The year is 1999, I’ve just gotten home from school and grabbed my red Gameboy Pocket. There’s no need to change the cartridge – Pokémon Yellow is right there, waiting for me.
The task before me is crystal clear: I’ve gotta catch ’em all.
The games that started it all. (Youtube/platypusduck54)
The original 151 Pokémon remind me of a childhood spent playing Pokémon Yellow, my trusty Pikachu following behind me on my journey around Kanto. They remind me of the rare booster packs I was given by my parents as gifts on birthdays or Christmas, and then taking those cards to school to show my friends, or to trade for other cards I wanted. They remind me of someone’s Charizard being stolen and the subsequent ban on Pokémon cards at school.
The original holy grail, Charizard – alongside Venusaur and Blastoise (Supplied)
A simpler time? Perhaps. But as an adult, I have one thing younger me didn’t: disposable income I’m willing to expend in a (foolhardy) attempt to recapture those feelings.
READ MORE: Hunt begins for One Ring Magic the Gathering card
So, like many others, I was thrilled when I heard rumblings earlier this year that the Pokémon Company were planning on releasing a set of trading cards dedicated exclusively to the original Pokémon that I fondly remember setting out to capture over 20 years ago on my trusty Gameboy Pocket.
Just four of the English Pokémon 151 card have been unveiled. (Pokémon)
The Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) have now formally announced a special “holiday” Scarlet Violet set, “Pokémon 151” to cash in on the nostalgia many of us feel about this special group of Pokémon. The set will feature over 160 cards, including the original 151 Pokémon in Pokédex order, followed by 14 Trainer cards. Then the fun begins…
An alt-art version of Japan’s 151 Charizard. (Supplied)
The set also includes 45 additional “secret” cards, a mix of Illustration Rares, Ultra Rares, Special Illustration Rares and Hyper Rares – in layman’s terms these cards are best described as holographic cards with alternative artworks than the standard cards and have high levels of scarcity. Many of these “secret” cards are already expected to be highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike.
READ MORE:
Review | Final Fantasy XVI ‘This is why I play Video Games’ (PS5)
The Pokémon 151 set will release on September 22 and is currently available for preorder.
