Exclusive: PokémonXP and 2026 Pokémon World Championships Pokémon Center Merch Reveal

The 2026 Pokémon World Championships are right around the corner in San Francisco, California on August 28–30, and that means a new coveted Pokémon merchandise drop at its exclusive pop-up Pokémon Center. This isn’t just any year, though — it’s also Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary and the first-ever official Pokémon fan-convention, PokémonXP. The Pokémon Company is going all-out with the collections this year, and we’ve got an exclusive first look at what to expect at the combo 2026 Worlds and PokémonXP Pokémon Center, including a unique stuffed Pikachu made by the inventors of the Teddy Bear, Steiff.

Before we get into everything else — and trust me, there’s a lot — take a good look at this Steiff 2026 Pokémon World Championships Exclusive Pikachu. This isn’t the classic stuffed toy company’s first take on Pikachu, as they produced one in 2015 and another just this July celebrating Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary, but this Steiff Pikachu is the first accessorized edition!

We can’t be certain of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships Exclusive Pikachu collectible’s materials and price, but Steiff’s previous Pikachu renditions were made of premium natural mohair and sold for around $400.

Senior director of Pokémon Center and e-commerce Cindy Ruppenthal explains: “As one of the standout items for this year, fans can only receive it via voucher — meaning, those booking a store reservation can opt in to enter the selection process to purchase fan-favorite items.”

Like at last year’s Pokémon World Championships in Anaheim, California, PokémonXP and the Pokémon World Championships this year feature three distinct merch lines.

“To celebrate this year’s San Francisco location, Pokémon Center will be releasing three product lines — the PokémonXP Line, the 2026 Pokémon World Championships Line, and the San Francisco Line,” Ruppenthal said.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the exclusive merch you can try to snag at this year’s event.

PokémonXP Line

PokémonXP heavily features blue space-themed items, like the previously revealed female Pikachu dressed in clothing fit for a star-exploring astronaut. (We know she’s female because of her heart-shaped tail!) A goggles- and jetpack-wearing Charizard accompanies space Pikachu as a co-mascot of this line, and is featured in its own figure, wall art, and more. I personally love the dark shirt with Charizard on it, but am predicting the pastel blue bomber jacket decorated with on-theme patches and the baseball jersey will be among the more popular clothing. Finally, don’t miss the Rocket backpack, one of the most unique items revealed so far.

I had to ask, “Why space?” Ruppenthal explained the team used “Out of This World” as the driving concept behind both the designs and experiences this year–hoping that together, PokémonXP and the 2026 World Championships deliver a weekend that takes fans “somewhere truly out of this world.”

To go with the space theme even further, the PokémonXP line features exciting glow-in-the-dark items featuring the oft-adored Umbreon and otherworldly Elgyem. They seem like they’d be right at home with the glow-in-the-dark stars I had on my ceiling when I was a kid.

As hard as this is to believe across decades of products, Ruppenthal said this is Pokémon Center’s first-ever glow-in-the-dark collection, and the eye-catching designs light up in the dark after first being exposed to a light source, like sunlight, an LED flashlight, or a UV blacklight.

Ruppenthal said that alongside things like the glow-in-the-dark collection and Rocket backpack, there’s another new concept debuting this year: Lava flow glitter pins, which feature liquid in the actual pins to add depth. It looks like the Charizard pin from this collection is one of those.

Pokémon World Championships Line

The World Championships line features a regal-looking male Pikachu plush with a champion’s cape and crown, who also appears on a variety of items like shirts, bags, hats, TCG accessories, and more. Greninja is highlighted in this line, appearing alongside the kingly Pikachu on the double deck box, and on its own collectible pin, light-up display, and hat. The Worlds line is primarily an orange-red hue, and you’ll find the classic Pokémon World Championships logo and the 2026 San Francisco logo on many of these items.

San Francisco Line

You’ll find eclectic, colorful line drawings featured in the San Francisco line. I personally love the busy playmat with so many little things to discover. The cream-colored ringer tee is a cute departure from the classic t-shirt, and its matching Krabby hat makes for a nice set, too.

“The San Francisco Line reimagines the city through a Pokémon lens, blending the PokémonXP 'Out of This World' design theme with iconic San Francisco architecture transformed by Pokémon-inspired elements,” Ruppenthal explained. “Some fun artwork fans can look for include Poké Ball details on the Painted Ladies, a Gigantamax Duraludon-inspired variation of the Transamerica Pyramid, Poké Ball-inspired cable cars, and a Technical Machine (TM).”

“Fans can also discover Pokémon woven through the playmat design, including Pikachu, Vileplume, Krabby, Ditto, Umbreon, Espeon, Latias, Latios, Jirachi, and many more — adding even more Pokémon-inspired details for fans to discover,” Ruppenthal said.

Bonus "Mix"

“Inspired by the bright and vibrant spirit of the city, each unique line captures the energy and character of San Francisco while bringing a distinctly Pokémon twist,” Ruppenthal said. “And because this is a milestone year, fans may even spot exclusive items featuring a mix of both the PokémonXP Line and the 2026 Pokémon World Championships Line…”

Perfect for the indecisive (me), this mix "line" (not a distinct line) has items that commemorate both events and the location, all in one. Expect both the bold blues of PokémonXP and the fiery reds of the Pokémon World Championships with design-inspo from the San Francisco line. The keychain has charms for all three line logos and both mascot Pikachu, the pin-set has both mascot Pikachu and the San Francisco-inspired cable car and Pokémon-ified Painted Ladies.

One standout item in this collection is the collectible coins set, which comes with nine coins, each with a different Pokémon featured in the merch this year.

Finally, we’re once again getting a new Reyn Spooner collection, a now annual tradition started at the 2024 Pokémon World Championships in Honolulu. Fitting, considering the brand is designed in Hawaii. You can find Reyn Spooner collab items at the online Pokémon Center store now, but these particular aloha shirt, hat, and bag designs will be exclusive to the event in San Francisco. I have one of the 2025 Pokémon World Championships Reyn Spooner tote bag from Anaheim, and I love it. It's the perfect beach bag, deep with lots of internal pockets, a clip for your keys, and a big zipper to keep everything secure. I'm currently using it to store my overflow of deckboxes and bulk cards, which means I have an excuse to get this one to dedicate to outdoor activities.

Previously, The Pokémon Company revealed the two Pikachu mascot, Charizard, and Kirlia plushies. Bear Walker also revealed there will be two new skateboards this year, one for PokémonXP and one for the Pokémon World Championships. We assume you’ll need to opt into the drawing to receive a voucher to be able to buy the Bear Walker Skateboards, like you did at Worlds in Anaheim last year.

As for the design of the Pokémon Center this year, Ruppenthal said the store design "seamlessly blends both events, while also celebrating the city’s unique character, iconic landmarks, and local charm through a Pokémon-inspired lens." Each line will also have "its own moment to shine."

You’ll need a PokémonXP / Pokémon World Championships badge to get into the Pokémon Center pop-up, and you’ll also need to have signed up for a timeslot. However, there will be a “Worlds at Home” online-only “shopping experience” beginning August 26, Ruppenthal said, but it’s a mystery to what exactly that will entail.

Last year, there was a code to get the Worlds Promo Card with purchase, and a different code to get the collectible Worlds Coin with at least a $50 purchase. There was also a new line of products that simultaneously launched online and at the Pokémon Center pop-up–the Sweetheart Diner collection.

You can also get your hands on the 2026 Worlds Pikachu promo card by participating in a Worlds Celebration Tournament at Play! Pokémon Store events — either VGC with Pokémon Champions or the TCG — from August 21–30.

PokémonXP and the 2026 Pokémon World Championships are in just a few days, and we’ll be there! In the meantime, for more on Pokémon, check out some of the coolest and rarest Pokémon items in IGN staff’s collections (including mine, which is a lot of old Worlds merch), and why the 2026 Pokémon North American International Championship is moving from New Orleans.

Casey DeFreitas is the deputy editor of guides at IGN, and has attended the Pokémon World Championships since 2017. Catch her on socials @ShinyCaseyD, and at Worlds!