The Pokémon Company International UK is teaming up with London’s Natural History Museum for a new collaboration, and it comes with an exclusive promo card that’s already getting attention.
The centrepiece is a “Pikachu at the Museum” jumbo promo card, available only through in-person purchases at the museum’s Pokémon pop-up shop and at select UK retailers. Notably, this card was revealed after tickets for the museum’s Pokémon event had already sold out, a move that feels deliberate given past promo chaos.
At the museum, the jumbo card will be offered as a gift with purchase at the Pokémon pop-up shop from January 26 through April 19. You won’t be able to buy the card on its own, and it won’t be available online.
Starting January 30, the same jumbo promo will also be included as a gift with purchase at select UK retailers. However, those stores haven’t been announced yet. What has been made clear is where the card won’t be sold: not online or through the Pokémon Centre website.
That restriction alone is likely to shape how this release plays out.
The museum’s Pokémon pop-up will sell a range of collaboration items, all inspired by Japan’s Pokécology book. These items will be available:
• In person at the Natural History Museum
• Through the museum’s online shop, which ships only to the UK
Some of the products will also appear at the UK Pokémon Centre in early February, which ships exclusively within the UK.
Purchase limits are strict but precise:
• One of each item per customer
• Five items total per customer, whether shopping in-store or online
Those limits suggest lessons were learned from earlier collaborations.
This entire event pulls its theme from Pokécology. This Japanese book explores Pokémon through the lens of real-world ecology and natural science. The book has now been translated into English. It is currently [available for preorder on Amazon](https://amzn.to/450UhS5), with a release date of April 21.
The museum setting makes sense here. Pokémon framed as part of a natural ecosystem fits neatly into the Natural History Museum’s identity, and it gives this collaboration a more educational tone than most Pokémon merch drops.
There’s a reason collectors are paying attention. In 2023, The Pokémon Company International collaborated with the Van Gogh Museum on the now-infamous “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” promo. That release spiralled into mass scalping, staff theft, resale scandals, and widespread frustration before the promo was eventually discontinued.
This time, the signs point to tighter control. No online availability for the card. Limited regions. Purchase caps. And a reveal that came after event tickets were already gone.
Whether that’s enough to avoid a repeat remains to be seen, but the structure is clearly different.
For now, one thing is sure: if you want Pikachu at the Museum, you’ll need to show up in person, shop carefully, and hope the lessons of the past actually stuck.
The centrepiece is a “Pikachu at the Museum” jumbo promo card, available only through in-person purchases at the museum’s Pokémon pop-up shop and at select UK retailers. Notably, this card was revealed after tickets for the museum’s Pokémon event had already sold out, a move that feels deliberate given past promo chaos.
How to get the jumbo Pikachu promo card
At the museum, the jumbo card will be offered as a gift with purchase at the Pokémon pop-up shop from January 26 through April 19. You won’t be able to buy the card on its own, and it won’t be available online.
Starting January 30, the same jumbo promo will also be included as a gift with purchase at select UK retailers. However, those stores haven’t been announced yet. What has been made clear is where the card won’t be sold: not online or through the Pokémon Centre website.
That restriction alone is likely to shape how this release plays out.
Merchandise details and purchase limits
The museum’s Pokémon pop-up will sell a range of collaboration items, all inspired by Japan’s Pokécology book. These items will be available:
• In person at the Natural History Museum
• Through the museum’s online shop, which ships only to the UK
Some of the products will also appear at the UK Pokémon Centre in early February, which ships exclusively within the UK.
Purchase limits are strict but precise:
• One of each item per customer
• Five items total per customer, whether shopping in-store or online
Those limits suggest lessons were learned from earlier collaborations.
The Pokécology connection
This entire event pulls its theme from Pokécology. This Japanese book explores Pokémon through the lens of real-world ecology and natural science. The book has now been translated into English. It is currently [available for preorder on Amazon](https://amzn.to/450UhS5), with a release date of April 21.
The museum setting makes sense here. Pokémon framed as part of a natural ecosystem fits neatly into the Natural History Museum’s identity, and it gives this collaboration a more educational tone than most Pokémon merch drops.
Why fans are watching this closely
There’s a reason collectors are paying attention. In 2023, The Pokémon Company International collaborated with the Van Gogh Museum on the now-infamous “Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat” promo. That release spiralled into mass scalping, staff theft, resale scandals, and widespread frustration before the promo was eventually discontinued.
This time, the signs point to tighter control. No online availability for the card. Limited regions. Purchase caps. And a reveal that came after event tickets were already gone.
Whether that’s enough to avoid a repeat remains to be seen, but the structure is clearly different.
For now, one thing is sure: if you want Pikachu at the Museum, you’ll need to show up in person, shop carefully, and hope the lessons of the past actually stuck.