Torchic

Torchic in the anime: May's first partner

In the first episode of the Advanced Generation series, Professor Birch offers May a first Pokémon, and she picks Torchic over Treecko and Mudkip. It struggled early on but became her signature Pokémon: it evolved into Combusken in "A Shroomish Skirmish" after getting lost with Ash's Corphish, and into Blaziken in "Once More with Reeling!", while stopping Team Rocket from stealing Pikachu and other Pokémon.

Torchic on cards: Ruby & Sapphire Commons to a Gold Star

Torchic's first cards are two Commons from Ruby & Sapphire in July 2003, illustrated by Ken Sugimori and Kouki Saitou. Nintendo Black Star Promos added three more Commons, one by Kagemaru Himeno and two by Atsuko Nishida.

Team Rocket Returns (2004) introduced Gold Star cards, the ☆ cards that show a Pokémon in its shiny colors, and its three Gold Stars were the Hoenn starters: Torchic ☆, Treecko ☆ and Mudkip ☆, all drawn by Masakazu Fukuda. After that, Torchic returned mostly as Commons and promos, including an XY Black Star Promo by sui, a Legendary Treasures Radiant Collection card by Kanako Eo (2013), McDonald's Collection cards in 2015 and 2016, and a Primal Clash Uncommon by 5ban Graphics (2015).

Collecting Torchic

Torchic ☆ is the card that defines Torchic for collectors: it belongs to the first run of Gold Stars and pairs with Treecko ☆ and Mudkip ☆ as a Hoenn starter trio. Beyond it, Torchic is mostly Commons and promos, collected as part of the Blaziken line.

Cards to know

• Torchic (Ruby & Sapphire #73)

  One of Torchic's first two cards, a 2003 Common illustrated by Ken Sugimori.

• Torchic ☆ (Team Rocket Returns #108)

  One of the three Gold Star cards in Team Rocket Returns, the set that introduced them, illustrated by Masakazu Fukuda.

• Torchic (Legendary Treasures #RC5)

  A 2013 Radiant Collection card illustrated by Kanako Eo.

• Torchic (Primal Clash #26)

  A 2015 Uncommon illustrated by 5ban Graphics, from the set built around Hoenn's Primal Groudon and Kyogre.