🔗 Share this article

To celebrate the launch of the fascinating new book Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology, a unique partnership has been formed. The Pokémon Company and London's Natural History Museum are opening a temporary store featuring special items. Enthusiasts can look forward to products like stationery, plushes, and artwork all inspired by the museum's theme. For collectors, though, is a limited-edition Pikachu card, given as a free bonus at the pop-up. This shop will operate from on-site at the museum and its web counterpart from January 26 to April 19.

Pokécology That Inspires the Collaboration

Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology is a highly anticipated tome filled with beautiful illustrations that show Pokémon in their wild environments. It's essentially like the kind of research a Pokémon Professor could produce once trainers submit their data, or what Charles Darwin could have sketched had the Galapagos were populated by Pidgeys rather than finches. Part of the charm lies in the book's serious treatment, treating Pokémon as a legitimate subject for study. Writer Yoshinari Yonehara together with artist Chihiro Kinoshita each possess doctorate degrees in ecology and behavioral science.

What Makes This Promo Card Stand Out

It is common for The Pokémon Company special edition cards for major tournaments and crossover partnerships. A lot of these collector items often feature the famous electric rodent that acts as the franchise mascot. The factor setting this latest promotion apart is its distinctly bigger dimensions. While exact measurements were not immediately shared, its distribution will certainly be highly restricted, and customers limited to only a single card with each transaction.

Limiting Speculator Activity

Per a company statement, some of the pop-up items will also be sold beyond the museum walls. However, a wider release is slated for specific stores in the UK. Critically, collectors will not be able to purchase the card through the online Pokémon Center. While reseller interest is inevitable, it appears they're going to have trouble hoarding mass quantities this time around. For those unable to attend, consider an alternative like fossil-themed display headed to Chicago later this year.

"Every penny of sales made in the Museum shop and from its web shop, including these items, support the Natural History Museum’s non-profit work. This includes the research of 400 scientists who are conducting studies to discover answers to the planetary emergency," it notes.