There’s certainly no shortage of merch and stuff for Pokemon considering it’s the biggest franchise in the world for that very reason. We have so many different things, from video games that started it all to collectable cards, plushes, even jewellery and much more, and even within that, there are so many varieties that a person can get lost picking Pokemon gifts out for themselves or a friend. So for this purpose, we’ve taken into account the ton of Pokemon merchandise that’s all purchasable with the click of a few buttons while sitting at home and we’ll give you some of the best Pokemon-themed things you can purchase as a gift for yourself or for someone else.
All of these final few merch options are chosen by yours truly who may very well be one of the biggest Pokemon fans, so rest assured all these choices would be great Pokemon gifts for a friend who loves Pokemon.
The two most prominent things you can get as Pokemon gifts for someone would come as either a Pokemon videogame, the mode of media that started the franchise in the first place, or the Trading Card Game that has been one of the oldest and one of the most popular forms of media for the franchise for many years. There are many other things to choose from too, however, including Pokemon plushes, keychains, pins, figures, anime and more. So based on this, we’ll start with the best options and go through to those that would be suited for special occasions or preferences Let’s start with the main videogames.
Mainline Pokemon Videogame Titles:
There are numerous Pokemon titles available on the Nintendo Switch, the current main console and platform for all Pokemon games that fans can play. For the mainline titles, the traditional kind of Pokemon game has mostly been the same since the very first Pokemon games that were released years ago. For a gift, a person can always consider picking up a Nintendo Switch to side along a Pokemon game. The two modern titles for Pokemon are Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet:
The newest and most modern mainline titles for the Pokemon franchise are Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, coming as the Gen 9, with 8 previous Gen games since the first gen games came out more than 25 years ago. These titles feature the new region of Paldea, with a new variety of Pokemon only found within these games and the first proper manner of an open-world style and type of Pokemon game in the whole series. For most people, this would be a worthy item to pick up as a gift or a part of multiple Pokemon gifts for someone.
The way to check if it would be suitable depends on the person’s preference that people would buy it for. If they do think and have been vocal about getting the games but haven’t, it’s an easy pick. If they haven’t been too talkative about their preference, you might want to indirectly check before buying if the games would be suitable for them and whether they would really like them or not. The other option is that you can always try to go for Pokemon Legends Arceus if they say they aren’t too fond of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
For a little description about how the game stands as a Pokemon game for fans, the game carries over the signature gameplay of a vast Pokemon region to explore, going to a research lab where they have a choice to pick their favourite Pokemon from three different varieties, encountering Pokemon, catching them, and progressing through till the end where you defeat gym leaders and become a Pokemon Champion. There is a slight change, however, as the main game features three separate storylines that take players to different places for different purposes across the Paldea region. The game also conjoins these three main quests to a single one after you complete them which brings you to the postgame, technically the main big conclusion lies in Area Zero, a mysterious place that you get to unravel after completing the game and making some very good friends along the way.
The feel of the game is very similar to previous mainline entries, albeit both games come with their own specific changes and upgrades as mentioned above. For the newest exclusive things, there is the new Terastalization mechanic that allows players to change the Type of Pokemon, giving some more strategy to the competitive edge of the game. There’s also the brand new Paradox Pokemon, a special version of Pokemon that comes from different timelines depending on the version of the game. Pokemon Scarlet featured Ancient Pokemon that come from the past, having some tough and rough theme of design that’s very closely related to the prehistoric Jurassic period. Pokemon Violet comes with Pokemon from the future, looking as if they are robots or technologically advanced beings. There’s much to enjoy about the game including many aspects that are brand new for the whole series, such as a somewhat dark and emotional turn to the story coming at the end.
I’ve personally played the game and despite it being somewhat of a bland grind for the most part, the conclusive story and the Area Zero Post game were an awesome turn of quality and suddenly the money spent on it was worth the cost, so if the person you’d be getting the game for would be a very avid and dedicated Pokemon fan that hasn’t skipped a game since the very first ones like myself, and they still haven’t purchased the game, then it’s a great gift to get.
And that’s not all, the game also has DLC, a separate purchasable piece of content that players can buy to get additional content in the game that’s completely exclusive, so if anyone has played the game and liked it, but hasn’t bought the DLC, that would also make a good small gift to get. The DLC also costs about half of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet so it’s not too heavy on the wallet.
For some critique of this game, the game was not very well received by a part of the fanbase as the game featured a lack of polish and many bugs and glitches during the time of release. Although the game runs fine, there are also performance dips and the graphics aren’t the best to look at. These could be some points that would help you make up your mind about getting the game if the person you’re getting it for has mentioned these themselves like if they wouldn’t prefer to play it because of these or maybe they wouldn’t be bothered by these points.
The newest bundle of the game comes with the DLC included which would be an excellent choice to get as a gift. So make your choice if you will.
Here’s a link to the official website of the game if you’d like to check up on more information.
If you think you still would like to check other things that you can get that would be somewhat different than these mainline games, there’s plenty of stuff mentioned below that would make great Pokemon gifts.
Pokemon Legends Arceus:
Pokemon Legends Arceus is the first Legends title of the Pokemon franchise that took a turn and experimented with a new Pokemon gameplay formula, coming with the plot of a historical period of an already existing region, the Sinnoh Region, which was featured in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, Platinum and the first two’s remakes. The new formula came with new gameplay where Pokemon roam the open areas of the game, and players are actually the people who hide in grass and try to catch them. The tables are turned and now suddenly the players are being encountered by Pokemon, and there is more to take into account as players can jump, roll and sneak up to get a perfect Pokeball aim from the back of a Pokemon. Players can get a whole team going for themselves, and can even encounter very dangerous and high-level Pokemon and possibly catch them in a mere few seconds or minutes if they are good enough to get a perfect throw and manage to catch them in this manner.
There are new boss fights, new exclusive Hisuian Pokemon, and even redos of the final evolution of starter Pokemon which are Cyndaquil, Oshawott and Rowlet. The vast areas are well made, the gameplay is addictive, and the changes to Pokemon Battles and other aspects are very well done and very well received. The extent is so good that the game even won an award and had one of the best critical receptions of a Pokemon game, with many considering it the best Pokemon game on the Nintendo Switch, more than the game that came after it, which is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
The game also is technically a single version of itself, not as a two-way version like most mainline Pokemon titles. This means that it’s very possible to get to fully complete the whole game without as much need to interconnect the game with another one to trade and complete the Pokedex and get other version-exclusive Pokemon. At most, the trading would be coming for the Legendary encounter that was the opposite of what the player chooses in his copy of the game. There is also a great story, a great theme, and an overall great Pokemon video game in Pokemon Legends Arceus, and it would definitely be a great gift or a part of bundled Pokemon gifts for someone who doesn’t own it.
So for those who want something different out of a Pokemon game and want to try something with a different feel, then Pokemon Legends Arceus is the best choice as a gift for them. There are many great rehash designs of older Pokemon, many new similar faces, and an overall great Pokemon experience waiting for those who haven’t given the game a go.
Other Pokemon Videogames:
Besides the two main games discussed above, there are also many other Pokemon games that people could look to as a gift for a friend or family member who loves Pokemon. There are older Pokemon games for the Nintendo Switch like Pokemon Let’s GO Pikachu and Eevee, there’s also Pokemon Sword and Shield, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl also got remade into Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl which are very similar to the original games as compared to the redo that Pokemon Legends Arceus did to the Sinnoh region as technically a revisited Sinnoh Region game. If people haven’t given these games a go they might like to get the game as a gift.
Aside from all that is on the Nintendo Switch, older Pokemon games also exist, and although they would cost a prettier penny as you go further back in years, older Pokemon games are also very beloved by fans. If you know the person that you’re getting the game for has a favourite older Pokemon game and if they have the means to play it by owning the older Nintendo console that would run the game, that it’s also a great choice to get it for them.
A few examples of these games are such as Pokemon Leaf Green and Fire Red for the Game Boy Advance system, beloved Gen 3 titles that were remakes of the first Gen 1 games of Pokemon Red and Geen, or Blue. There’s also Pokemon Emerald, the Gen 3 upgrade of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire that featured the Hoenn Region, also available on the Game Boy Advance system. These cartridges would be very pricey, but if it’s a genuine game and not a fake copy, then it would really make the person it’s gifted to very happy. There’s also Pokemon Platinum for the Nintendo DS as well as Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver, the 3DS also has the Hoenn Remakes, Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire which are great games on the Nintendo 3DS system, as well as Pokemon X and Y and Sun and Moon on the 3DS. There are a good many mainline games for Pokemon, so it’s all an option to take into account what Pokemon gifts you can get for a friend.
For older games like these, eBay is a good website to check as these games only come used, so you need to be mindful of checking and making sure that the seller that’s selling the game is trusted, and that they are selling an original game. Check up Pokemon or Game Boy Subreddits to get some help in spotting and checking if a game is a genuine thing or a fake. We’re just trying to give you the full picture so that you’re knowledgable about Pokemon and so you get the perfect thing going, and who knows maybe along the way become a fan yourself.
Lastly, although technically not a gift for this month of April, the newest announced Pokemon game is another Legends Title which was a big surprise, a very good one though. Its name is Pokemon Legends ZA, and it takes the region of Kalos from the 3DS games Pokemon X and Y, specifically a shelved version of the games which was Pokemon Z and revisits in a Legends format where the formula and the game would once again experiment with a new direction. Although we only have a single trailer to see it, this game would also be a very good gift when it arrives next year, so if not right now, you could also consider making a promise that you would get the game for the special person next year. There’s hyped to go along with this game so it would be a nice gesture, although a very late one since next year is still far away. Here’s a link for Legends ZA if you’re interested in checking more about it and below is the Trailer for the game.
And so this is it for the main picture for mainline Pokemon titles that you can pick up to gift. There are also other Pokemon games that aren’t included as mainline games, such as Detective Pikachu, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, and many others, so those are also options you can check online and consider picking up if the person you want to gift owns most of the mainline games already.
Pokemon TCG Products:
Coming to the other main media platform for Pokemon, Pokemon TCG has been one of the most popular and still the most booming scenes for the franchise. Pokemon TCG has come a long way since the earliest days when the first few Base Set cards are now considered the most valuable pieces of merchandise on the market. But whether it’s as a collectable scenario or just plain old fun in collecting and playing with your favourite Pokemon cards, Pokemon TCG is another great thing that gives you many options for selecting the perfect gift for a special person who’s into Pokemon or Pokemon cards.
Pokemon TCG cards come from Booster Packs, and aside from these, they also come as special promo cards that are singular in nature, while some come in special products that have a combination of Booster Packs and more things. The main aspect of Pokemon cards is Expansions, these are the names or the groups of cards that are released on a timely basis that consist of specific Pokemon cards. Each Booster Pack of these specific expansions contain a bunch of cards that are common, uncommon, rare, Hyper Rare and more. It’s not specific to the rarity that the card would be valuable, it’s simply that any card that is a fan favourite and popular would have higher worth.
Charizard, for example, is a fan favourite Pokemon ever since the Pokemon Anime aired years ago with Ash’s Charizard coming through as one of the coolest-looking Pocket Monsters on TV. Charizard’s TCG cards fetch a relatively high price, with the Base Set Charizard being the holy grail card of the whole Pokemon TCG. Similarly, Pokemon TCG now comes in a variety of products, with each expansion coming with a mixture of products like Elite Trainer Boxes, simple Booster Packs, Booster Pack Bundles, and more. It’s up to you to decide which works as the perfect gift or a bundle of Pokemon gifts for that special someone.
For a gift, some of the best choices to get from Pokemon TCG are Elite Trainer Boxes, and aside from official Pokemon TCG products on retail, there are also singular cards available on eBay that people sell for a relatively cheaper cost when compared to the chance basis of pulling out the card from a Booster Pack which are also a good way to get some great Pokemon TCG products that you can gift.
Pokemon TCG Elite Trainer Box:
Looking at a product that has almost everything to get started, Elite Trainer Boxes have Pokemon TCG Booster Packs, Sleeves that hold each singular card to make sure they remain dirt and scratch-free, Dice, an Energy Deck, the box itself with compartments to hold and more to get players started. Some items vary and few Elite Trainer Boxes even have special Promo Cards unavailable elsewhere, as well as other things that make the purchase very convenient for people.
Elite Trainer Boxes can also come in different varieties, for example, simple Elite Trainer Boxes are usually available at common retail stores and have the basic contents while the Pokemoncenter website also holds exclusive Elite Trainer Boxes that have extra content inside, as well as better build quality and a few other changes. An example of this could be for the Pokemon Sword and Shield Crown Zenith Expansion, where the common Elite Trainer Box of the Pokemon TCG Expansion came with fewer Booster Packs and no deck holder as the Pokemoncenter exclusive Crown Zenith Box did. The Pokemoncenter exclusive one also had better quality for some of the items in the box, such as the coins being made of steel instead of plastic like in the normal box. These exclusive ones from Pokemon’s website cost more than the common product, but they also offer better for the added cost. It’s always up to the person which product they would like to go for. Alongside this difference, Elite Trainer Boxes may also come in two different versions similar to how the video games are, like how the Temporal Forces Elite Trainer Boxes have Iron Leaves, the Violet Future Paradox Legendary on and in one box, and Walking Wake, the Scarlet Ancient Paradox Pokemon on and in the other. These have slightly different contents such as different Promo cards for different Pokemon, although most of the items such as the Booster Packs are of the same expansion.
To pick out which Elite Trainer Box to get, people can just check out which expansion would hold the card they’d like to have a chance to get from the Booster Packs, as the products contain packs of the specific expansion. For getting it as a gift, it could be a good choice to get either the latest or newest expansion’s elite trainer box as that way brand new unseen cards would always be a pleasant surprise to pull out. Either way, some of the newest expansions of the Pokemon TCG that have Elite Trainer Boxes are Twilight Masquerade, Temporal Forces, Paradox Rift, and Obsidian Flames all featuring the Paldean Region from Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Older ones are also available at certain websites for the Sword and Shield TCG expansions that people may also check such as Fusion Strike, Brilliant Stars, Crown Zenith, Astral Radiance, Lost Origin and more. Any of these would be good picks for Pokemon gifts for a special someone.
The cost for an Elite Trainer Box varies from 40-60$ USD, the lowest being for the common version while 60 is usually for the newest expansion as well as for the Pokemoncenter exclusive Elite Trainer box product that holds more items inside. It’s an all-in-one kind of package that works perfectly as a gift or a part of a bundle of Pokemon gifts for a fan.
Moving on, there are also premium products that technically come within this Elite Trainer Box title that have even more things inside, such as Elite Trainer Box Pluses or Ultra Premium Collection. These cost more, with Ultra Premium Collections having about twice as much content as a normal Elite Trainer Box, so they cost twice as much as well ranging around the 120$ USD cost. These would also be worthwhile products to get as gifts, but this leans towards the higher end of the money tree, so we’ll just leave these as simple mentions over here for now.
Here is a direct link to all the Elite Trainer Box Varieties you can find on the Pokemoncenter. These include the exclusive ones so check them out, and if these don’t feel suitable then normal elite trainer boxes are also available at popular retail websites to pick out which ones would be nice Pokemon gifts.
Prominent Singular Pokemon TCG Cards:
Singular Pokemon TCG cards are resold at various stores and websites via sellers that look to get some money back for rare cards they pull out of packs themselves. Hence this is one manner to get TCG cards as people can simply check online to see if a Chase card is available as a single purchase. This allows people to simply buy the favourite card they like instead of getting products and booster packs just to get a chance of getting the card that they want.
Singular Pokemon TCG cards usually offer a good bargain as they cost relatively less than gambling with Pokemon TCG Booster Packs, so some fans exclusively use this manner to make and build up their Pokemon TCG collection. eBay is one website that is full of singular cards from various sellers, but as you would guess, because these cards are technically obtained from packs, these are opened and visible cards which need to be inspected to check if they are real and in mint condition. Pokemon TCG cards are only worth if they are in mint condition, so any kind of slight or heavy damage on the card affects their price or worth. People also need to be wary of the sellers who they would buy singular cards from, and it should always be a priority to check beforehand that the seller is trusted and legit.
Singular TCG cards are the best-case scenario for many because people can simply check and inspect online for any card from a Pokemon TCG Expansion, even the rarest one that would have the least odds of getting pulled from a booster pack, and obtain it without too much hassle. Cards of higher demand and rarity such as these would cost a ton, however, but it would still be an optional manner as people can buy a singular card for a friend or a relative who would have been looking for it. This would make it a great gift, and trust us the average cost of the card would make it look obvious that the person spends a very pretty penny to get it for them.
Some of the singular cards that fetch a high price and big popularity are Charizard cards from new expansions, special illustration cards, and more than that seem to be the rarest ones to pull. If the card is one that a fan doesn’t have, they’d be sure to love getting it as a gift, maybe even more than getting a Pokemon TCG product. Any of these could work great as neat little Pokemon gifts.
Another additional thing about singular cards are slabs, cards that have been properly graded by a verified grading company which place the card in a hard plastic compartment to retain its condition over the years. These cost more than usual singular cards, but they’re also an option when looking for a gift if the person you’re looking to give it to collects slabs as these are a good option for Pokemon gifts for a special someone.
More TCG Products:
Aside from singular cards and elite trainer boxes, there are all kinds of varieties for Pokemon TCG that come in different box sets that have exclusive cards and more like small figures, deck boxes, mats, sleeves promo cards and more. For this month, the newest Spring Collection is also out that has a nice looking Adventure Chest as one product, alongside many new Pokemon plushes and more. Products like these are also exclusive and work as really nice gifts so you can keep an eye out for any official products that have whole bundles of things inside.
Here is the link to the Pokemon TCG Paldea Adventure Chest.
Tins are also big in the gig, with many varieties coming in lunch box sizes as well as smaller ones. There are many themed tins coming with a promo card, there are also very small mini tin varieties that cost cheap and can be collected for their own full bundle, Pokeball tins and more. Below are links to some of the newest and most popular Tin products that Pokemon TCG has to offer:
Hisuian Typhlosion Themed Divergent Powers Tin.
Giratina Themed Hidden Potential Tin.
Charizard and Fire Themed Stacking Tin.
Piplup Themed Sinnoh Stars Mini Tin.
Pokemon on Mobile Phones:
The biggest franchise of the world doesn’t come slow when it comes to presence in almost every form of media out there, and mobile phones are no different. There are many different kinds of videogame apps, present for the franchise that also has ingame purchases which can also come as subtle but pleasant gifts if the person actively plays them. There are many popular titles such as Pokemon GO which frequently offer special bonuses and exclusive rewards behind relatively cheap tickets that act as paywalls. These Pokemon gifts aren’t on the same level as getting something physical, however, so we’ll leave the judgment to you to decide.
Pokemon GO:
Pokemon GO has been and is still going strong as one of the most profitable and one of the most successful mobile apps on the planet, with the game providing a unique experience of catching Pokemon in real-life locations as well as a variety of gameplay features like Raid Battles, Player Versus Player Battles and more. There are also yearly events called Pokemon GO Fests that are considered the biggest events of the specific years where both free and purchasable gameplay rewards are available to players.
For a person who is crazy about the game, the Pokemon GO Fest Ticket is an excellent option to get as a gift if they don’t have it already. There are also many other purchasable options in the game to pick from which would be a nice small thing to get as a Pokemon GO player such as the Ticket for the current ongoing season. This year’s GO Fest brings Marshadow and Necrozma from the Alola Region from the original games on the 3DS, and for anyone who considers these as favourites, they’d love to get the GO Fest 2024 Ticket that unlocks the Marshadow Encounter and many other rewards in the game.
Pokemon Masters EX, Pokemon Unite and More:
There are also many other popular Pokemon titles on mobile phones such as Pokemon Masters EX, which provide a unique gameplay experience of befriending various characters of the Pokemon world, such as those that made appearances in the Pokemon Anime or in the Pokemon videogame titles. These also work as gacha systems where ingame purchases can land people better odds and chances of getting their favourite high-star characters and partner Pokemon. Pokemon Unite also has cosmetics that look great, as well as other ingame currency to get them better rewards and more out of the game. There’s also Cafe Remix which is a cute game that frequently gets new content and also has ingame purchases available. Pokemon Sleep, a merge of a videogame with a sleep tracking app is also a new experience that’s fun and provides some nice rewards from purchasable ingame Boxes.
For those looking to get the best possible Pokemon gifts, these are also choices that could be a very nice gesture depending on the preference of the person who’s receiving the gift.
Pokemon Plushes:
Moving on to another immensely popular form of the Pokemon franchise, Pokemon Plushes galore! There are more than 1000 Pokemon now after the newest releases of the Paldea Region and its Pokemon in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and out of these, about all of them have plushes. On top of this, some popular Pokemon don’t have just a single or a couple of varieties, but a huge lineup of poses and plush sizes to pick from. This makes Pokemon Plushes one of the biggest and one of the best choices to pick gifts from.
Pokemon Plushes come in really great quality, and the variety is truly staggering. Need a Pokemon lying down like a goof? There’s a ton of variety of sleeping Pokemon Plushes to choose from. Need a Pokemon plush that looks cool as heck? There’s one for you out there? Need a small one that fits into your pocket? There are tons of Keychain-sized plushes. Need a Lucario that is its original real-life size as it is in the Pokemon World? Say no more. There is everything and anything in the Pokemon Plushes lineup.
The newest Spring Collection also brought the newest sweet-looking Pokemon plushes to the market, so this is a great place to choose a gift from. And what’s better is who wouldn’t love Pokemon Plushes if they’re a true Pokemon fan? Below are some links to the Pokemoncenter that show some of the huge variety of Pokemon Plushes available for purchase that would be great Pokemon gifts:
Real Life Sized Lucario Poke Plush.
Pichu and Pikachu Sweet Support Plush.
Pokemon Pins:
Considering Pins as subtle and minimalist additions people can add to their clothes or bags, these are nice small things to get for a friend who’s into Pokemon, and the variety is huge as well. There are many different styles Pins come in, prominently in their signature sprite style as Pokemon appeared in older Pokemon videogame titles in Pokemon tabs, and they look great. There are also bigger and more modern-looking ones available that show their full designs and there are many to pick from.
These are relatively cheap and since there are plenty of varieties to choose from, it might be a good idea to go for the ones the person would like, such as for their favourite Pokemon. Pokemon have their pins normally bundled for each of their evolutions, so it’s a nice thing to see the whole evolutionary line of favourite Pokemon displayed on clothes and accessories.
Here are a few of the pin collections available for purchase on the Pokemoncenter website that can act as perfect Pokemon gifts;
Cyndaquil Evolutionary Line Pins.
Sprigatito Evolutionary Line Pins.
The Best Pokemon Gifts:
There are many other accessories and merchandise for everything Pokemon including display pieces, figures, gardening items and much more. There’s something for everybody so it’s just a matter of checking online for whatever you think you might like, a Pokemon-themed lamp, Pokemon-themed utensils, Pokemon-themed air humidifiers, there’s a ton of stuff.
We’ve tried to give you the whole big picture of whatever Pokemon encompasses, including the main popular stuff so you can make an informed decision about getting the perfect Pokemon gifts this month. There will be new merchandise every month ahead and looking at how strong the franchise has been being the biggest one in the world, it’s not to slow down at all, in fact, The Pokemon Company makes sure that every new form of media and merchandise lines up so there’s everything of whatever new coming in Pokemon.
We hope you find the right item for your special someone and we hope this article has helped you get an idea of how the franchise works, and what would be the suitable pick for the best Pokemon gifts you can get this April.
For more on everything Pokemon, check out the official Pokemon website. Check up on our website for everything else there is in gaming and more.
