The Plasma Storm Elite Trainer Box is no ordinary ETB. It is the very first Elite Trainer Box ever released, and that makes it one of the most sought-after sealed products from the Black & White era. In this blog you will read when it came out, what was inside, how it differs from a modern ETB and what it is worth today.
When did the Plasma Storm ETB come out?
The box appeared on 6 February 2013, alongside the set itself. Lugia is on the front, and that choice was no accident: Lugia-EX is the card Plasma Storm revolves around.
This was the starting point of a product line that now comes with every set. The Pokémon Company was trying something new, and only once it caught on did the ETB become a fixed part of every release. That also explains why this first box looks so different from what you are used to now.
Which variants are there?
One, and that in itself is a difference from later releases. There is only the Lugia version, no second artwork was added and there is no Pokémon Center exclusive edition. It took years before it became normal for a set to get two or even three ETB variants. So if you come across a Plasma Storm ETB with different artwork, be on your guard.
What was in the Plasma Storm ETB?
- 7 booster packs of Black & White—Plasma Storm
- 40 energy cards
- 6 damage-counter dice
- 2 acrylic condition markers
- 1 competition-legal coin-flip die
- A player's guide to the set
- A deck box
- The collector's box itself, with lid
Notice anything? There are no card sleeves in it, and no promo card either. Those are exactly the two things you take for granted in a modern ETB. The 65 sleeves with set artwork and the exclusive promo card were only added later, once the concept had proven itself. This first box is therefore a good deal more basic than what is on the shelves today.
The number of packs differs too: seven, where a modern ETB holds eight or nine. If it is mainly the packs you are after, the Plasma Storm booster box with 36 of them is the logical step up. And which cards you are hoping to pull from those packs, you can read in the top 7 chase cards from Plasma Storm.
How has the price developed?
The recommended retail price back then worked out at roughly €43. Little of that remains.
A sealed copy has a reference value of €12,451 in September 2026. This year's sales show just how erratic that market is:
- May 2026: €8,703
- June 2026: €8,616 and €12,149
- July 2026: €12,752
That is almost fifty percent between the lowest and the highest sale within three months. The reason is simple: on average roughly one copy sells per month. At those numbers it is not the market setting the price, but the two or three people who happen to be looking at that moment.
Is the Plasma Storm ETB worth collecting?
Of all Elite Trainer Boxes, this is the only one you can never swap for another. There will be no second first ETB. For anyone wanting the line complete, this is the starting point and immediately the hardest part.
On top of that, this box came out in a period when almost nobody kept sealed products just to keep them. An ETB was simply a handy container with some packs and accessories. Most were opened at the time, which explains why so few sealed copies surface now.
What to watch out for: at these amounts, faking pays. Always check the state of the shrink wrap and the bottom of the box, and preferably buy from a seller who shows photos of every side. And bear in mind that with so few sales per year you will not simply sell at a good price overnight: you need to be able to wait for the right buyer.
Please note: card values can go up as well as down. There is no guarantee of an increase in value.
Conclusion
The Plasma Storm ETB from February 2013 is the first Elite Trainer Box there ever was. Seven packs, forty energy cards, dice, a player's guide and a deck box, but no sleeves and no promo card. That plainness is exactly what shows it was a first attempt.
From €43 in the shop to roughly €12,000 today, with sales that can sit thousands of euros apart from one month to the next. It is a piece of Pokémon TCG history, and at the same time a product to go into with your eyes open.
