McDonald’s, to me, is the pinnacle of American fast food. Growing up, it was a treat, usually on Fridays. I’d get the McNuggets, the fries, and, for the first several years of my life, a toy with my Happy Meal. Now I’m in my 30s and don’t usually get a Happy Meal with my order, but I might have to if this rumored Pokémon promotion happens next month.
PokéBeach is reporting that Pokémon cards are headed back into U.S. Happy Meals from Nov. 5 to Dec. 9 for the 30th anniversary, with 15 cards to collect, six in McDonald’s confetti foil, a toy or a Pokémon handbook with each meal and, apparently, a Pikachu-shaped box. PokéBeach calls the details preliminary, and neither company has posted an official announcement.
This isn’t the first time Pokémon and McDonald’s have teamed up. The first McDonald’s Pokémon card set in North America arrived in June 2011: one of 12 cards and a Black and White figure in every Happy Meal. Since then, a new set has appeared almost every year, skipping only 2020, usually a dozen or 15 reprints of the newest starters and Pikachu with a McDonald’s stamp. The most recent U.S. run was a dragon-themed set in January 2025. That’s where my McDonald’s Dragonite came from.
Japan showed what happens when McDonald's puts something new in the box. In August 2025, McDonald's Japan put two cards in every Happy Set for a three-day weekend: a guaranteed Burgerchu plus a random partner. Many stores ran out on day one, and a five-per-person limit didn't slow anyone down. Buyers dumped the food on counters and sidewalks, where the pigeons feasted, a remarkable sight in a country that takes its clean streets seriously. McDonald's Japan pulled the cards after 24 hours, citing "higher-than-expected sales."
McDonald’s Japan apologized: “We sincerely accept that our preparations had not been adequate.” Then the government told it to clean up its Happy Set campaigns, and the chain scrapped a One Piece card promotion set for later that month. One Piece fans got leftover toys instead.
A year later, the Burgerchu isn’t hard to find. It goes for about $30 on TCGplayer, and 158 copies are sitting there waiting for buyers.
The U.S. has been here before, too. In 2021, one guy at an Indiana McDonald’s walked out with three cases, roughly 450 packs. Adults ordered ten Happy Meals at a time and dumped the food, and cases went for $1,100. McDonald’s ended up begging its own restaurants to cap sales.
Past U.S. sets have always been reprints, but PokéBeach has floated the idea that the Burgerchu could make the trip.
Either way, somebody in a Civic will be idling in a drive-thru at 6 a.m. on Nov. 5 with a trash bag on the passenger seat. He should check what just happened to his friends at the 30th Celebration.