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To celebrate the arrival of a captivating new book Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology, a unique partnership has been formed. Pokémon's creators and London's Natural History Museum are opening a temporary store stocked with special merchandise. Enthusiasts can look forward to products like stationery, plushes, and artwork all drawing from the museum's theme. For collectors, however, will be a specially made Pikachu card, given as a free bonus for the pop-up. The store will operate both the physical location to online from January 26 to April 19.

The Book That Inspires the Collaboration

Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology represents a much-awaited tome packed with beautiful illustrations that show creatures in their natural habitats. It's essentially like what a Pokémon Professor could produce once adventurers provide field notes, or a naturalist's journal could have sketched had the Galapagos were populated by Pidgeys instead of birds. A key appeal stems from the book's serious approach, presenting Pokémon as a legitimate subject for study. Writer Yoshinari Yonehara together with illustrator Chihiro Kinoshita each possess doctorate degrees in ecology and behavioral science.

Why This Promo Card Stand Out

It is common for The Pokémon Company special edition promos celebrating big events and crossover partnerships. Many of these collector items typically highlight the iconic mouse Pokémon that acts as the franchise mascot. What distinguishes this new promotion apart is its unusually large size. Although precise specs have not been publicly disclosed, availability will certainly be highly restricted, with fans able to get only a single card per purchase.

Limiting Reseller Interest

Per an official statement, some of the merchandise will also be sold outside the institution itself. However, a wider release is slated for select retailers within the United Kingdom. Importantly, fans will not be able to acquire the card via the official web shop. Although speculator demand is a given, the setup suggests they're going to have a difficult time hoarding mass quantities on this occasion. For those unable to attend, consider the upcoming Pokémon Fossil exhibit coming to the Windy City in the coming months.

"Every penny of sales from the museum store and its web shop, which covers Pokémon products, support the Natural History Museum’s charitable mission. That encompasses the research of 400 scientists who are scientific inquiry to discover answers to the global ecological crisis," it notes.