,100). Orders can be placed through Pokémon Center Online here, or online retailer 7net here, between now and November 7, with delivery scheduled for late December.
Oh, and if you’re planning to save your money by winning the card off another Pokémon Trading Card Game player, you’re out of luck, as the Pokémon Company has stated that use of the gold Pikachu card is not allowed in official tournaments or competitive play.
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he wrote this whole article under the watchful gaze of a Pikachu paper visor.