Japanese e-Card Pokémon TCG Sets

All sets

About the e-Card era

The e-Card era takes its name from Nintendo's e-Reader. Every card in its five main expansions carried a Dot-Code strip along a thicker bottom border, and the set list opened with the Base Expansion Pack on December 1, 2001, a 128 card set that reached English players as Expedition Base Set on September 15, 2002.

The remaining four expansions were paired up for the West. The Town on No Map, on March 8, 2002 with 92 cards, and Wind from the Sea, on May 24, 2002 with 87 cards and 3 secret cards, became Aquapolis on January 15, 2003. Split Earth, on August 23, 2002, and Mysterious Mountains, on October 4, 2002, each with 88 cards and 3 secret cards, became Skyridge on May 12, 2003. Aquapolis introduced Crystal Pokémon, whose Crystal Type Poké-Body changes the Pokémon's type to match the Energy attached until the end of the turn, with the eligible Energy colors shown in the card's background highlight, and both Aquapolis and Skyridge numbered their holofoil rares separately with an H prefix. Skyridge was the final expansion Wizards of the Coast produced before losing the license, and it had only one print run.

Two promo sets complete the era. The P Promotional cards were the first Japanese promos with a numbering system and the first to use the black star PROMO symbol seen on English promos, with a P suffix in place of a collection number, a convention every numbered Japanese promo series has followed since. The McDonald's Original Minimum Pack was given out in Japanese McDonald's restaurants from January 26 to February 24, 2002, six cards to a pack with at least one holofoil and one basic Energy, and each of its six Energy cards came in holofoil and non holofoil versions.

Collectors chase the Charizard of Mysterious Mountains and the Lugia of Wind from the Sea, the Japanese originals of two of the best known Skyridge and Aquapolis cards, along with the Crystal Pokémon and the H numbered holofoils. The set hubs below carry every card list, the live chase prices and the editorial history of each release.

• Five Japanese sets, three English The Town on No Map and Wind from the Sea were combined into Aquapolis, and Split Earth and Mysterious Mountains into Skyridge, so the Japanese era has five main expansions where the English e-Card Series has three.
• Built for the e-Reader Every card carried a Dot-Code strip along a thicker bottom border for Nintendo's e-Reader peripheral, and the McDonald's Original Minimum Pack cards were compatible with it as well.
• Crystal Pokémon and H numbering Aquapolis introduced Crystal Pokémon, whose Crystal Type Poké-Body changes their type to match the attached Energy, and both Aquapolis and Skyridge numbered their holofoil rares separately with an H prefix.
• The first numbered promos The P Promotional cards were the first Japanese promos with a numbering system and the first to use the black star PROMO symbol, with a P suffix that later promo series adapted as their own.
• The end of Wizards of the Coast Skyridge, built from Split Earth and Mysterious Mountains, was the final expansion Wizards of the Coast produced before losing the license, and it received only one print run.

Release timeline

1. Japanese P Promotional cards July 1, 2001 · 47 cards · P
2. Japanese Expedition December 1, 2001 · 128 cards · E1
3. McDonald's Original Minimum Pack January 26, 2002 · 30 cards · MCD-JP
4. The Town on No Map March 8, 2002 · 92 cards · E2
5. Wind from the Sea May 24, 2002 · 90 cards · E3
6. Split Earth August 23, 2002 · 91 cards · E4
7. Mysterious Mountains October 4, 2002 · 91 cards · E5

Top 10 cards

1. Vaporeon from Split Earth at PSA 10 $5,400.00
2. Mewtwo from Japanese Expedition at PSA 10 $4,176.00
3. Snorlax from Mysterious Mountains at PSA 10 $2,900.00
4. Mewtwo from Japanese Expedition at PSA 10 $2,554.80
5. Psyduck from The Town on No Map at PSA 10 $2,450.00
6. Entei from Wind from the Sea at PSA 10 $1,650.00
7. Steelix from Wind from the Sea at PSA 10 $1,384.40

Japanese e-Card Pokémon TCG Sets FAQ

How many sets are in the e-Card era?

There are 7 published e-Card era sets in this hub.

When were the e-Card era sets released?

The published e-Card era sets were released from July 1, 2001 to October 4, 2002.

What are the top chase cards in the e-Card era?

The leading tracked chase cards in the e-Card era are Vaporeon from Split Earth, Mewtwo from Japanese Expedition, Snorlax from Mysterious Mountains.

How many sets are in the Japanese e-Card era?

Seven: five main expansions from the Base Expansion Pack to Mysterious Mountains, the P Promotional cards and the McDonald's Original Minimum Pack.

When did the Japanese e-Card era start and end?

The P Promotional cards began in July 2001, the Base Expansion Pack released on December 1, 2001 and Mysterious Mountains closed the era on October 4, 2002, after which the ADV era began.

Which English sets came from the e-Card era?

Expedition Base Set from the Base Expansion Pack, Aquapolis from The Town on No Map and Wind from the Sea, and Skyridge from Split Earth and Mysterious Mountains.

What was the McDonald's Original Minimum Pack?

A promo set given out with Happy Meals in Japanese McDonald's restaurants from January 26 to February 24, 2002, six cards to a pack with at least one holofoil and one basic Energy, compatible with the e-Reader.

Which Japanese e-Card era cards do collectors chase most?

The Charizard of Mysterious Mountains and the Lugia of Wind from the Sea lead the main expansions, with the Crystal Pokémon and H numbered holofoils behind them. Each set hub ranks its own chase cards by live PSA 10 value.

Sources

• Bulbapedia: List of Japanese Pokémon Trading Card Game expansions, e-Card Era
• Bulbapedia: Aquapolis (TCG)
• Bulbapedia: Skyridge (TCG)
• Slabfolio set hubs for the Japanese e-Card era