- Released
- 2014–17Pokémon Centers in Japan
- Flagship
- 207 · 208Mega Charizard X and Y
- Box price
- ¥2,500+ tax · Special BOX, 1 Jan 2016
- Top sale
- $72,000208 · BGS Black Label · Jun 2026
Poncho Pikachu (ポンチョを着たピカチュウ) is a run of Japan-only Pokémon Center promo cards from 2014 to 2017, each showing Pikachu in a poncho styled on another Pokémon. The best known are 207/XY-P and 208/XY-P (Mega Charizard X and Y), sold in ¥2,500 Special BOX sets on 1 January 2016. A BGS Black Label 208 sold for $72,000 in June 2026.
Last updated . Prices include buyer's premium unless noted.
Merch first, cards second
The poncho Pikachu was a mascot before it was a card. When Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo opened on 12 December 2014, it launched with about 30 items featuring Pikachu in Mega Charizard ponchos, and the first card, 098/XY-P, was a gift with purchase until 16 January 2015.[1]
The cards that made the series famous came a year later. For the "Pikachu Mega Campaign" in December 2015, the Pokémon Centers gave out 203/XY-P with every ¥1,000 spent on card products.[2] Then, on 1 January 2016, they sold two Special BOX sets at ¥2,500 plus tax. Each held a poncho Pikachu (207, Mega Charizard X, or 208, Mega Charizard Y), plus a special Pikachu holo, 5 booster packs, a deck case, 62 sleeves and a 750-card storage box.[3]
Every Poncho Pikachu card
| Promo | Poncho | How it was released | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 098/XY-P | Mega Charizard (Y in most guides; Rare Candy says X) | Gift with purchase at the opening of Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo, until 16 Jan 2015 | Dec 2014 [1] |
| 150/XY-P, 151/XY-P | "Pretend" Magikarp and Gyarados: costumes, not ponchos | Pokémon Center Hiroshima box | Jun 2015 [4] |
| 203/XY-P | Mega Lucario, Audino and Slowbro | Pikachu Mega Campaign: one per ¥1,000 spent on card products | 12–31 Dec 2015 [2] |
| 204/XY-P | — | Mega Battle event card | Jan 2016 (some guides say Jan 2015) [4] |
| 207/XY-P | Mega Charizard X | Special BOX, ¥2,500 + tax | 1 Jan 2016 [3] |
| 208/XY-P | Mega Charizard Y | Special BOX, ¥2,500 + tax | 1 Jan 2016 [3] |
| 230/XY-P, 231/XY-P | Rayquaza and shiny Rayquaza | Pokémon Center Skytree Town box | Jul 2016 [4] |
| 274/XY-P, 275/XY-P | — | Mega Battle Play Point rewards | Summer 2016 [4] |
| 037/SM-P, 038/SM-P | Alolan Vulpix and Vulpix | Pokémon Center box | Feb 2017 [4] |
| 088/SM-P | Rowlet | — | 2017 [4] |
Guides disagree on some dates; where they do, we note both. Card numbers are the promo codes printed on the cards.
Some cards often filed under "poncho" aren't ponchos. 150 and 151 show Pikachu in full "pretend" Magikarp and Gyarados costumes. Guides disagree on whether to count them, so it's your call.[4]
What they sell for
The 2016 pair are the chase cards, and Black Label grades are where the big numbers are. About 30 copies of 208 have reached BGS 10 Black Label.[7]
| Card | Grade | Price | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 208/XY-P | BGS 10 Black Label | $72,000 | Fanatics Collect, 19 Jun 2026 [7] |
| 208/XY-P | PSA 10 | $16,250 | Heritage, 3 Sep 2026 [8] |
| 207/XY-P | BGS 10 | $14,600 | Jan 2026 [9] |
| 207/XY-P | PSA 9 | $9,375 | Heritage, 3 Sep 2026 [8] |
| 230/XY-P | PSA 8 | $7,500 | Heritage, 3 Sep 2026 [8] |
| 231/XY-P | PSA 8 | $6,875 | Heritage, 3 Sep 2026 [8] |
| 207/XY-P | PSA 10 | $9,500 | Sep 2025 [9] |
| 208/XY-P | PSA 10 | $8,800 | Sep 2025 [9] |
Completed sales, including buyer's premium.
PSA has graded more than 1,400 copies of 204, and 207 has 232 PSA 10s, so the high grades aren't as thin as the prices suggest. The premium is for the art and the Japan-only story.[4]
How to tell a real one
- Holo. On a real card the holo shifts as you tilt it. Fakes look static or show a flat rainbow sheen.[10]
- Text. On fakes the trademark text sits slightly lower, and energy symbols are blurry.[10]
- Border. Genuine borders have a fine dot texture under magnification.[10]
- Sealed boxes. Resealed Special BOXes are a known problem. Weigh the box and check the shrink-wrap and flaps before paying a sealed premium.[4]
What to search for in Japan
Finding one in Japan
Poncho Pikachus were sold in Japanese Pokémon Centers, so most raw copies are still in Japan: in collections, shop cases and auction lots. Tell us which number and grade you want, and whether a raw copy would do.
