Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble in 2026: The Galar Starter Collector's Survey
By Dexhaul Team · August 27, 2026
The Galar starters are the only Generation 8 starters to receive dedicated Japanese promotional card sets as part of Pokémon's 30th Anniversary Celebration, and that link gives Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble an unusual relevance heading into September 2026.
Pokémon Sword and Shield released on November 15, 2019, introducing the Galar region, a landscape inspired by the British Isles. The three starters each evolved across two stages: Grookey (Grass) grew into Thwackey and then Rillaboom, Scorbunny (Fire) became Raboot and then Cinderace, and Sobble (Water) evolved into Drizzile and then Inteleon. None of the three carried a secondary type, keeping each cleanly in their elemental lane.
The Sword and Shield era TCG ran from 2020 through early 2023 and produced some of the highest-print-run sets in the game's history. That scale means the secondary market is well-stocked, prices are reasonable across almost every rarity tier, and there is no shortage of entry points.
The September 16 Connection: Japanese 30th Anniversary Card Sets
This is where the Galar starters diverge from their Generation 9 successors in 2026.
The 30th Anniversary Celebration, launching September 16, includes a series of Japanese promotional card sets organized by Pokémon generation. The Galar starters received their own dedicated M-P (Mega Promo) set: three card collections, one per starter, in the Galar arc. You can find these from importers now, before the global September 16 rollout, with prices ranging from $77 to $107 depending on the seller and whether it is the box or the card accessories version.
The Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble cards in these sets are Japanese-language promotional prints featuring anniversary-specific artwork. They are not tournament-legal in English formats but are intended as collector pieces. If you are already building an anniversary collection around the September 16 ETB or the 30th Celebration booster products, these promos round out the set with the most recent starter generation before Generation 9.
An alternative for those who want the Galar starters in the anniversary context without the Japanese import premium: the 2026 English First Partner Illustration Collections include regional starter groups across generations. Check the current listings, since stock and pricing vary by series and seller.
Sword and Shield Era TCG: What to Collect
The Sword and Shield TCG series ran from February 2020 through January 2023 and encompassed twelve main sets plus promotional releases. Rillaboom, Cinderace, and Inteleon were featured as V, VMAX, and eventually VSTAR cards across multiple sets.
For TCG collectors, the three most accessible entry points are the Black Star promos from the 2020 Collector Chest Tin. Scorbunny (030/202), Sobble (054/202), and Grookey (010/202) are all holographic promos that show up on the secondary market for around $5–10 each. They are not high-dollar cards, but they are official Black Star prints featuring the pre-evolved starters in clean standalone art, and they are easy to track down now that the Sword and Shield era is complete.
At the higher end, the Crown Zenith Pin Collections for Rillaboom, Cinderace, and Inteleon each included three booster packs from the final Sword and Shield set (SWSH12.5, released January 2023). These were among the last sealed products featuring SWSH-era packs before the Scarlet and Violet series took over. Crown Zenith booster packs are now out of print, so any sealed Crown Zenith product is drawing interest from players and collectors who missed the set.
Pokémon TCG Sword Shield SWSH01 Theme Deck Set: Inteleon, Rillaboom & Cinderace
$55.00 USD
The original SWSH01 Theme Decks are worth considering if you want a playable, sealed-format snapshot of each starter at their final evolution. The Rillaboom, Cinderace, and Inteleon theme decks were the launch product for the Sword and Shield TCG and are now a defined artifact of the era's opening. Sets of all three together show up for around $50–60.
Plush, Figures, and the 30th Anniversary Merchandise
The Galar starters have a solid plush and figure footprint. The officially licensed 8-inch plush three-packs featuring Scorbunny, Grookey, and Sobble are the most direct route to owning all three in a single purchase, currently running around $87 from select sellers.
For figures, the 30th Anniversary MonColle Starter Trio is the standout option this year. MonColle (Monster Collection) figures from Takara Tomy are the standard for Pokémon collectible figures: accurate sculpts, approximately 3–4 cm tall, and a consistent line that has covered virtually every Pokémon over the decades. The Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble 30th Anniversary trio runs around $26 and is available from Japanese import sellers.
Grookey, Scorbunny & Sobble MonColle Starter Trio: Pokémon 30th Anniversary Monster Collection Set (Takara Tomy)
$26.96 USD
There are also two budget figure options worth knowing. The Gen 8 Starter figure set from Pokestar (pictured at the top of this article, $12.99) captures all three in a single package. The Pokémon Galar Trio 30th Anniversary set from Hobby Vault ($24.99) covers a similar scope with slightly different packaging.
Where to Start on Any Budget
Under $15: The Black Star promo holos (around $5) or a Galar Starters singles bundle from the Sword and Shield era (as low as $7.49) put all three starters in hand for very little.
$15–$30: The Gen 8 Starter figure set ($12.99) or the MonColle Starter Trio ($26.96) give you a physical display-ready trio. The 30th Anniversary Galar Trio figure set from Hobby Vault ($24.99) also fits this band.
$50–$90: The SWSH01 Theme Deck set ($55) is a sealed TCG artifact worth owning if you collect by era. The official plush three-pack ($87) is the definitive soft-goods option.
$90 and up: The Japanese 30th Anniversary promotional card sets ($77–$107) sit at the premium end and carry the clearest tie to the September 16 anniversary launch. They are collector pieces rather than gameplay cards, so the premium is for the artwork and the anniversary provenance, not play value.
The Galar starters are not the hardest generation to collect. Sword and Shield had massive print runs, the secondary market is liquid, and the 30th Anniversary connection gives the trio a timely hook that most recent generations do not have yet. That combination makes August 2026 a reasonable time to fill in a gap if this generation was on your list.
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