Pokemon TCG collectors got a fresh target on 9 May 2026, and your Bulbasaur from March may have just got siblings. Series 2 of the First Partner Illustration Collection lands on 19 June with Illustration Rare promos for nine starter Pokemon, this time covering Johto, Unova, and Galar. Pokemon China dropped the artwork to confirm the second wave of the 30th anniversary celebration, and Galar fans finally have a real reason to forgive March's Kanto-heavy Series 1.
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See how it worksEach $14.99 box contains a special First Partner Pack with three Illustration Rare promos drawn at random from one of the three regions, plus two regular boosters from the 2026 Scarlet & Violet cycle (Perfect Order or Chaos Rising) and a sticker sheet. The featured starters are Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile from Johto, Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott from Unova, and Grookey, Scorbunny and Sobble from Galar. That works out to three boxes minimum if you want all nine, and four to five in practice once duplicates start stacking.
Worth knowing: this version uses standard-sized cards with the Illustration Rare treatment rather than the oversized jumbo cards from the 2021 First Partner Packs. That is good news for binder collectors but slightly less satisfying if you wanted desk-display pieces. The promo art is detailed enough that gym badges, locations, and small Easter eggs sit inside the frames, and Cinderace fans get one of the more striking pulls in the wave.
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Find events near youSeries 1 sold out fast after its 30 March drop, and Series 2 is likely to do the same, especially with retailer pre-orders already going up at Best Buy and UK chains. Series 3 covering Hoenn, Kalos, and Paldea is expected later in the year. Time to dust off the Pokemon group chat and decide who is chasing which region. If you are after a TCG night to trade dupes, find a Pokemon community near you.
