Long-Lost Pokémon Game Apparently Pops Up on eBay After 20 Years — Though You'll Need $9,000 to Buy It

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A long-lost Pokémon crippled concisely disposable successful Japan 20 years agone appears to person popped up connected eBay, priced astatine astir $9,000.

Pokémon Fishing Contest DS was lone playable astatine peculiar events and from Pokémon Center locations successful Japan for a fewer months backmost successful 2005, arsenic portion of a precocious people contest.

Like different Nintendo DS Download Play titles, the crippled was received via Wi-Fi and lone lasted connected your ain handheld until you powered it down. Oh, and you could lone download it astatine participating venues from May to August 2005.

With nary mode to prevention the experience, the bundle was subsequently thought mislaid — until now, arsenic what looks to beryllium a Nintendo DS trial cartridge holding files for the crippled is up for merchantability — priced €7,999 (around $9,145).

— ティラミス (@Tiramisu090401) July 28, 2026

While the pictured cartridge appears bulky, this is so a Nintendo DS trial cartridge, whose precocious portion protrudes from the console. These devices were typically ne'er seen successful public, and alternatively reserved for Nintendo and third-party DS crippled developers to trial work-in-progress bundle builds. Rarely, these cartridges were sent retired to media to preview in-development games, though would request to beryllium returned after.

It's unclear wherever this peculiar cartridge has originated. The eBay listing appears to travel from a German seller who has antecedently focused connected selling Pokémon plushies. There are besides questions implicit whether this trial cartridge contains a playable mentation of Pokémon Fishing Contest DS, oregon server codification meant to cod its precocious scores from players.

Long considered mislaid media, the bundle for the Poképark Fishing Tournament has go disposable for sale…
Hopefully it volition autumn into the hands of idiosyncratic who wishes to sphere it truthful everyone other tin acquisition it erstwhile more.
Fingers crossed that immoderate hoarder doesn’t bargain it… https://t.co/hCluPlfAqs pic.twitter.com/88dw2JiWpx

— Professor Rex🇨🇦 (@RexProfessor) July 29, 2026

"This listing is for the nonstop carnal development/test cartridge shown successful the photos," the seller states. "Acquired arsenic portion of a backstage lot, nary further past oregon provenance documentation is available. It's successful moving information and erstwhile tested connected a retail Nintendo DS, it boots to a Japanese-language surface indicating a high-score ranking connection program. DSi and 3DS compatibility is not confirmed. No further functionality has been tested oregon is guaranteed. Sold strictly arsenic a carnal point as-is."

Responding to the merchantability connected societal media, respective fans person suggested that the cartridge should beryllium bought by idiosyncratic consenting to stock its contents with the wider Pokémon assemblage arsenic a substance of crippled preservation. Alas, astatine the clip of writing, the eBay listing is presently yet to pull immoderate bids.