🔗 Share this article

Marking the launch of a captivating new book Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology, an exciting partnership is underway. The Pokémon Company alongside London's Natural History Museum are opening a pop-up shop featuring exclusive merchandise. Fans can look forward to offerings including stationery, plushes, and artwork that are drawing from the institution's theme. For collectors, however, is a specially made Pikachu card, offered as a free bonus at the pop-up. The store is scheduled both the physical location to online between late January and mid-April.

Pokécology Behind the Partnership

Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology is a highly anticipated tome filled with beautiful illustrations that show creatures in their wild environments. The concept like what an in-world scientist might publish once adventurers submit their data, or what Charles Darwin could have sketched if the famous islands were populated by Pidgeys rather than finches. A key appeal stems from the book's serious treatment, treating Pokémon as a legitimate scientific inquiry. Writer Yoshinari Yonehara and artist Chihiro Kinoshita each possess doctorate degrees in animal behavior and ecology.

What Makes This Special Card Stand Out

It is common to issue special edition promos celebrating big events or crossover partnerships. Many of these promotional cards typically highlight the famous electric rodent who serves as the series face. What distinguishes this new promotion apart however, is the unusually large size. Although exact measurements were not immediately shared, availability is guaranteed to be strictly limited, with customers limited to just one card per purchase.

Limiting Speculator Activity

According to an official statement, some of the pop-up items may also be available outside the museum walls. However, broader availability is slated for select retailers within the UK. Critically, collectors will not be able to purchase the card via the online Pokémon Center. Although reseller interest is inevitable, it appears they will have trouble hoarding mass quantities on this occasion. For those unable to attend, consider an alternative like fossil-themed display coming to Chicago later this year.

"All profits of sales from the museum store and from its online store, including Pokémon products, go toward the Natural History Museum’s non-profit work. That encompasses the research of 400 scientists dedicated to scientific inquiry and finding solutions to the global ecological crisis," the statement says.