The latest Nintendo Direct had nothing Pokemon-related to show fans, which seems odd given that the franchise's 25th anniversary takes place on February 27th. That's not to say The Pokemon Company hasn't been celebrating, though, as McDonald's has been running a Pokemon TCG promo.
One could that this promo is basically the same as Burger King's gold card promo, as they are similar if different in many ways, but the simple truth is fans old and new alike want these cards. Therefore, knowing what's out there, knowing what one owns, and knowing how to get more are all vital steps in doing what every Pokemon trainer must in this promo: catch (collect) 'em all.
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Those on the hunt for these Pokemon cards should be aware of a few key facts: there are 25 of them (with each having a standard and a holo edition), corresponding with the 25th anniversary. These cards are basically identical to their original run, except they bear a 25th anniversary logo on the bottom right. For those thinking these cards may be worth money some day, it's worth noting that these McDonald's Pokemon Promo cards are not worth a lot of cash. This hasn't stopped scalpers from snatching them up, but this is a hobby born form passion and nostalgia, not a lot of money.
Of course, even 25 cards can be confusing to keep up with, so here's a convenient and ordered check list. Simply put, there's 1 Pikachu card and the remaining 24 cards are the three starters from every generation. As such, this check list has been ordered by generation which seems to be the best way to order them. After all, knowing that someone has a Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle means one generation is complete, and while that one's pretty simple, it can be confusing to remember which generation Pokemon like Fennekin and Snivy belong.
Gen 1
- Pikachu - Unified Minds (2019)
- Bulbasaur - Shining Legends (2017)
- Charmander - Burning Shadows (2017)
- Squirtle - Unbroken Bonds (2019)
Gen 2
- Chikorita - Lost Thunder (2018)
- Cyndaquil - Lost Thunder (2018)
- Totodile - Phantom Forces (2014)
Gen 3
- Treecko - X and Y Black Star Promo (2014)
- Torchic - X and Y Black Star Promo (2014)
- Mudkip - X and Y Black Star Promo (2013)
Gen 4
- Turtwig - Ultra Prism (2018)
- Chimchar - Ultra Prism (2018)
- Piplup - Ultra Prism (2018)
Gen 5
- Snivy - Black and White Black Star Promo (2011)
- Oshawott - Black and White Black Star Promo (2011)
- Tepig - Black and White Black Star Promo (2011)
Gen 6
- Chespin - Kalos Starter Set (2013)
- Fennekin - Kalos Starter Set (2013)
- Froakie - Kalos Starter Set (2013)
Gen 7
- Rowlet - Sun and Moon (2017)
- Litten - Sun and Moon (2017)
- Popplio - Sun and Moon (2017)
Gen 8
- Grookey - Sword and Shield Black Star Promo (2019)
- Scorbunny - Sword and Shield Black Star Promo (2019)
- Sobble - Sword and Shield Black Star Promo (2019)
A pack of 4 Pokemon cards comes with every Happy Meal, so even if every single card happened to be new to the purchaser (or of the alternate standard/holo), it would take at least 13 Happy Meal purchases. Because this situation is highly unlikely, it's probably going to take a lot more than that. The average cost of a McDonald's Happy Meal in the United States is about $3.76, which totals up to 48.88 (not including taxes).
In other words, while it may err to the pricier side than what some may be willing to pay for a random chance at the cards, it's not so expensive that those invested can't take the time to get them, nor is it so expensive that the scalpers are eating up real luxuries like the PS5 or Xbox Series X.
One thing that is worth noting is that it's a lot of Happy Meals purchased to find these cards. While it's not apparently company-wide policy, depending on where someone lives, some stores have reportedly just sold the Pokemon cards instead of a plethora of Happy Meals. That seemingly varies from location to location, so it wouldn't hurt to ask, and it's hard to imagine scalpers buying 50+ Happy Meals and actually using all of that food. But, ultimately, fans wanting to collect every single card in both variants have a hunt ahead of them, but hopefully, this check list helps.
McDonald's Pokemon Promo is going on now.
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