21 Pokémon Memes Celebrating 30 Years of Catching, Training, and Choosing the Same Starter Every Time

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Celeste Mello • Writer and Editor
Sep 17, 2026 7:00 AM EDT

Pokémon is officially 30 years old, which means the franchise is old enough to have a retirement account. Longtime fans who grew up with it now have to decide whether to use their life savings to buy the new set of Pokémon cards or save for a house.

Being a Pokémon fan at 30 means having an emergency fund for these kinds of special events. Limited releases are an emergency, anniversaries are an emergency, and a new set of Pokémon cards is an emergency too. The Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion arrived yesterday with more than 150 cards, including 30 Pikachu rare cards and 30 iconic cards. Every millennial who has ever claimed to be responsible with money is now waiting in line to buy this. 

The child who once traded cards at recess is now asked if they want to pay with a credit card or direct deposit. The same people have enough adult confidence to call the Elite Trainer Box a long-term investment. Investment in happiness and self-well-being. Retirement can wait, your first home can wait, but Pokémon cards can't.  

Pokémon's anniversary represents more than just a new set of rare Pikachu cards. The excitement of opening a pack and seeing a flash of something shiny is still thrilling, but this special event is about more than that. It also reminds us that fans have spent three decades catching hundreds of creatures, memorizing type matchups, and insisting they will choose a different starter this time (you won't). Loyalty as a Pokémon fan is part of the fun. I'm not overspending. I'm celebrating pop culture history today.

So yes, saving for your first home is important. But so is celebrating thirty years of Pokémon with a brand new set of shiny cards, don't you think? Besides, you'll have your own house someday. You'll get there, and once you do that, you will be able to fill all your living-room shelves with your best Pokémon card collectibles. Now that's cool and geeky home decor. 

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pokemon memes pokemon anniversary pokemon cards pokemon 30th anniversary new pokemon pikachu memes card collecting millennial nostalgia elite trainer box
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