The First Partner Illustration Collection Promos Are Perfectly Nostalgic
The Pokemon TCG First Partner Illustration Collection made waves when it was announced over a month ago on January 8th. For starters, this only added to the excitement players have been feeling for the greatly anticipated Pokemon 30th celebrations. With more details about the monumental anniversary revealed via the “What’s Your Favorite” Super Bowl Ad, it seems like as good of a time as ever to leak the upcoming promo cards that will be included in the special First Partner Collection pack that comes with the First Partner Illustration Collection releasing on March 30, 2026.
First Partner Collection Illustration Kanto Promos depict key moments from the earliest games
True Pokemon fans are going to fall in love with the officially revealed First Partner Illustration Collection Promo cards revealed in English. Each and every one of these promos featuring starters from three different regions contain subtle Easter Eggs that bring to mind key characteristics about the Pokemon and it’s place in Pokemon history.
For me, however, it’s the starters from Kanto that evoke the greatest feelings of nostalgia. Below let’s dive into each and every element of the three Kanto starter Promo cards.
Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur is the first card we’ll touch on, and you can see from its art how unique this Pokemon card is. Obvious Pokemon lore callouts appear front-and-center here, with the Pokedex in plain site as well as three original Poke Balls – perhaps a nod to the original three Poke Balls containing Kanto’s three starters: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Remember, in the original games, Pikachu was not a choice for players, and would only become the defacto starter for players following the release of Pokemon Yellow.
However, in addition to paying homage to the very first Pokemon Games (Blue and Red in English), this Bulbasaur also pays respects to the fabulous Pokemon Yellow via the inclusion of the Curulean City Gym Badge (the raindrop shape in the upper right corner). In Pokemon Yellow (the very first Pokemon game this trainer played), while Pikachu is your starter Pokemon every time, you can obtain a Bulbasaur from an NPC near Cerulean City. This kind of attention to Pokemon lore raises the stakes for these gorgeous promo cards.
Other nostalgic heavy hitters are included in this card’s fabulous artwork, including Professor Oak’s Lab and your “home” in the original games, as well as Mount Moon and the infamous Clefairy you can catch there. To wrap things up, you also have two more Pokemon badges included in the artwork, a random building that looks like it could be the one you obtain Bulbasaur from in Pokemon Yellow, as well as a forested area with a Pikachu hiding out in it.
Charmander
The Charmander promo, meanwhile, feels like a more straightforward tribute to the original Kanto region. Memorable elements from the original games are included here, like the sleeping Snorlax that you must awaken with a Poke Flute, Lavendar Tower and its infamous Ghost Pokemon, as well as the Fuschia City Gym Badge and the outside of a gym.
The three Kanto starters connect to form one artwork, so you’ll have to combine all three to get the full picture of what’s being conveyed!
Squirtle
Squirtle is depicted here alongside the S.S. Anne – the Pokemon cruise ship that plays an important role in the game. Including the spunky water Pokemon next to the S.S. Anne is about more than just the nautical nature inherit to both entities – in fact it’s in Vermillion City where you both can acquire Squirtle in Pokemon Yellow, as well as the very place you board the S.S. Anne from!
Additional Pokemon landmarks not necessarily tied to Squirtle arte included here, like the bike route, skyscrapers from Celadon City. I’m not 100% sure what the cave being depicted here is but it reminds me of the Seafoam Islands and the caves you can explore there, including one that houses the legendary Articuno.
Sinnoh Pokemon starters include key elements from the Diamon and Pearl games
Diamond and Pearl may not be video games with the same massive cultural impact as the orignal Pokemon games, but they are still memorable in their own ways. The three Sinnoh Region starters are depicted here with equal allusions to the games and also feature connecting artwork. Turtwig is the Pokemon to get the three starter Poke Balls that you can fetch from Professor Rowan’s Briefcase. Other illusions in these cards include a direct nod to the Honey Trees trainers can use to find rare Pokemon in the Chimchar card and a reference to the ancient Solaceon Ruins.
Alola starters are a nod to one of Pokemon’s most unique eras
Alola is a very fun region in the Pokemon world as well as a unique one for the anime – seeing Ash attend school for once like most kids his age do rather than galavanting the world on what sometimes feels like an extended gap year more appropriate for a kid setting of for college than one who is eternally 10 years old.
The beginning part of this Triptych is Rowlet, and unlike the other two generations, Rowlet does not have the three Poke Balls pictures here, but rather an allusion to the town of Melemele where trainers start their adventure in both Alola and the Pokemon Suna nd Moon games.
Many other key items and images depict memorable aspects of this iconic era of Pokemon, including a depiction of the biggest city in Alola – Hau'oli City – on Litten’s card and the memorable Z-Ring – a Ring that enables the powerful Z-Moves introduced in Sun and Moon.
First Partner Illustration Collection Promos inadvertently revealed in China?
While the official English version of the First partner Illustration Collection are now available, they may have originally been spoiled in China. Included in the Chinese “Original Partners” set, news of these cards hit the internet waves hours ahead of the First Partner promos. Whether this was a slight oversight by the Pokemon Company that is more than likely to make headline news when they release the English versions of these promos or if it was done on purpose, we may never know.
“Original Partner” promos spoiled in China
First Partner Illustration Collection preorders now open
With the reveal of the nine Illustration style Pokemon cards available in the First Partner Illustration Collection Booster Pack, Pokemon TCG fans now have more reason than ever to pick up this instant classic collection. Preorders are now available via TCGPlayer. While market prices are admittedly high for this collection (as they seem to be for more current Pokemon products), purchasing via TCGPlayer will help you skip the line at your local department store when this product drops!
Also, don’t forget – this is only Series 1 of the “First Partner Illustration Collection,” meaning more generations will be included and spoiled soon. So stay tuned and check out the Pokemon 30th Anniversary section of the blog for all the latest updates on this epic year for Pokemon!
