Japanese Original Pokémon TCG Sets

All sets

About the Original era

The Original era is where the Pokémon Card Game began. The Expansion Pack, the Japanese Base Set, released on October 20, 1996 alongside a Starter Pack deck, and it was the first set to feature all 151 Generation I Pokémon. Its arrival was promoted with a Pikachu and a Jigglypuff promo peeled from a CoroCoro magazine 5 days ahead of the main release, so readers felt they had already started their collection. The English Base Set did not follow until January 9, 1999.

Six main expansions make up the era. Pokémon Jungle arrived on March 5, 1997 with 48 cards set in the Kanto Safari Zone, Mystery of the Fossils on June 21, 1997 with another 48 cards built around Fossil Pokémon, and Rocket Gang on November 21, 1997 with 65 cards. Rocket Gang introduced Dark Pokémon, cards with a brown and black artwork window, higher attack damage and lower HP than their normal counterparts. Leaders' Stadium, on October 24, 1998, and Challenge from the Darkness, on June 25, 1999, covered the Kanto Gym Leaders and introduced Owner's Pokémon, with a headshot of the Trainer and their Gym Badge in the corner of the card, along with the Stadium card subclass of Trainers.

The Japanese sets were smaller than their English versions. Jungle held 48 cards in Japan and 64 in English, because Wizards of the Coast added non holofoil prints of the holofoil rares, and English Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge were each assembled from both Japanese Gym expansions. Two Challenge from the Darkness illustrations, Koga's Ninja Trick and Misty's Tears, were changed for the English release.

The era's promo sets are its most distinctive releases. The Expansion Sheet series, known to collectors as the Vending Machine cards, were sold as randomized peel off sheets from vending machines in 1998: Series 1 and Series 2 on eighteen sheets of three cards each with damage counters and coins, and Series 3 with an extra special card of non standard back per sheet. Southern Islands released with the second Pokémon movie in July 1999 as two folders of 9 cards each, Tropical Island and Rainbow Island, and as 3 card box sets.

Collectors chase the Japanese Base Set Charizard and Blastoise above everything else, then the Vending Machine Gengar, Alakazam and Omastar and the Base Set Clefairy. The set hubs below carry every card list, the live chase prices and the editorial history of each release.

• Where the game began The Expansion Pack released on October 20, 1996 with a Starter Pack deck and was the first set to feature all 151 Generation I Pokémon, more than two years before the English Base Set of January 9, 1999.
• Dark Pokémon and Owner's Pokémon Rocket Gang introduced Dark Pokémon with brown and black artwork windows, and Leaders' Stadium introduced Owner's Pokémon, carrying a headshot of the Gym Leader and their Badge, along with the Stadium card subclass.
• Smaller than the English sets Pokémon Jungle held 48 cards where English Jungle held 64, because Wizards of the Coast added non holofoil prints of the holofoil rares, and both English Gym sets were assembled from the two Japanese Gym expansions.
• Vending Machine sheets The Expansion Sheet series were peeled from randomized vending machine sheets in 1998, eighteen sheets of three cards per series, with Series 3 adding a special card with a non standard back to each sheet.
• Southern Islands Released with the second Pokémon movie on July 17, 1999 as two folders of 9 cards each, Tropical Island and Rainbow Island, and as 3 card box sets, with the cards in the original Base Set style frame.

Release timeline

1. Japanese Base Set October 20, 1996 · 102 cards · PMCG1
2. Japanese Jungle March 5, 1997 · 48 cards · PMCG2
3. Japanese Fossil June 21, 1997 · 48 cards · PMCG3
4. Japanese Team Rocket November 21, 1997 · 65 cards · PMCG4
5. Japanese CD Promo cards January 28, 1998 · Official count unavailable · CD
6. Japanese Vending Series 1 March 23, 1998 · 36 cards · VEND1
7. Japanese Vending Series 2 June 17, 1998 · 36 cards · VEND2
8. Japanese Gym Heroes October 24, 1998 · 96 cards · PMCG5
9. Japanese Vending Series 3 November 24, 1998 · 36 cards · VEND3
10. Japanese Gym Challenge June 25, 1999 · 98 cards · PMCG6
11. Southern Islands July 17, 1999 · 18 cards · SI-JP

Top 10 cards

No card pricing is published yet.

Japanese Original Pokémon TCG Sets FAQ

How many sets are in the Original era?

There are 11 published Original era sets in this hub.

When were the Original era sets released?

The published Original era sets were released from October 20, 1996 to July 17, 1999.

What are the top chase cards in the Original era?

Tracked chase cards are not currently available for the Original era.

How many sets are in the Japanese Original era?

Eleven: six main expansions from the Expansion Pack to Challenge from the Darkness, the three Vending Machine sheet series, the CD Promo cards and Southern Islands.

When did the Japanese Original era start and end?

It opened with the Expansion Pack on October 20, 1996 and closed with Southern Islands on July 17, 1999, after which the Neo era began.

How do the Japanese sets differ from the English versions?

They are smaller, because Wizards of the Coast added non holofoil prints of holofoil rares to the English sets, and they released one to three years earlier. English Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge were each assembled from both Japanese Gym expansions, and two Challenge from the Darkness illustrations were changed for English release.

What are the Vending Machine cards?

The Expansion Sheet series of 1998, sold as randomized peel off sheets from vending machines rather than in booster packs. Series 1 and Series 2 came on eighteen sheets of three cards with damage counters and coins, and Series 3 added a special card with a non standard back to each sheet.

Which Japanese Original era cards do collectors chase most?

The Japanese Base Set Charizard and Blastoise lead, followed by the Vending Machine Gengar and Alakazam, the Base Set Clefairy and the Vending Machine Omastar. Each set hub ranks its own chase cards by live PSA 10 value.

Sources

• Bulbapedia: List of Japanese Pokémon Trading Card Game expansions, Original Era
• Bulbapedia: Base Set (TCG)
• Bulbapedia: Vending Machine cards (TCG)
• Slabfolio set hubs for the Japanese Original era