{"id":7933,"date":"2026-08-15T20:28:31","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T12:28:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-tcg-30th-celebration-sugimori-pikachu-card\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T20:28:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T12:28:31","slug":"pokemon-tcg-30th-celebration-sugimori-pikachu-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-tcg-30th-celebration-sugimori-pikachu-card\/","title":{"rendered":"Pok\u00e9mon TCG 30th Celebration \u2014 Sugimori\u2019s Pikachu Is Card #01\/30"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Pok\u00e9mon TCG\u2019s upcoming <strong>30th Celebration<\/strong> expansion has been building excitement since its June announcement, but the reveal of card #01\/30 in the Pikachu subset just made things personal for collectors who grew up with the original game. <strong>Ken Sugimori<\/strong> \u2014 whose art defined what Pok\u00e9mon looked like for an entire generation \u2014 is back as a card illustrator, and the Pikachu he drew for this set is exactly as nostalgic as you\u2019d hope.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gt-video\">\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/05w9UVH6zoQ\" title=\"Pok\u00e9mon TCG: 30th Celebration | Available September 16\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;\" allow=\"accelerometer;clipboard-write;encrypted-media;gyroscope;picture-in-picture;web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption>Pok\u00e9mon TCG: 30th Celebration | Available September 16 \u2014 via The Official Pok\u00e9mon YouTube channel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Sugimori\u2019s Pikachu Card \u2014 Card #01\/30<\/h2>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pokemon-tcg-30th-pikachu-ken-sugimori.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Ken Sugimori Pikachu card 01\/30 from Pok\u00e9mon TCG 30th Celebration\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The card is numbered <strong>017\/103<\/strong> in the full set and <strong>01\/30<\/strong> in the Pikachu promo subset. Sugimori\u2019s Pikachu has 70 HP, one attack (Electric Shock, 20 damage with a coin flip for paralysis), and a design that sits comfortably between the rounded \u201cchubbychu\u201d of the original Base Set and today\u2019s slimmer look \u2014 a deliberate echo of the classic Jungle expansion Pikachu, also illustrated by Sugimori. The sparkle foil treatment and large 30th Anniversary watermark on the card back complete the celebratory feel.<\/p>\n<p>Sugimori\u2019s credit on the card matters because, since the Scarlet &amp; Violet era, he has been listed as a supervisor on the TCG rather than a card artist. His return to drawing the card himself \u2014 for the set\u2019s first Pikachu \u2014 is the kind of detail that long-time collectors notice. The set\u2019s artwork across its 30 Pikachu cards <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pokebeach.com\/2026\/08\/pikachu-by-ken-sugimori-revealed-for-30th-celebration\">has been covered at Pok\u00e9Beach<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Atsuko Nishida Draws Card #25\/30<\/h2>\n<p>Sugimori is not the only legend in the 30-card Pikachu subset. <strong>Atsuko Nishida<\/strong> \u2014 the Game Freak designer who created Pikachu\u2019s original character design \u2014 illustrates card #25\/30. Having both the artist who painted Pikachu\u2019s Base Set portrait and the designer who gave Pikachu its look in the same expansion is as close as the TCG gets to a tribute to the character\u2019s origins.<\/p>\n<h2>The September 16 Global Launch \u2014 What It Means for Singapore Collectors<\/h2>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pokemon-tcg-30th-pikachu-ex-day-night.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Pok\u00e9mon TCG 30th Celebration Pikachu ex Day and Night cards\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of The Pok\u00e9mon Company<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As we noted in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-tcg-30th-celebration-japan-lottery-august-10-2026\/\">coverage of the Japan lottery<\/a>, the 30th Celebration expansion breaks a 30-year tradition: it launches <strong>simultaneously worldwide on 16 September 2026<\/strong>. For Singapore collectors who have always waited weeks or imported from Japan, getting the same cards on the same day as every other market is genuinely historic.<\/p>\n<p>Every booster pack in the expansion contains at least one foil Pikachu rare from the 30-card subset \u2014 and every card in the 30th Celebration set is foil, with no standard non-foil commons or uncommons in the base print run. The Futuristic rare slots feature Mew ex and Mewtwo ex in eye-catching holographic finishes, shown in the official trailer above. Singapore fans can also connect to the TCG community through events like <a href=\"\/blog\/category\/event\/\">local TCG gatherings and conventions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--GT-SCOUT source=\"Web (English)\" theme=\"Pokemon\" flags=\"none\"--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ken Sugimori returns as a Pok\u00e9mon TCG card illustrator with a classic-style Pikachu for the 30th Celebration set. Plus: Atsuko Nishida draws card #25\/30, and the September 16 launch will be the first ever simultaneous worldwide Pok\u00e9mon TCG release.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":7927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[30],"tags":[304,1209,526,1117,330],"class_list":["post-7933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-30th-anniversary","tag-ken-sugimori","tag-pikachu","tag-pokemon-tcg-2","tag-trading-card-game"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pokemon-tcg-30th-celebration-cards.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p13AlF-23X","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3285,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-tcg-30th-celebration-september-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":7933,"position":0},"title":"Pok\u00e9mon TCG 30th Celebration Revealed \u2014 First-Ever Worldwide Release on 16 September","date":"June 3, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Pok\u00e9mon TCG 30th Celebration set lands worldwide on 16 September 2026 \u2014 every card foil, 30 unique Pikachu variants per set, a brand-new Futuristic Rare rarity, and iconic classic reprints. Here's what Singapore Trainers need to know.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/poke30_booster.webp?fit=656%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7461,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-tcg-30th-celebration-japan-lottery-august-10-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":7933,"position":1},"title":"Pok\u00e9mon TCG 30th Celebration: Japan Lottery Opens Monday","date":"August 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Japan lottery for Pok\u00e9mon TCG 30th Celebration MEGA products opens this Monday 10 August, with a new anti-scalper ID check. Here's what SG collectors need to know.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pokemon-tcg-30th-celebration-booster-pack.png?fit=656%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7622,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-run-30-singapore-november-2026-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":7933,"position":2},"title":"Pok\u00e9mon RUN 30 Singapore: Everything You Need to Know","date":"August 11, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Pok\u00e9mon RUN 30 Singapore Edition lands at The Kallang on 7\u20138 November 2026. Tickets from S$138, the Festival Zone is free for all, and every runner gets a TCG 30th Celebration Booster Pack. Here's the complete guide.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Event&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/pokemon-run-30-sg-race-start.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4569,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-tcg-pocket-everyday-wonders-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":7933,"position":3},"title":"Pok\u00e9mon TCG Pocket: Everyday Wonders Drops Now With 100+ New Cards","date":"July 1, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Everyday Wonders is live in Pok\u00e9mon TCG Pocket \u2014 100+ new cards featuring Pikachu, Sylveon, Snorlax and a Mega Diancie ex debut. Open now on iOS and Android.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ptcgp-everyday-wonders-banner.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4202,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-tcg-pocket-everyday-wonders-june-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":7933,"position":4},"title":"Pok\u00e9mon TCG Pocket: Everyday Wonders Launches 30 June \u2014 Mega Diancie ex, Cosy Cards, July Events","date":"June 25, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Pok\u00e9mon TCG Pocket's Everyday Wonders expansion launches 30 June at 9am SGT \u2014 featuring Mega Diancie ex, Dedenne ex, Pikachu, Snorlax, Piplup and a packed July events calendar for Singapore players.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pokemon-tcg-pocket-everyday-wonders-key-art.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3313,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/pokemon-run-30-singapore-november-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":7933,"position":5},"title":"Pok\u00e9mon RUN 30 Is Heading to Singapore This November","date":"June 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Pok\u00e9mon RUN 30 lands in Singapore on 7\u20138 November 2026 at The Kallang \u2014 4km fun run, free Festival Zone, Pikachu Parade, and Pok\u00e9mon GO bonuses await.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Event&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/pokemon-run-30-hero.jpg?fit=1000%2C562&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7933"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7933\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}