The recent Pokémon Trading Card Game special set, Celebrations, includes a “Classic Collection” subset of 25 iconic cards from the series’ prestigious history. Some of these cards are beloved for the role they played in the Pokémon TCG’s collectible legacy. Cards like Base Set’s emblematic Charizard card, along with Blastoise and Venusaur, are representative of how the Pokémon TCG has withstood the test of time.
Other special cards are included to represent major milestones. Reshiram and Zekrom from Black & White, for example, were the very first full art cards in the Pokémon TCG. Full art cards would become a key part in all card sets moving forward. They are highly desirable cards for collectors and players alike to this day.
Not all of the cards in this special set were included for their collectibility, however. For example, a regular card like Cleffa, originally from Neo Genesis, may not seem so remarkable at first glance. But its “Eeeeeeek” attack, in conjunction with the protection it gets as a Baby Pokémon, made it highly usable when it was legal in competitive play. A number of the Classic Collection cards in the Celebrations set were included because they have had a profound impact on the Pokémon TCG competitive scene as a whole for many years. Here are some of the best cards in Celebrations: Classic Collection, and some of the best cards made across 25 years of the Pokémon TCG.
Pokémon TCG Celebrations: Classic Collection - Rocket’s Admin.
The Rocket’s Admin. card was originally released in EX Team Rocket Returns in November 2004, following the release of Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen. This Supporter Trainer card makes both players shuffle their hand back into their deck and draw cards equal to the number of Prize Cards they themselves have left. A player who is behind with more Prize Cards remaining than their opponent in Pokémon: TCG could use Rocket’s Admin in Pokémon to potentially make a big comeback. The Celebrations Classic Collection is the first time this card has been reprinted in English, but relatively recent players will recognize this card’s effect: it’s the same as N, the Black & White-era Supporter Trainer. N is generally considered one of the best Supporters in the Pokémon TCG, making Rocket’s Admin. a natural contender for one of the best cards in this collection.
Pokémon TCG Celebrations: Classic Collection - Claydol
Claydol may seem like an unassuming Pokémon, but it was actually a very powerful card for its Poké-Power, “Cosmic Power.” Players could draw up to six cards each turn as long as they placed one or two cards from their hand onto the bottom of their deck. Claydol’s ability made it one of the best consistency cards the Pokémon TCG has ever had, giving players a way to set aside what they didn’t need and draw into their deck for what they did need, and frequently. As a result, Claydol was a staple that found its way into almost every deck. It was so effective that, at the time, Supporters weren’t used predominantly for pure draw power like they tend to be in more recent eras.
Pokémon TCG Celebrations: Classic Collection - Luxray GL LV.X
LV.X Pokémon from the Diamond & Pearl-era Pokémon TCG sets are similar to Pokémon BREAK from later X & Y sets. These Pokémon can use the attacks and abilities of their previous stage as long as the necessary Energy requirements and other conditions are met. But some LV.X Pokémon dominated the game with their own abilities and instead used support from other cards. Luxray GL LV.X, introduced in Rising Rivals, has a Poké-Power that lets the player choose any opposing Pokémon on the bench to bring up to the active position, which can turn the tides of battle in a pinch. Luxray GL LV.X also has no Retreat Cost, meaning players could use its Poké-Power and immediately retreat into a more offensive Pokémon, such as Garchomp C LV.X, which is also featured in the Celebrations Classic Collection.
Players who used Luxray GL LV.X also had access to various “Team Galactic’s Invention” Pokémon cards like “Poké Turn,” allowing them to use and reuse Luxray GL LV.X’s ability whenever they needed to. This strategy was used by all three age division winners at the 2009 World Championships, and by the Senior and Master division winners in the 2010 World Championships. Whether paired with Garchomp C LV.X or another Pokémon entirely, Luxray GL LV.X was always able to control the field with ease.
Pokémon TCG Celebrations: Classic Collection - Tapu Lele GX
Tapu Lele GX first appeared in Guardians Rising and has been reprinted as both a Yellow A Alternate art promotional card and as a special gold card in Hidden Fates. This card has earned all its reprints thanks to its usability in any deck. Its “Wonder Tag” Ability lets players search their deck for any Supporter card when they play Tapu Lele GX from their hand onto their bench. Although it was rotated out of Pokémon: TCG's Standard format legality rules starting in 2019, it still sees frequent use in Expanded format decks thanks to its versatility. No matter the deck, whatever Supporter a player may need is just a Tapu Lele GX away.
Pokémon TCG Celebrations: Classic Collection - Mewtwo-EX
Mewtwo-EX from Next Destinies is by far one of the single most powerful cards made in the entire history of the Pokémon TCG. Its “X Ball” attack, which does 20 damage for each Energy attached both to Mewtwo-EX and the Defending Pokémon, is already very strong. Most Pokémon-EX at the time were attaching upwards of three and four Energy and not doing enough damage to one-shot Mewtwo-EX. Mewtwo-EX, on the other hand, could use X Ball with a single Double Colorless Energy and use the opponent’s high Energy costs against them. This card was so strong that every deck needed to have a counter for it, but the best card to deal with Mewtwo-EX in Pokémon was Mewtwo-EX itself. It wasn’t enough that any deck could theoretically run Mewtwo-EX—although decks that utilized Energy acceleration and maneuvering worked with it best—but most decks had to in order to hit it for its Psychic weakness and take it out in one hit.
This naturally led to most decks in the Pokémon TCG 2012 World Championships featuring Mewtwo-EX in some way. Decks built around Mewtwo-EX won all three age divisions that year. To top it off, in both the Senior and Master divisions, six out of the top eight decks had Mewtwo-EX, and the entire Top 4 in both the Junior and Master divisions used the card, too. Although power levels may fluctuate in both the video games and Pokémon TCG, Mewtwo-EX gave players reason to believe that Mewtwo was once again “the world’s strongest Pokémon."