Vol. 3, Issue 6 - My Pokémon Collection - Part 7
Sharing even more items from my Pokémon collection which i've accumulated over the years, plus a recap of the latest Pokémon news, and another Community Spotlight
Welcome to Vol. 3, issue 6 of Johto Times! Before we begin, I thought it was worth noting that Johto Times is two years old today! On February 6th, 2023, I published my first newsletter, describing a project that would allow me to share my opinions and collections, for anyone who would be willing to listen. The scope of the project quickly changed, becoming much more involved, and grew expeditiously with the support of a great team. While Johto Times has grown far beyond its original vision, the heart of the project has always remained the same: to connect with Pokémon fans and share content that other people may enjoy too. It should really go without saying, but I am thankful to every reader who gives their time each week to read what is published.
This week, I am sharing more of my personal Pokémon collection, featuring a range of items released between 1999 and 2015. Maybe you own a few of them yourself? In addition to this, we also have a recap of the latest Pokémon news, and another recommendation in our Community Spotlight section!
News
The official Pokémon TCG Pocket account has released a statement on its trading feature, which was introduced to the game last week. They confirmed that they have received a large number of comments from fans, and that they were investigating ways to improve the trading feature to address concerns that have been raised.
Some of our own readers, and members of the Johto Times team, also expressed their disappointment due to the significant resources required of both players to utilise a trade. Pokémon TCG Pocket stated that the requirements and restrictions implemented for the trading feature were designed to prevent abuse, and to maintain a fair environment for all players.
A Cresselia ex Drop Event is currently underway in the game, where players can obtain promo cards by doing solo battles. Other cards that are potentially available are Turtwig, Electivire, Misdreavus, and Skarmory. The event runs until February 17th, 2025. Check the in-game news for more information!
Finally, the in-game store has also had a monthly refresh, adding Darkrai cosmetics, and a Piplup promo card is also available through Premium Missions.
Source: Pokémon TCG Pocket
Nintendo have updated their Top Selling Title Sales Units information to reflect software sales as of December 31st, 2024. Pokémon Scarlet & Violet have now sold 26.38 million units, up from 25.69 million in September 2024. Pokémon Sword & Shield is still slightly ahead with 26.60 million units, up from 26.44 in August.
Source: Nintendo
Feature: My Pokémon Collection (Part 7)
I've rummaged through my drawers, reached into my wardrobe, and searched beneath my bed to find even more Pokémon items from my collection. Today, I would like to share another mix of items that were released between 1999 and 2015. They are mostly from around the time of the Nintendo 3DS release. Do you own, or have ever owned any of these items?
New 3DS Cover Plate (Pokémon Sprites)
To mark the 20th anniversary of Pokémon Red, Blue, and the release of the games on 3DS eShop, Nintendo released Cover Plates featuring sprites from these games. I thought it was such a cool thing that I immediately bought it. It remained on my New 3DS for the rest of that year, while I played through Pokémon Yellow from the eShop!
New 3DS Cover Plate (Primal Groudon & Primal Kyogre)
I also purchased this awesome Primal Groudon & Primal Kyogre Cover Plate around June 2015. I liked how colourful it was, and how you could see straight through to the device itself. It was fun to swap and change these cover plates, and I wish there had been more Pokémon related ones to choose from.
Pokéball 3DS Cartridge Holder X & Y Pre-order bonus
I received this Poké Ball 3DS cartridge holder from a GAME store on release day, October 12th, 2013. My friend knew the manager of his local store, and after picking up the game elsewhere, he was able to snag one of these for me. For a few years afterward, I thought I had lost my copy of Pokémon HeartGold, only to discover it had been inside this case the entire time!
Pokémon Sun & Moon pre-order bonus pin badges
These Pokémon Sun & Moon pins were given to me by a friend who got them from a games store he was working in at the time. They were originally handed out to people who pre-ordered the games in-store. I was visiting my friend at the time and noticed he had them pinned up on his notice board, after which he proceeded to gift them to me. Quite the generous friend!
Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon pre-order bonus coin
Just prior to publishing this feature, I discovered another pre-order bonus hidden in the back of a chest of drawers during a clear out. This double-sided coin was originally given away to customers who ordered Pokémon Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon, but I have no idea who gave it to me, or how I obtained it, at the time of writing. Hopefully I'll remember someday!
Latios Plush (Banpresto, Pokémon The Movie XY)
Ever since I was a teenager playing Pokémon Ruby, I always wanted to own a Latios plush. When my friend in Japan told me he was selling some of his plush toys, I jumped at the chance of buying his cute little plush. This was released in Japan by Banpresto in 2015, to commemorate the Pokémon movie Hoopa and the Clash of Ages that was released around that time.
Official Pokémon TCG League Badges
While I never had the opportunity to join a Pokémon League to play the Trading Card Game as a kid, I always loved the badges. At one point, I purchased a job lot of badges that would have been given out to players who achieved specific goals required of them. There’s a wide range of badges here based on in-game Kanto and Johto gym badges, and plenty of duplicates I am not currently sure what to do with at the time of writing. Perhaps I can trade some to get a full set? Regardless, it’s great to finally have some, but hats off to the trainers who originally earned them the proper way!
Pokémon Sliders
Pokémon Sliders were a toy that first released in 1999, they featured several characters from the first three Pokémon games. They contain a metal ball which helps them slide across flat surfaces, which allows players to slam them into other Pokémon sliders and targets created specifically for the product. I started collecting these from around 2022, and I currently have them displayed across the top of my bookcase. In 2025 I was able to purchase another sixteen figures. I hope to trade out and replace the extras I have to complete the set and own one of each!
Various vintage Pokémon plush toys
Who doesn’t love a cuddly toy? Throughout the years, I have purchased and been given plenty of them. However, some of my favourites are some of the earliest Pokémon toys sold, featuring Kanto and Johto Pokémon released between 1998 and 2001. I love the material they’re made from, and how they don’t quite look as neat and tidy as some of the more modern toys you see today. I recall purchasing a significant amount of them for one pound each! The Blastoise plush was purchased most recently in 2025, and I paid very little for it. It looked like it needed a good home! While I believe my days of taking one of these to bed to snuggle with are long over, they do bring back a lot of fond memories from such a special era of Pokémon.
Community Spotlight: Elite Fourum
Our Community Spotlight for this week is Elite Fourum, a Pokémon information and discussion website focused on Pokémon card collecting. One of the things I love about this community is the wide range of collectors: from those who buy and sell graded cards, to those who like to show off their card binders they’ve had since childhood. Overall, the community is well moderated, and conversation is friendly and welcoming.
We even did an interview with its creator, smpratte back in December 2024, which you can read here. If you’re interested in discussing the card game, it’s highly recommended!
Visit: Elite Fourum
That’s all for this week’s issue! If you enjoy what Johto Times provides, be sure to share our newsletter with your friends and loved ones to help us reach even more Pokémon fans. For Discord users, you’re welcome to join our server for the latest notifications from our project. We are still open to sharing your mailbag entries, so if you have anything you would like to share with us, drop us a line by visiting this link to contact us directly!
I love the New 3DS plates so much! I didn't realize that the Primal Groudon/Kyogre one was a little transparent. I'm pretty jealous of the cool pre-order bonuses that Europe got for the 3DS era. I especially love the Sun and Moon pins! Also I LOVE the Sliders. I have a few, but owning a full collection would be awesome! Thanks for sharing! :D
I love those pokemon sliders! I had the bulbasaur one at one point, not sure if i still do. And I definitely have that same blastoise plush!