Trading card game specialist Aqua TCG opens its first physical store at The Crescent, Metrocentre, on Friday 31 July, offering cards, graded collectibles, sealed products and accessories.

Thirty years after Pokémon first became a household name, the franchise remains bigger than ever — now the world's most valuable media property — and has spawned a thriving collectibles market where individual cards can fetch anything from a few pounds to several thousand.

Founders James Leather and Lewis Millen, lifelong friends and collectors since childhood, previously travelled to card shows across the UK to trade before spotting the opportunity at The Crescent, Metrocentre's new hub for independent retailers.

"We wanted to create an accessible place for enthusiasts and beginners alike, backed by product knowledge, fair pricing and friendly service," said Millen. One wall of the store will be dedicated to single cards, with more than 1,000 in stock at any time, spanning Japanese and English editions, vintage to modern.

Stock will also include graded cards, sealed booster boxes and September's Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Boxes, alongside accessories such as sleeves, top-loaders and deck boxes.

"It really feels like we're filling a gap," said Leather. "Nothing beats talking to fellow enthusiasts and inspecting cards first-hand, rather than online."

Aqua TCG opens at The Crescent, Upper Green Mall, Metrocentre, Gateshead, on 31 July.