Pokemon TCG: Celebrations Set

Released (English)	8 October 2021
Released (Japanese)	22 October 2021
Cards (English)	50 (25 main set + 25 Classic Collection)
Set type	Special expansion — 25th Anniversary
Series	Sword & Shield (Generation VIII)
Set abbreviation	CEL
Japanese set	25th Anniversary Collection (S8a)
Previous expansion	Evolving Skies
Following expansion	Fusion Strike
Signature cards	Base Set Charizard · Umbreon ☆ · Mew (25/25)

Overview

Pokémon TCG: Celebrations was the game’s 25th-Anniversary set, released on 8 October 2021. Rather than a normal expansion it was a compact “special set” — like Shining Fates or Champion’s Path, its packs were never sold as sealed booster boxes and could only be found inside Celebrations-branded products. Every Celebrations pack is a treat to open: it holds just four cards, and, unusually, every single one of them is a holo.

Celebrations is really two sets in one. The main set is 25 brand-new cards that pair modern Pokémon with card designs and mechanics from across the franchise’s history. Sitting alongside it is the 25-card Classic Collection — near-exact reprints of some of the most iconic and beloved cards ever printed, from a 1999 Base Set Charizard to a 2017 Tapu Lele GX, each given a dazzling new “Confetti” holofoil and a gold 25th-anniversary stamp. Together they form a 50-card master set that, for once, was genuinely realistic to complete. The Japanese counterpart, the 25th Anniversary Collection (S8a), followed on 22 October 2021.

Quick menu: Overview · Set Highlights · The Classic Collection · Products · English vs. Japanese · Set List · Most Valuable Cards · Controversies · Trivia · Images & Videos

Set Highlights: The Modern 25

The 25-card main set is a nostalgia machine. It reaches back to the very start of the game — its Professor’s Research is drawn in the exact style of the original 1999 Professor Oak — and revives fan-favourite gimmick cards like Flying Pikachu and Surfing Pikachu, now upgraded all the way to V and VMAX. The card everyone chased, though, was the secret-rare Mew (25/25), a gorgeous throwback to the promotional Mew of the late 1990s.

The Classic Collection: 25 Legends

The heart of Celebrations is the Classic Collection — 25 hand-picked reprints that tell the story of the whole game in a single subset. Each card was chosen because it mattered: a format-defining engine, a legendary chase card, a historic first, or simply a piece of art a generation grew up with. Every one keeps its original collector number (so you will spot mixed denominators like 4/102 and 88/92) and wears a brand-new “Confetti” holofoil with a gold 25th-anniversary stamp. The table below groups all 25 by era — where each came from, and why it earned its place. Click any card to view it full-size.

Card	Orig. No.	Card Name	Originally From	First Released
The Wizards of the Coast Era — 1999 to 2001
	2/102	Blastoise	Base Set	Jan 1999
	Why it’s a classic Holo Rare. Blastoise’s “Rain Dance” Poké-Power let you attach unlimited Water Energy every turn, powering one of the game’s first dominant decks. As one of the three Base Set starter holos it is pure 1999 nostalgia — and the 1998 “Presentation” Blastoise prototype is among the most valuable cards ever made.
	4/102	Charizard	Base Set	Jan 1999
	Why it’s a classic Holo Rare. The single most famous card in the hobby. Mitsuhiro Arita’s 120-HP, Fire Spin Charizard was the chase card of a generation, and the 1st-Edition Shadowless version remains a five- and six-figure grail. No 25th-anniversary retrospective could leave it out.
	15/102	Venusaur	Base Set	Jan 1999
	Why it’s a classic Holo Rare. Venusaur completes the Base Set starter trio, and Arita’s artwork is one of the most-seen images in TCG history — it fronted the original Base Set booster packs and boxes. Its “Energy Trans” Power anchored the earliest Grass strategies.
	73/102	Imposter Professor Oak	Base Set	Jan 1999
	Why it’s a classic Rare · Trainer. A mischievous mirror-image of Professor Oak: rather than refreshing your own hand, it forces your opponent to shuffle theirs away and draw a fresh seven. One of the foundational 1999 Base Set Trainers and a beloved slice of early disruption.
	8/82	Dark Gyarados	Team Rocket	Apr 2000
	Why it’s a classic Holo Rare. The standout holo of the “Dark Pokémon” subset that defined Team Rocket — the first set to reimagine familiar Pokémon as sinister, team-corrupted versions. Kagemaru Himeno’s menacing art nods to the red Gyarados at the Lake of Rage.
	15/82	Here Comes Team Rocket!	Team Rocket	Apr 2000
	Why it’s a classic Holo Rare · Trainer. A genuine historical first — among the very first holofoil Trainer cards ever printed, and in Japan the first card to carry the “SR” (Super Rare) rarity that is now a franchise mainstay. Ken Sugimori’s Jessie-and-James artwork is instantly recognisable.
	15/132	Rocket’s Zapdos	Gym Challenge	Oct 2000
	Why it’s a classic Holo Rare. Team Rocket’s corrupted take on a Legendary bird, from the Gym Challenge set. Its “Electroburn” attack struck for a huge 70 damage, making it a memorable heavy-hitter and a prized Gym-era chase card.
	#24	Birthday Pikachu	Wizards Promo	2000
	Why it’s a classic Promo. The whimsical “Happy Birthday Pikachu,” with a blank name line so you could make it your own and a “Birthday Surprise” attack that literally rewards you for playing on your birthday. One of the most cherished promos of the WotC era.
	20/111	Cleffa	Neo Genesis	Dec 2000
	Why it’s a classic Rare · Baby. Introduced with Generation II, Cleffa became one of the most-played consistency cards in history: its “Eeeeeeek” attack dumps a bad hand and draws a fresh seven, while the Baby Pokémon rule forced opponents to flip a coin just to attack it.
	66/64	Shining Magikarp	Neo Revelation	Sep 2001
	Why it’s a classic Shining · Secret. One of the first two “Shining Pokémon” ever printed, introducing shiny alternate-colour Pokémon to the TCG years before they became common — a secret-rare chase pull, and irresistibly a Shining version of the game’s most famously useless fish.
The e-Card & EX Era — 2004 to 2007
	9/95	Team Magma’s Groudon	EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua	Mar 2004
	Why it’s a classic Holo Rare. The marquee chase card of the only expansion ever built around a rivalry between two villainous teams, where every Pokémon belonged to Magma or Aqua. Groudon, the Ruby cover Legendary, is the face of that one-of-a-kind gimmick set.
	86/109	Rocket’s Admin.	EX Team Rocket Returns	Nov 2004
	Why it’s a classic Uncommon · Supporter. A landmark disruption Supporter and the direct ancestor of the later chart-topping card “N”: both shuffle a player’s hand away and draw cards equal to their remaining Prizes. Refill your own hand while shrinking a leading opponent’s.
	88/92	Mew ex	EX Legend Maker	Feb 2006
	Why it’s a classic Rare Holo ex. Mew — the original Mythical — as a supremely flexible attacker: its “Versatile” Poké-BODY let Mew ex use the attacks of every Pokémon in play as its own. A perennial fan favourite and a standout of the lowercase-“ex” era.
	93/101	Gardevoir ex	EX Dragon Frontiers	Nov 2006
	Why it’s a classic Rare Holo ex · δ. A delta-species Gardevoir reimagined as a Fire-type, whose “Imprison” Power switched off the opponent’s Poké-Powers and Poké-Bodies. It celebrates two beloved facets of the EX era at once — the feared Gardevoir archetype and the inventive delta-species subset.
	17/17	Umbreon ☆	POP Series 5	2007
	Why it’s a classic Rare Holo Star. A crown jewel of the entire hobby. Gold Star cards were shiny-variant Pokémon seeded at roughly one per booster box, and Umbreon ☆ sits at the very top of that class — its Japanese original demanded around 70,000 Daisuki-Club points to earn. Gem-mint copies trade for tens of thousands of dollars and up.
The Diamond & Pearl, Platinum & HGSS Era — 2008 to 2010
	15/106	Claydol	Great Encounters	Feb 2008
	Why it’s a classic Rare. A humble-looking card that became one of the most-played engines in competitive history. Its “Cosmic Power” let you recycle dead cards and refill to a full hand every turn, slotting into a huge share of top decks from 2008 to 2010.
	109/111	Luxray GL LV.X	Rising Rivals	May 2009
	Why it’s a classic Holo Rare LV.X. Half of “LuxChomp,” the most dominant deck of its era. Its “Bright Look” Power was a free Gust of Wind, dragging any Benched Pokémon into the Active spot for ruthless prize control. LuxChomp took the 2010 World Championship.
	145/147	Garchomp C LV.X	Supreme Victors	Aug 2009
	Why it’s a classic Holo Rare LV.X. The other half of LuxChomp. “Dragon Rush” sniped the Bench for a huge 80 while “Healing Breath” wiped all damage from your SP Pokémon — a devastating tempo swing. Flavoured as Champion Cynthia’s signature Garchomp.
	107/123	Donphan	HeartGold & SoulSilver	Feb 2010
	Why it’s a classic Holo Rare Prime. Donphan Prime was a cornerstone of the 2010–2011 format: one Fighting Energy powered “Earthquake” for 60, while its “Exoskeleton” Body cut all incoming damage by 20. It also showcases the coveted alternate-art “Prime” rarity that defined the HGSS era.
The Black & White, XY & Sun & Moon Era — 2011 to 2017
	113/114	Reshiram	Black & White	Apr 2011
	Why it’s a classic Full Art Ultra Rare. The box legendary of Pokémon Black and one of the faces of Generation V. Its home set debuted the now-iconic Full Art style, and 113/114 is one of those very first Full Arts — a card that also powered early Fire decks alongside Reshiram/Emboar.
	114/114	Zekrom	Black & White	Apr 2011
	Why it’s a classic Full Art Ultra Rare. Reshiram’s twin, the box legendary of Pokémon White, closing the Black & White set as card 114 of 114. Competitively it was the bigger force: “ZekEels” (Zekrom plus Eelektrik acceleration) was one of the defining tournament decks of the early BW format.
	54/99	Mewtwo EX	Next Destinies	Feb 2012
	Why it’s a classic Rare Holo EX. The card that rebooted the “EX” mechanic. Its cheap, scaling “X Ball” attack made it splashable into nearly every deck, and because the best answer to a Mewtwo-EX was your own, it created the legendary 2012 “Mewtwo War” metagame.
	97/146	Xerneas EX	XY	Feb 2014
	Why it’s a classic Rare Holo EX. The box legendary of Pokémon X and the face of Generation VI. Its home, the XY base set, introduced the Fairy type to the TCG, and Xerneas-EX’s “Geomancy” Energy acceleration became the engine of competitive Fairy decks.
	76/108	M Rayquaza EX	Roaring Skies	May 2015
	Why it’s a classic Mega (M) EX. Mega Rayquaza headlined one of the most powerful, popular decks of the 2015–2016 format: “Emerald Break” dealt 30 damage for every Pokémon you had in play, enabling explosive, one-prize-at-a-time knockouts. The sky-battle artwork is a fan favourite.
	60/145	Tapu Lele GX	Guardians Rising	May 2017
	Why it’s a classic Ultra Rare GX. One of the most important consistency cards ever printed: “Wonder Tag” let almost any deck search out the Supporter it needed the moment Tapu Lele hit the Bench. A near-universal staple of the whole Sun & Moon era and the perfect emblem of the GX mechanic.

Products & What’s Inside

Because Celebrations packs were never sold as loose booster boxes, the only way to get them was through a generous spread of collection products spanning every price point of the 25th-anniversary lineup. Here is the full English range and what each one held.

Elite Trainer Box — $49.99

Ten Celebrations booster packs plus five additional Sword & Shield–era packs, a foil Greninja ☆ (Star) promo, 65 anniversary card sleeves, 45 Energy cards, dice and condition markers, a player’s guide and a storage box.

Ultra-Premium Collection — $119.99

The flagship. Two commemorative metal cards — Base Set Pikachu and Base Set Charizard — a special gold Pikachu V, a gold Poké Ball card, a Charizard/Pikachu enamel pin, a metal coin and a hefty 25 booster packs (17 Celebrations + 8 Sword & Shield). Allocation-limited and sold out almost instantly.

Pikachu VMAX Premium Figure Collection — $49.99

A sculpted Gigantamax Pikachu figure, an etched-foil Pikachu VMAX promo, a Pikachu V promo, and eleven packs (8 Celebrations + 3 Sword & Shield).

Dragapult Prime Collection — $14.99

A foil Dragapult Prime promo (a nod to the old “Prime” cards), a jumbo card, a “Pokémon 25” coin, a 4-pocket binder, and three packs (2 Celebrations + 1 Sword & Shield).

Lance’s Charizard V Collection — $19.99

A foil Lance’s Charizard V promo, a jumbo version of the card, and six packs (4 Celebrations + 2 Sword & Shield).

Dark Sylveon V Collection — $19.99

A foil Dark Sylveon V promo (reviving the classic “Dark” Pokémon theme), a jumbo card, and six packs (4 Celebrations + 2 Sword & Shield).

Pikachu V-UNION Special Collection — $29.99

All four Pikachu V-UNION foil cards that assemble into one giant Pokémon, a jumbo V-UNION, a Professor Burnet Supporter promo, and six packs (4 Celebrations + 2 Sword & Shield).

Deluxe Pin Collection — $19.99

A foil Zacian LV.X promo (another retro-mechanic throwback), a Pikachu enamel pin, and six packs (4 Celebrations + 2 Sword & Shield).

Collector Chest (Lunchbox Tin) — $24.99

A collectible lunchbox-style tin with three foil retro-style promos — Mimikyu δ, Light Toxtricity and Hydreigon C — plus eight packs (6 Celebrations + 2 Sword & Shield), sticker sheets, a mini portfolio, a coin and a notepad.

Mini Tins (8 designs) — $8.99 each

Eight starter-themed collectible mini tins, each holding two Celebrations packs, one Sword & Shield pack, a metallic anniversary coin and an art card.

English version vs. Japanese Variations

Celebrations launched worldwide, but the English and Japanese versions took different shapes. The English release bundled the 25-card main set and the 25-card Classic Collection together, with all-holo four-card packs sold only inside collections and boxes.

Japan’s equivalent, the 25th Anniversary Collection (S8a), arrived on 22 October 2021 with five-card packs and its own chase cards — most famously a stunning Mew UR. Japan’s answer to the Classic Collection was handled differently: a Promo Card Pack 25th Anniversary Edition, a bonus pack given out with purchases (roughly one for every four booster packs), containing 25 textured reprints of past favourites. A gold-themed 25th Anniversary Golden Box served as Japan’s premium counterpart to the Ultra-Premium Collection.

25th Anniversary Collection Booster Box (s8a) — ¥4,752 · 16 packs × 5 cards

The Japanese counterpart set. Every pack is loaded with holo cards; its chase card is the beautiful Mew UR by illustrator Yuu Nishida.

25th Anniversary Collection Pack (s8a) — 5 cards per pack

The individual Japanese pack — five holo cards apiece, with a “prism foil” reverse-holo parallel not found in the English set.

25th Anniversary Golden Box — ¥17,600

Japan’s gold-themed premium counterpart to the Ultra-Premium Collection, with special gold Pikachu V and gold Poké Ball cards carrying the anniversary stamp.

Set List

The complete 25-card main set for Pokémon TCG: Celebrations, with full card text for every card. Click any card image to open a full-size, high-resolution scan. (The 25 Classic Collection reprints are listed in their own section above.)

Card image	No.	Card Name	Rarity	Card Type
	1/25	Ho-Oh
	Card text Sacred Fire — This attack does 50 damage to 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) Fire Blast 120 — Discard an Energy from this Pokémon.
	2/25	Reshiram
	Card text Scorching Wind — This attack does 20 damage to each of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) Black Flame 80+ — If Zekrom is on your Bench, this attack does 80 more damage.
	3/25	Kyogre
	Card text Aqua Storm — Discard the top 5 cards of your deck, and then choose 2 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. This attack does 50 damage for each Energy card you discarded in this way to each of those Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) Surf 120
	4/25	Palkia
	Card text Ability — Absolute Space: As long as this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, your opponent can’t play any Stadium cards from their hand. Overdrive Smash 80+ — During your next turn, this Pokémon’s Overdrive Smash attack does 80 more damage (before applying Weakness and Resistance).
	5/25	Pikachu
	Card text Gnaw 10 Thunder Jolt 30 — Flip a coin. If tails, this Pokémon also does 10 damage to itself.
	6/25	Flying Pikachu V
	Card text Thunder Shock 20 — Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Paralyzed. Fly 120 — Flip a coin. If tails, this attack does nothing. If heads, during your opponent’s next turn, prevent all damage from and effects of attacks done to this Pokémon.
	7/25	Flying Pikachu VMAX
	Card text Max Balloon 160 — During your opponent’s next turn, prevent all damage done to this Pokémon by attacks from Basic Pokémon.
	8/25	Surfing Pikachu V
	Card text Surf 150
	9/25	Surfing Pikachu VMAX
	Card text Max Surfer 160 — This attack also does 30 damage to each of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	10/25	Zekrom
	Card text Field Crush 30 — If your opponent has a Stadium in play, discard it. White Thunder 80+ — If Reshiram is on your Bench, this attack does 80 more damage.
	11/25	Mew
	Card text Ability — Mysterious Tail: Once during your turn, if this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, you may look at the top 6 cards of your deck, reveal an Item card you find there, and put it into your hand. Shuffle the other cards back into your deck. Psyshot 30
	12/25	Xerneas
	Card text Breath of Life — Search your deck for up to 3 basic Energy cards of different types and attach them to your Pokémon in any way you like. Then, shuffle your deck. Aurora Horns 100
	13/25	Cosmog
	Card text Star Protection — Flip a coin. If heads, during your opponent’s next turn, prevent all damage done to this Pokémon by attacks.
	14/25	Cosmoem
	Card text Star Protection — Flip a coin. If heads, during your opponent’s next turn, prevent all damage done to this Pokémon by attacks.
	15/25	Lunala
	Card text Lunar Pain — Double the number of damage counters on each of your opponent’s Pokémon. Psychic Shot 130 — This attack also does 30 damage to 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	16/25	Zacian V
	Card text Ability — Roar of the Sword: Once during your turn, you may search your deck for a Psychic Energy card and attach it to 1 of your Pokémon. Then, shuffle your deck. If you use this Ability, your turn ends. Storm Slash 60+ — This attack does 30 more damage for each Psychic Energy attached to this Pokémon.
	17/25	Groudon
	Card text Magma Volcano 80× — Discard the top 5 cards of your deck. This attack does 80 damage for each Energy card you discarded in this way. Massive Rend 120
	18/25	Zamazenta V
	Card text Ability — Growl of the Shield: All of your Fighting Pokémon take 20 less damage from attacks from your opponent’s Pokémon VMAX (after applying Weakness and Resistance). You can’t apply more than 1 Growl of the Shield Ability at a time. Heavy Impact 150
	19/25	Yveltal
	Card text Cry of Destruction — Discard up to 3 Special Energy from your opponent’s Pokémon. Dark Feather 100
	20/25	Dialga
	Card text Temporal Backflow — Put a card from your discard pile into your hand. Metal Blast 60+ — This attack does 20 more damage for each Metal Energy attached to this Pokémon.
	21/25	Solgaleo
	Card text Ability — Rush In: Once during your turn, if this Pokémon is on your Bench, you may switch it with your Active Pokémon. Solar Geyser 100 — Attach up to 2 basic Energy cards from your discard pile to 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
	22/25	Lugia
	Card text Aero Ball 20× — This attack does 20 damage for each Energy attached to both Active Pokémon. Deep Crush 160 — During your next turn, this Pokémon can’t attack.
	23/25	Professor’s Research (Professor Oak)		T
	Card text Discard your hand and draw 7 cards.
	24/25	Professor’s Research (Professor Oak)		T
	Card text Discard your hand and draw 7 cards.
	25/25	Mew
	Card text Ability — Mysterious Tail: Once during your turn, if this Pokémon is in the Active Spot, you may look at the top 6 cards of your deck, reveal an Item card you find there, and put it into your hand. Shuffle the other cards back into your deck. Psyshot 30

For Collectors: Most Valuable Cards

Because Celebrations packs are small and every card is holo, single-card values are driven almost entirely by the Classic Collection’s biggest names. The reprinted Base Set Charizard is the set’s marquee pull, while the Umbreon ☆ (Gold Star) — a reprint of one of the rarest cards in the entire hobby — and the secret-rare Mew (25/25) are the other headline chase cards. The real money, though, sits in sealed product: the Ultra-Premium Collection, with its metal Base Set Charizard and Pikachu cards, commands a heavy premium on the secondary market.

Controversies & Collector Drama

For all its warmth, Celebrations arrived in the middle of the wild 2020–2021 Pokémon boom, and it wasn’t immune to the era’s drama.

In Japan, the 25th Anniversary Collection became a scalping flashpoint before it even launched. Boxes with a roughly ¥4,750 (about $43) list price were flipping for around $400 on the secondary market within weeks of the reveal — close to a ten-fold markup — because every pack was guaranteed to hold holos, including blue-chip nostalgia like a Base Set Charizard reprint. To fight resellers and “pack searchers”, some Japanese retailers took the drastic step of slitting the top of every pack at checkout, deliberately destroying the factory-sealed premium that searched-pack and resealed-pack sellers depend on.

That points to the set’s other quirk. Because every Celebrations pack contains foils, and the Classic Collection cards sit on heavier holo stock, sellers began weighing sealed packs and marketing the heavier ones as “heavy” packs supposedly hiding a valuable Classic Collection hit. It made Celebrations one of the most “searched” modern sets — even though weight turns out to be an unreliable predictor here, precisely because every pack is already holo-loaded. The natural next step — using X-ray and CT scanning to positively identify the cards inside still-sealed packs — became a widely-publicised practice a couple of years later, an idea this searchable, guaranteed-holo set helped inspire.

Elsewhere the drama was simple scarcity. The $119.99 Ultra-Premium Collection sold out almost instantly and traded for $300–$500 and up during the shortage, and its premium metal and gold cards remain a favourite target for counterfeiters — genuine ones only ever came sealed inside the UPC, so loose copies deserve a careful eye.

Trivia

• Celebrations is a “special set”: its packs were never sold in standalone booster boxes — only tucked inside collection products.
• Every card in an English Celebrations pack is a holo. There are no reverse-holo parallels in the English set at all.
• The Classic Collection cards keep their original collector numbers, so a single 25-card subset carries mixed denominators like 4/102, 88/92 and 60/145.
• The subset’s reprints use a distinctive dense “Confetti” holofoil found nowhere else in the game.
• The oldest reprint reaches back to the 1999 Base Set; the newest is a 2017 Tapu Lele GX — 18 years of TCG history in one 25-card run.
• Classic Collection cards are not Standard tournament-legal (they carry the anniversary stamp), though their original printings remain Expanded-legal.
• Celebrations’ Professor’s Research is deliberately drawn to echo the original 1999 Professor Oak Trainer card.

Images & Videos

Official trailers for Pokémon TCG: Celebrations from The Pokémon Company.