One of the best Pokémon cards of 2026 is nearly impossible to get

TCG fans need to jump through many hoops to get the Mega Gallade special illustration card One of the best Pokémon cards of the year has to be the recently revealed Mega Gallade special illustration card drawn by prolific artist Akira Egawa. Don't get too excited about the majestic card, though. The Pokémon Company is only printing a small number of those Gallade cards, and any fan who wants one will need to jump through quite a few hoops. As pointed out by The Kanto Post, the card is a promo release for a Japanese Pokémon TCG set called Storm Emeralda that introduces stadiums split into two separate cards. This is what it looks like: There are two ways to obtain the card. The first is entering a themed tournament where players must construct a deck using mostly cards from the Storm Emeralda release. Players who win three matches will be mailed the Gallade card starting in December 2026. Basically, you need to be good at the Pokémon trading card game — and many new collectors don't bother to learn it. The second is to submit an account of the experience to TPC that details the experience of actually playing the Emeralda set with friends and family at home. Skill isn't a requirement