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2024’s Pokémon Center Lucky Bag may have been the hardest to get, but also the most worthwhile

Dale Roll Jan 3, 2024
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The value for money was incredible!

Here at SoraNews24 it’s a point of pride that we buy as many New Year’s Lucky Bags as possible every year. I mean, there’s always the fact that we want to bring you the best and most entertaining Japan news out there, but we actually do want the hordes of potentially limited-edition and unique stuff that retailers and restaurants put in their bags. Plus, we also enjoy the thrill of finding out what’s inside, since, in most cases, the bag (or box’s) content is shrouded in mystery.

There’s also the rush of victory and the dopamine hit we get from being one of the few people to get one of the rarer ones, which are sold by lottery only. One of those was the box from the Pokémon official store, the Pokémon Center’s Pika Pika Box 2024. Unfortunately, though seven of our reporters entered the lottery, not a single one of us won. That makes it hot competition for the much sought-after Starbucks Lucky Bag as the hardest-to-get lucky bag of 2024.

Thankfully, a reader was kind enough to share what they got in their Pokémon Center Pika Pika Box 2024, so let’s take a look!

The Pika Pika Box 2024 was sold to the lucky lotto winners for just 4,400 yen (US$31.23). Advertisements reported only that the box would contain one of three face cushions designed to look like one of the Paldea starter Pokémon from the latest games. Whatever else it contained was a total mystery.

We were especially curious about what was in the boxes since the chance to buy one eluded us not once but seven times. That’s why our Japanese-language reporter and Pokémon fan P.K. Sanjun was delighted to receive a DM on social media from a fan who offered to reveal the contents of their box. SoraNews24 Reader, thank you for your generosity!!

As it turns out, the box contained such an incredible number and quality of goods that P.K. was utterly shocked.

・A Sprigatito Fluffy Face Cushion
・A Psyduck plushie
・A Meowscarada plushie
・A Larry plushie
・A Quaxley plushie
・A Greninja figure
・A collection of acrylic memo stands
・Meowscarada stickers
・2 keychains
・A zipper charm
・Sticky notes
・A Yamper hair tie
・2 handkerchiefs
・A clear folder
・A Pikachu apron
・An acrylic stand featuring Bellibolt and Iono

Of course, each lucky bag contains different items, but to have 18 different items packed into one box for just 4,400 yen was a ridiculous deal! That means you’re paying just 245 yen per item! That’s insane!! Considering how generally expensive products are at the Pokémon Center–P.K. normally spends tens of thousands of yen on the shop’s official Pokémon merchandise when he visits–18 products for 4,400 yen is an incredible value!

Even at a glance, you can tell they’re not all cheap or low-quality items either.

When P.K. investigated further, by inquiring with a Pokémon fanatic, he learned that the Quaxley plushie runs for about 5,500 yen, since it’s a “life-size” toy.

Plus, the Greninja figure retails for 5,000 yen. So even if the box only contained one of those items, its value would already have surpassed its cost.

Looking at it from a more measured standpoint, P.K. had the distinct sense that many of these items were inventory left over at the end of the year, but even so, the sheer number of items, plus the presence of two high-value items, makes it one of the best and most competitive lucky bags, as it has been every year.

The winner of the box, by the way, also agreed that it was an excellent value, so we must conclude that the Pika Pika Box 2024 has an overall high level of satisfaction. It’s too bad we didn’t manage to get our hands on one this year, but at least we managed to get the Mister Donut Pokémon lucky bag. Maybe next year luck will be doubly on our side!

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Characters © 2023 Pokémon. ©1995-2023 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc.
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[ Read in Japanese ]