Nikki Blake remembers the Pikachu toy she had as a child. Day after day, she pressed Pikachu's hand to hear him say “Pika, Pika, Pika!”  

To this day, Pikachu remains her favorite Pokemon character. 

A love for Pokemon and the community around it inspired her to open TCG Collective, the valley’s first trading card game and Pokemon store. 

“Building a community has been great,” Blake said. “Seeing regulars come in and getting to know them is awesome, it’s great to be involved.” 

Over two decades ago, Blake's parents moved to the area from Cleveland, Ohio and became the sixth generation of Blakes in the valley. After the move, Blake’s mom, Lisa, found a passion for selling baby clothes and sports cards on eBay as a way to make some extra money.  

Lisa raised her children to embrace a sense of entrepreneurship. Years later, it paid off. It began with Blake’s Odds and Ends, a toy and collectives store, operating out of a garage in Evergreen — the same garage that is now the home of TCG Collective. The shop was stocked with Pokeman items and other popular brands, like LEGO, Barbie, Little Tikes, Harry Potter and Rae Dunn.  

“After that, it became clear that Pokemon was outgrowing Blake’s Odds and Ends,” Blake said earlier this month. 

She decided to spilt the business into two: Blake’s Odds and Ends focused on toys, gifts and collectibles, and TCG Collective focused on Pokemon and trading card games.  

She moved Blake’s Odds and Ends to the PNC Evergreen Complex last winter. In June, Blake officially separated the two factions, moving the trading card games into the nearby original garage.  

Trading card games are a type of collectible card game where players use cards featuring players or items to compete. Blake has thousands of cards in the shop with a wide range of prices.  

A Nest Ball Pokémon card from the Paldean Fates Booster Pack is on sale for 31 cents. A Greninja & Zoroark GX Pokémon card from the Unbroken Bonds pack is on sale for $175. 

Since moving into the new space, Blake’s been able to add different card game collections into the store, including games like Disney Lorcana, One Piece, Warhammer and VeeFriends. She hosts a trade night on the first Tuesday of every month, a chance for the community to come together.  

TCG Collective is located at 228 East Reserve Drive in Evergreen. It is open Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. It can be reached at 406-260-0415. 

Reporter Kate Heston may be reached at [email protected].