Pokémon Centers, the franchise’s official stores at which Pokémon merchandise of all sorts can be purchased, have come a long way since the very first one opened in Osaka in 1998. In November 2020, the 16th active Pokémon Center opened in Kanazawa. In conjunction with its grand opening, Creatures Inc. released a promotional Pokémon TCG card—a Pikachu card aptly bearing the name “Kanazawa’s Pikachu”.

The card’s illustration depicts Kanazawa’s Pikachu clad in traditional Japanese clothing with Poké Ball patterns on the sleeves. There are also several unspecified large objects in the background—one of which bears the tail pattern of Milotic, the signature Pokémon of the Kanazawa Pokémon Center. On the right side of the card is the Kanazawa Pokémon Center’s logo featuring Pikachu and Milotic.

Kanazawa’s Pikachu also has an attack that directly refers to the opening of the Chūbu region’s first-ever Pokémon Center. This is the attack New Open which has both players reveal the top card of their deck, then add that card to their hand—hinting at the merchandise that can be obtained at the Pokémon Center.

This card’s appeal stems from its scarcity. It was only available during a specific campaign in the lead-up to opening day. During that campaign, this card would be thrown in as a freebie for all buyers at any Pokémon Center.

This card was never released in English.

One copy of a Kanazawa’s Pikachu (S-P Promotional Cards 144/S-P) card costs 10,500 JPY (~US$67).

In other TCG-related news, check out the Trickstar Noble Angel card from Duelist Pack: Duelists of Brilliance. Alternatively, you can also head over to the SNKRDUNK App via the banner below and find the top trending and latest single cards and boxes.