The 30th Anniversary Starters Are Already Splitting the Market

Everyone remembers their first starter. That is the hook here. The 30th Anniversary First Partner Illustration Collection takes the old Grass, Fire, or Water decision and puts it back in front of collectors, this time as a run of illustration-style promos.

The result is already uneven, which is usually where things get interesting. Charmander is not behaving like Chimchar. Totodile is not behaving like Popplio. Some cards are being chased immediately; others are sitting in the range where set-builders can still move slowly.

The Release

The First Partner Illustration Collection is a 2026 anniversary product built around illustration rare-style promo cards of the starter Pokemon. Each collection includes a special promo pack containing three of nine first partner promo cards, plus two regular Pokemon TCG booster packs and a sticker sheet.

The release is split by regions:

Series	Regions	Starters	Release date
Series 1	Kanto, Sinnoh, Alola	Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Turtwig, Chimchar, Piplup, Rowlet, Litten, Popplio	March 20, 2026
Series 2	Johto, Unova, Galar	Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble	June 19, 2026
Series 3	Hoenn, Kalos, Paldea	Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, Chespin, Fennekin, Froakie, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, Quaxly	Reported for August 7, 2026

The best cards in the run work because they feel tied to place. The Kanto trio leans into the old colour palette and landmarks. Other regions have their own references and visual rhythm. These are starter promos, yes, but the appeal is closer to a set of small regional posters.

The Distribution

As of June 27, 2026, prices are already spread out.

The Kanto cards sit at the top of Series 1. Recent TCGplayer market prices put Charmander #038 around $45, Bulbasaur #037 around $37, and Squirtle #039 around the low-to-mid $30s depending on the snapshot. That is a familiar hierarchy, but not a flat one: the spread is meaningful enough that collectors are already choosing between the Kanto names and the cheaper cards behind them.

The rest of Series 1 is much softer. Piplup has been trading around the mid-teens, while Turtwig, Chimchar, Rowlet, Litten, and Popplio sit closer to the $6-$9 range. Series 1 is not moving as one product anymore. It is Kanto at the front, then a much cheaper second layer behind it.

Series 2 is newer and less settled, but the early pattern is interesting. Totodile is leading strongly around the mid-$30s, with Cyndaquil in the high-$20s. Chikorita sits lower, around $20. The Unova and Galar starters are more compressed, generally ranging from the high single digits to mid-teens, with Grookey and Oshawott showing more early strength than Sobble or Tepig.

For now, the rough map looks like this:

Tier	Starters	Read
Front runners	Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Totodile, Cyndaquil	The names people search first
Middle of the board	Chikorita, Piplup, Oshawott, Grookey, Snivy, Scorbunny	Still accessible, but not ignored
Set-builder range	Turtwig, Chimchar, Rowlet, Litten, Popplio, Tepig, Sobble	Cheaper entries for full-region or full-series collectors

This is not a prediction. It is a snapshot. Modern promo pricing moves quickly, especially while product is still being opened and graded populations are forming.

What Collectors Should Notice

Kanto still pulls the hardest. Even in a product covering every generation, the original trio is where the fastest money went first.

Water starters are worth watching. Squirtle and Totodile are obvious, but Piplup and Oshawott also give collectors a clean route through the release if they do not want to chase every card.

The trios matter. Kanto, Sinnoh, Alola, Johto, Unova, and Galar each read better as a group than as loose singles. That makes complete regional sets feel more natural than a random pile of favourites.

Condition will matter. These are promo-pack cards, and promo cards are not always kind to people chasing clean corners and tidy surfaces. Raw copies may look plentiful while genuinely gradeable copies are thinner.

Peko Note

Peko is tracking the 30th Anniversary starter promos as part of the modern illustration run. Selected examples, including the First Partners 30th Anniversary Box and cards such as Charmander #38 and Chimchar #41, can be viewed through the gallery when available. We will add more when the card, condition, and price all make sense.

For collectors building around modern illustration rares, the natural next stop is the Graded Collection or the Ungraded Collection.

Closing

The 30th Anniversary starters are doing what starters usually do: making people pick a side. The obvious cards are already priced like obvious cards. The better question is which one you would still want after the first wave of noise fades.