The First Partner Illustration Collection is a 27-card Pokémon TCG promo series built around every generation’s starter trio, illustrated in wide, scenic artwork rather than the usual character-only layout. It comes from the Mega Evolution Promo line (card codes MEP 037 through MEP 063), released across three separate waves throughout 2026 rather than all at once.
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The set has become one of the most talked-about promo drops of the year thanks to its nostalgic region-specific artwork and the panoramic effect each trio creates when the three cards are displayed side by side. Below is the complete list of all 27 cards, counted down from 27 to the single most hyped card in the set.
27. Sobble (MEP 054)
Sobble represents Galar as the region’s Water-type starter, illustrated with the shy, tearful personality that made it an instant fan meme when Sword and Shield launched. Of the three Galar starters in this collection, it’s generally the one collectors chase last.
26. Oshawott (MEP 051)
Oshawott brings Unova’s Water-type starter into the panoramic art style, shown with its signature scalchop shell front and center. It rounds out the Unova trio alongside Snivy and Tepig in Series 2.
25. Chespin (MEP 058)
Chespin is Kalos’s Grass-type starter, depicted with the spiky quill armor that defines its early design. It’s often the least requested of the Kalos trio compared to its two starter partners.
24. Grookey (MEP 052)
Grookey opens the Galar trio as the Grass-type starter, its rhythmic drumming stick front and center in the illustration. It sits in the middle of the Galar pack in terms of collector demand.
23. Snivy (MEP 049)
Snivy represents Unova as the Grass-type starter, illustrated with the sleek, composed pose that made it popular when Black and White introduced it. It anchors the Unova trio alongside Tepig and Oshawott.
22. Chikorita (MEP 046)
Chikorita kicks off the Johto trio as the Grass-type starter, shown with its signature leaf in a scene built around the original Johto starting routes. It’s often remembered fondly for being the first Grass starter to break from Bulbasaur’s design template.
21. Fuecoco (MEP 062)
Fuecoco is Paldea’s Fire-type starter, illustrated with its laid-back, chill personality that made it a breakout favorite when Scarlet and Violet released. It’s one of three Paldea starters closing out Series 3.
20. Totodile (MEP 048)
Totodile rounds out the Johto trio as the Water-type starter, its wide grin and snapping jaw a defining piece of the illustration. It’s paired here with Chikorita and Cyndaquil to complete the region.
19. Mudkip (MEP 057)
Mudkip is Hoenn’s Water-type starter, depicted with the wide-eyed expression that turned it into an internet meme years after its original release. It opens the Hoenn trio in Series 3 alongside Treecko and Torchic.
18. Scorbunny (MEP 053)
Scorbunny is Galar’s Fire-type starter, shown mid-sprint with the energetic pose that reflects its speed-focused design. It’s the middle card of the Galar trio alongside Grookey and Sobble.
17. Popplio (MEP 045)
Popplio represents Alola as the Water-type starter, illustrated with its signature balloon bubble in a beachside scene. It completes the Alola trio in Series 1 alongside Rowlet and Litten.
16. Cyndaquil (MEP 047)
Cyndaquil is Johto’s Fire-type starter, one of the most consistently popular starters across the franchise thanks to its flame-covered back design. It anchors the Johto trio alongside Chikorita and Totodile.
15. Tepig (MEP 050)
Tepig is Unova’s Fire-type starter, illustrated with its round, snout-forward design that made it a favorite among younger fans. It sits between Snivy and Oshawott in the Unova lineup.
14. Froakie (MEP 060)
Froakie closes out the Kalos trio as the Water-type starter, shown with the bubble-covered frog design that later became a fan favorite through its final evolution. It completes Kalos alongside Chespin and Fennekin.
13. Fennekin (MEP 059)
Fennekin is Kalos’s Fire-type starter, illustrated with its fox-like features and oversized ears. It’s the middle card of the Kalos trio in Series 3.
12. Quaxly (MEP 063)
Quaxly rounds out the Paldea trio as the Water-type starter, depicted with its sleek, duckling design and confident stance. It closes out the newest region represented in this collection.
11. Sprigatito (MEP 061)
Sprigatito is Paldea’s Grass-type starter and the region’s breakout star, having won its generation’s official fan popularity poll by a wide margin. It opens the Paldea trio alongside Fuecoco and Quaxly.
10. Rowlet (MEP 043)
Rowlet is Alola’s Grass-type starter, illustrated in its signature owl form and widely regarded as one of the most popular starters of the last decade. It opens the Alola trio in Series 1.
9. Litten (MEP 044)
Litten is Alola’s Fire-type starter, shown with the fiery, independent personality that built it a strong following despite a rocky final evolution reception. It’s the middle card of the Alola trio.
8. Piplup (MEP 042)
Piplup is Sinnoh’s Water-type starter, illustrated with the proud, strutting pose that made it one of the most recognizable starters in the franchise. It closes out the Sinnoh trio in Series 1.
7. Turtwig (MEP 040)
Turtwig opens the Sinnoh trio as the Grass-type starter, depicted with the small tree growing from its back in a forest-themed scene. It sits alongside Chimchar and Piplup to complete Sinnoh.
6. Chimchar (MEP 041)
Chimchar is Sinnoh’s Fire-type starter, shown mid-leap with its flaming tail as the centerpiece of the illustration. It’s the middle card of the Sinnoh trio in Series 1.
5. Treecko (MEP 055)
Treecko is Hoenn’s Grass-type starter, illustrated with the cool, composed design that built it a dedicated competitive fanbase. It opens the Hoenn trio alongside Torchic and Mudkip.
4. Torchic (MEP 056)
Torchic is Hoenn’s Fire-type starter, one of the most consistently beloved starters in the franchise thanks to its round, fluffy design. It’s the middle card of the Hoenn trio in Series 3.
3. Squirtle (MEP 039)
Squirtle is Kanto’s Water-type starter, illustrated in a classic Route 1 and Pallet Town scene alongside its two Kanto partners. As part of the original 1996 starter trio, it carries some of the strongest nostalgia value in the whole collection.
2. Charmander (MEP 038)
Charmander is Kanto’s Fire-type starter and one of the most recognizable Pokémon ever printed, shown with its signature tail flame glowing against the card’s nostalgic background. Its price has consistently tracked above Squirtle’s since release, driven largely by its connection to Charizard further down the evolution line.
1. Bulbasaur (MEP 037)
Bulbasaur is Kanto’s Grass-type starter and the single most hyped card in the entire First Partner Illustration Collection, and the reason has nothing to do with Bulbasaur itself. Collectors discovered a hidden Pikachu silhouette tucked into the green Viridian Forest stripe in the card’s top-left corner, a nod to Pikachu’s rare 5% encounter rate in that exact location in the original games, and the find sent the card’s price jumping from around $25 to roughly $65 on TCGplayer within days, making it more expensive than every other card in the set.
Where to Get These Cards
None of these 27 cards are pulled from regular Mega Evolution booster packs, so the main way to get them is through the dedicated First Partner Illustration Collection boxes, which hand out 3 random cards per box from whichever series you buy. If you’re chasing a specific card, like the now-famous Bulbasaur, buying the single directly is usually faster and more predictable than opening boxes hoping for a random hit.
Always double check that a listing specifies the Mega Evolution “MEP” numbering rather than the similarly themed 30th Celebration starter promos, since the two sets aren’t the same despite featuring identical Pokémon. Both boxes and singles are readily available through major marketplaces like eBay and TCGplayer for collectors filling out the full 27-card set.
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