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Pokémon guides

Our Pokémon guides, from buying advice to set guides and drop reports. Guides that apply to every game are under All Games.

Looking for a particular set? Browse set guides →

Buying safely

What to check before you pay: repacks, weighed packs and risky listings.

• Pokémon Updated Oct 10, 202630th Celebration Ultra-Premium CollectionWhere to try for the 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection (Day or Night) at its $179.99 MSRP on November 6: Pokémon Center, Best Buy, Walmart drawings and the other big stores, and what to check before you pay.
• Pokémon Updated Oct 5, 2026Japanese vs English PokémonHow Japanese packs and boxes differ, how Japanese sets line up with English ones, and why loose packs, especially Japanese ones, can be weighed.
• Pokémon Updated Oct 8, 2026Pokémon Center invite codesHow Pokémon Center's emailed invitations work, what it says and doesn't say, what happened on October 5, and how it compares with Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon and Riot.
• Pokémon Updated Oct 8, 2026Walmart drawings and Pokémon Center queuesHow Walmart's collectibles drawing and Pokémon Center's virtual queue work: how to enter or wait, what happens if you're picked or get in, what Walmart has charged against MSRP, and how to be ready.

Getting started

The words collectors use, how prereleases work, and how each game sells.

• Pokémon Updated Oct 7, 2026Pokémon buying guideWhat a new Pokémon player should buy first, what Delta Reign contains and should cost, where you can buy at MSRP right now, and how to get an alert.

Live pages

• Releases →Dates, MSRP and how certain each date is.
• Windows →Pre-orders, drawings and queues as they open.
• Deals →Vetted shops at or near MSRP.