Pokémon fans had already waited months for the franchise’s 30th anniversary celebrations to arrive, but creator Joe Charman ended up with something he certainly wasn’t expecting when he finally started ripping packs.

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The Pokémon Trading Card Game’s 30th Celebration expansion released to huge anticipation on Thursday, September 16, 2026.

The launch prompted enormous interest among collectors, with footage shared on social media showing huge queues forming outside retailers and shoppers rushing towards displays once stores opened.

Charman, a self-described “big Pokémon fan”, pulled a striking Mewtwo card from the highly anticipated 30th Celebration expansion — only to discover that it was what’s known in the community as an “error card” (a card that features a mistake introduced during the manufacturing, printing, or cutting process).

Rather than being disappointed with the unusual pull, Charman quickly realised he might have ended up with one of the more memorable cards in his collection.

Images shared to Facebook by Charman show a significant portion of the Mewtwo card’s left-hand side without the design covering the rest of the card, creating an unmistakable visual error. In another spot of luck, the Mewtwo was printed over a Psychic Energy card.

“Has anyone seen the other half of my Mewtwo? I want it back,” he joked in the caption. The post quickly attracted attention, receiving thousands of reactions alongside hundreds of comments.

And plenty of those responding believed the unusual nature of the card made it something Charman should hold onto.

One person wrote: “That card is priceless.”

Another added: “That’s cool as hell.”

A third urged him: “Never let that card go.”

Others immediately began speculating about what an error of that kind might mean for the card’s potential value.

“Bro, you just landed bank,” one excited Facebook user typed. “Misprints are often the most sought-after cards in any collection. This could land you 6-7 figures,” one commenter claimed.

Another collector had a different suggestion for what he should do next, writing: “Slab it right away!”

While some of the attention naturally turned towards its possible value, Charman appeared considerably more interested in what the Mewtwo meant for his own collection.

Responding beneath his post, he explained that he didn’t already own any error cards and suggested this one wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“I don’t have any error cards so I’ll likely hang on to this one. It’s nice to have cards I can talk about. I’m a big Pokemon fan, this will likely go into my forever collection,” he replied in the comments section.

Charman had already marked release day in fitting fashion.

He took part in a TikTok Shop livestream alongside fellow creator and Pokémon Trading Card Game enthusiast Arron Crascall, with the pair opening and auctioning cards from a 1999 Base Set Booster Box.

And the opening delivered one of the biggest moments they could have hoped for when the elusive Charizard holo appeared from the sixth pack.

It looks like Charman certainly has skills when it comes to ripping Pokémon cards.

Featured image credit: Facebook/JoeCharman