List of Pokémon Trading Card Game sets

The Pokémon Trading Card Game collectible card game was released in Japan in 1996. As of April 2022, there are 98 card sets for the game released in English and 91 in Japan, including special sets. As of September 2017, collectively, there are 6,959 cards in Japanese sets and 9,110 cards in English sets. As of March 2017, 23.6 billion cards have been shipped worldwide.
The sets are generally divided into two categories: Wizards of the Coast cards, and cards made after Nintendo's acquisition of the franchise.
Pokemon Base set
The 1998 Pokémon Demo Game Pack were the earliest cards to be released in the English Pokémon TCG and served as the introduction to Pokémon cards in the United States. This Pokémon pack consists of 24 Base Set shadowless cards and an instruction manual.
Set (Japanese: 第1弾スターターパック & 第1弾拡張パック 1st Starter & Expansion Pack) is the name given to the first expansion of cards and Theme Decks for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Released in Japan on October 20, 1996, one month after Bandai Pokémon Carddass 100 Pocket Monster Part 1 and in the United States on January 9, 1999. It is the only set not to have a set logo or symbol (except error "no symbol" Jungle cards). It is one of limited number of sets to include a full set of basic Energy cards. The set also contained Double Colorless Energy, the first special Energy card. Merchandising also included four theme decks, based on different strategies (offensive, defensive, tactical and speed). A 2-player starter package was also available, which included two half-sized decks, markers, a player's guide, a rulebook, and a playmat.
"1st edition" print and early ("2nd issue") prints have a slightly different design than the standard "unlimited" ("3rd issue") prints. These early prints are generally brighter in color, use a thinner font, have the year 1999 included in the copyright notice, and lack the shadow around the pictures. Because of this, these cards are known as "shadowless" cards among collectors. Since there were fewer 1st edition and "shadowless" cards printed, these are rarer than the "unlimited" print. ("4th issue") cards have the year 2000 included in their copyright notices, these were released exclusively in Europe.
Jungle is the second expansion and was released on June 16, 1999. After being a very small set in Japan, the English set started the trend of having both holo and non-holo editions of rare cards, effectively doubling the number of rares in the set. Unlike Base Set, it had only two theme decks. Its expansion symbol resembles a Vileplume. During production, some of the Jungle holos were printed without the jungle symbol. The 64-card set included 45 new pokémon, two from the Base Set with new powers (Electrode and Pikachu), and one trainer (Poké Ball).
Fossil released on October 10, 1999, is the third expansion set in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The 62-card set was sold in 11-card booster packs and contained the fewest cards of any standard set in the card game for some time. This set was known for the first TCG appearance of Ditto.
Base Set 2 is the fourth expansion set, released only in English on February 24, 2000. It is a compilation of selected cards from previous sets. Wizards of the Coast started a trend of releasing compilation sets. This set contains 130 cards and its set symbol is a Pokéball with the number 2 running through it.
Team Rocket, released on 24 April 2000, is the fifth expansion in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The title refers to a criminal organization from the video games Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow, and features the trio Jessie, James and Meowth who relentlessly follow the protagonists in the animated series. Its symbol is the R of the Team Rocket organization.
The set introduced the Dark Pokémon, Pokémon corrupted and controlled by the Team Rocket organization. After the release of this set, Dark Pokémon would not show a strong presence until the set's sequel released four years later, Team Rocket Returns.
As part of a promotional campaign, the set included an exclusive English only Dark Raichu, although it was eventually released in Japanese, it was the first "secret" rare card, numbered "83/82".
Gym Heroes, released on August 14, 2000, is the 6th set of 132 cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Its symbol is an amphitheater with a black stage and white tiers. Its name comes from the Gym Leaders it focuses on and how these first four Gym Leaders have relatively optimistic and carefree personalities compared to those featured in Gym Challenge. This set also introduced a card layout change, eliminating the flavor text and stacking the weakness/resistance/level to fit the Gym Leader's headshot/badge.
This is the first set to have Owner's Pokémon, the owners being the Gym Leaders of the various Pokémon Gyms around Kanto. While Sabrina and Blaine are also represented in this set, the most attention is paid to the first four met in the video games: Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge, and Erika. Each of their Pokémon reflects their favorite Pokémon types, as well as the Pokémon they have been seen carrying in the TV show. For example, Brock specializes in the Rock-type, so a lot of his cards in the card game are Rock Pokémon. However, in the anime, he also carried a Vulpix, a Fire-type, which is also included in this set.
The owner's Pokémon must be evolved from a Pokémon of the same owner, which also proved to be unpopular, as the element of mixing and matching cards from different sets is lost. Additionally, some of the "Rare" cards had little or no value in play, such as Misty's Tentacool, which is incapable of doing damage and is overshadowed by a better version of the "Uncommon" rarity. However, Owner's Pokémon have been sporadically released in Japan, though except for those within EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua, none have been translated into English. This set was originally released with theme decks that contained cards not found in the main set in Japan, released in the odd rarities for Basic Pokémon.
This set is also the first set to introduce Stadium cards, Trainer cards that stay in play until another Stadium card comes into play. Unlike Pokémon Tool cards that were introduced later on, Stadium cards are not attached to Pokémon.
Gym Challenge, released on October 16, 2000, is the 7th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Its expansion symbol is an amphitheater and black tiers, the inverse of the Gym Heroes symbol. It also has a set of 132 cards. Its name comes from the four characters from the anime it focuses on (Sabrina, Koga, Blaine, and Giovanni).
Neo Genesis, released in December 2000, is the 8th set of 111 cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Its symbol is a pair of stars, one in front of the other. Neo is Greek for "new", and Genesis is Greek for "birth" or "beginning". Neo Genesis features second-generation Pokémon that come from the region of Johto and is the first set to do so. With it comes two new Pokémon types: Darkness and Metal, each with its own Special Energy cards.
The design on the cards has also changed, now looking closer to the Japanese version. The hit points displayed on the upper-right are now smaller, and their color has changed from red to black. The statistics on the bottom of the card now have dune-shaped indentations in the background immediately behind each stat. The text reading "Basic Pokémon" is now directly under the HP (Hit Points) instead of in the upper-left corner. The information about the Pokémon directly below the illustration is now in a parallelogram instead of a rectangle.
Two cards from this set were banned from tournament play: Sneasel and Slowking. Controversial Japanese illustrations of the cards Moo-Moo Milk, Arcade Game, and Card-Flip Game were significantly changed in the English release.
It was at this point the 2 different play formats were realized: Unlimited (allowing all cards to be played), and Limited where only the Neo Genesis cards could be played (this limited format would go through a few changes whereas more sets were released where the rules were changed to "Neo Genesis and newer cards are allowed to be played in official tournaments" this would later be changed to be "only the 8 most recent sets are legal for tournament play"). At this point, the idea of "proxy" cards became frequent at tournaments where an older card could be used as a placeholder for a card a player only had a single print of.
Neo Discovery, released in June 2001, is the ninth set of 75 cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Its symbol is a Mayan temple. While the architectural structure of the ruins is ambiguous in the video games Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, in Pokémon 3: The Movie, they seem to be of Central or South American origin. Neo Discovery premieres many second-generation Pokémon into the TCG, such as Smeargle, Politoed, and Wobbuffet and may be considered a counterpart to the Jungle set, (which introduced another third of the original 150 Pokémon).
The Unown are Pokémon-themed on the English alphabet. At the time of Neo Discovery's release, there were 26 types, one for each letter. (Later, Unown ? and Unown ! would be introduced, bringing the total to 28.) Neo Discovery introduced nine of these Pokémon into the card game. Each could affect the game in different ways related to a word starting with the letter the Unown represents. Unown "O" is associated with the word observe, and this application in the card game is done through "observing" the opponent's deck.
Southern Islands is a set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. In Japan, it was released at the same time as Gym 2, while in America it came after Neo Discovery and before Neo Revelation. This set's symbol is a palm tree.
Though it is often considered the 10th set, it was a promotional set, sold as a complete collection in the form of a specially-packaged box (rather than as booster packs). The mini-set only contains a total of 18 cards. When arranged correctly, every illustration used in this set forms a single larger image.
Neo Revelation, released in October 2001, is the 11th set of 64 cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Its symbol is a representation of the departure of Suicune, Entei, and Raikou from the Burned Tower.
As of the release of this set, there was at least one card of each of the 251 Pokémon, including the elusive Celebi. This set finishes the second generation with Pokémon like Porygon2, Misdreavus, and Raikou. In a way, this makes it a counterpart to the Fossil set (which rounded out the original set of 151 Pokémon). It also includes three more of the Unown introduced in Neo Discovery.
Most importantly, this set was the debut of Shining Pokémon, which are extremely powerful Basic Pokémon, but no more than one of each kind is allowed in a deck. This tradition was short-lived, however, as the Shining Pokémon were present only until the following set, Neo Destiny. However, Pokémon Star cards, which function almost identically to Shining Pokémon, were introduced in a later set known as EX Team Rocket Returns.
Neo Destiny, released in February 2002, is the 12th set in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The set contains a total of 105 cards in the base set, with 8 additional secret "shining" cards. Its symbol is a dark blue sparkle over a light sparkle, referring to both "Dark" and "Light" Pokémon variants within the set. This set is the second set with an emphasis on using the words "Dark" and "Light" to coincide with the Pokémon's name text (ex; Light Arcanine, Dark Tyranitar), following the Team Rocket set.
The Legendary Collection, released in May 2002, is the 13th set of 110 cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The set's symbol is a medal.
The Legendary Collection is the sequel to Base Set 2, made up entirely of reprints from the first four sets: Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket. Its purpose is to make these cards legal in tournament play; otherwise, these cards would be considered "too old." Thus, some people could claim this set to be a third "Base Set". The Legendary Collection is the first set to have a parallel set whose only difference is that shiny foil is printed on the entire front of the card except for its illustration (this isn't done in the regular set). Strangely, even though this set is an amalgamation of four sets, this set contains fewer cards than any of the following three.
Expedition Base Set, released in September 2002, is the 14th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Its symbol is a Poké Ball drawn to look like a lower-case "e". This set contains 165 cards.
It is the first to use the e-Reader: By scanning a dot code found on the bottom of all of the cards and the sides of some, the e-Reader can display patterns, produce sounds, or other various novelties. However, none of these features are required for play. Subsequent sets, up until EX Hidden Legends, would also be compatible with the e-Reader.
Because of its completely new format, this was thought to be a good time to balance the card game with less powerful versions of previously printed cards. For example, Energy Removal 2 serves an identical purpose to Energy Removal from the Base Set, except a coin must be flipped to determine if the effects are successful. However, this set also introduces the Supporter card, a type of Trainer card that now dominates the competitive play.
Aquapolis, released in January 2003, is the 15th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and consists of 186 cards. Its symbol is a skyline within a water droplet.
This set is the second of three to extensively use the e-Reader. Aquapolis introduces minigames playable by scanning in dot codes from multiple cards (in any order). These mini-games are usually very simple, and more often than not, each Pokémon whose card has been scanned in will play some role in the mini-game.
While Technical Machines were dabbled upon in Expedition, Aquapolis is the set to make use of them. Technical Machines would be released sparingly from this point onward.
The Aquapolis set was also the first Pokémon TCG set to utilize the "Crystal Type" Poké-power. This power was written on the Aquapolis cards Kingdra, Lugia, and Nidoking, all of which are holofoil. It essentially allows the player to attach a basic energy card to the Pokémon and have it become that type for the turn. Note that this power does not allow the player to attach an additional energy card per turn.
Of the 186 cards, the first 32 were designated with an "H" before the number. The 33rd card started at the number "1." Thus, the number sequence only goes up to 147 (the 3 "Crystal Types" take the number to 150/147). In addition, 4 cards received 2 versions: Golduck (50a, 50b), Drowzee (74a, 74b), Mr. Mime (95a, 95b), and Porygon (103a, 103b). These cards are identical except for the data they show when swiped through the e-Reader.
Skyridge, released on May 12, 2003, August 15, 2003, in both English and German respectively, is the 16th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Its symbol is a pair of mountains with a halo around the taller one. This is the last set published by Wizards of the Coast and has 182 cards.
This set is the last of three to extensively use the e-Reader. Skyridge continues Aquapolis' tradition of minigames playable by scanning in dot codes from multiple cards.
The Skyridge set was also the second and last set to contain Pokémon with the "Crystal Type" Poké-power. Characters in this set were Celebi, Charizard, Crobat, Golem, Ho-Oh, and Kabutops. These cards normally carry a much higher trade value on eBay and other online retailers than normal cards from this set. However, even normal cards from Skyridge are more valuable than normal cards from other sets, because Skyridge booster packs were very hard to find compared to other sets.
The numbering system for Skyridge is similar to that of Aquapolis. The first 32 cards begin with an "H" and the 33rd card starts the numbering at "1", and thus the number only goes up to 144. The 6 "Crystal Types" take it to 150/144. There are no "a" and "b" versions in Skyridge as there were in Aquapolis.
Skyridge was the last set released by Wizards of the Coast.
In July 2003, The Pokémon Company took the place of Wizards of the Coast as publisher for the cards. The first set published by Pokémon USA, Inc. was EX Ruby and Sapphire.
All of the Third Generation sets have "EX" in their name; this comes from the Pokémon ex present in these sets.
EX Ruby and Sapphire, released on June 18, 2003, is the 17th set of 109 cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. This set was the first set to be adapted into English by Pokémon USA, Inc. after the card game's rights transferred back from Wizards of the Coast. Its symbol is a jewel with a brilliant cut, viewed from above. It is named after the video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.
This set introduces third-generation Pokémon and continues to be scannable by the e-Reader. However, the dot codes on the left side of the card are gone, replaced with a single dot code on the bottom. Unlike the cards in Expedition, Aquapolis, and Skyridge, however, this dot code produces only where to find the Pokémon in the video games instead of completely original Pokédex information. This set yet again changes the layout of the cards; except for the dot code at the bottom (which is now absent), it is exactly the same as the Japanese layout and is the format used up to this day.
This set is also the first to have Pokémon-ex, Pokémon who are stronger than usual, but the opponent takes 2 Prize cards if one were to be Knocked Out. During its release, these Pokémon were exceedingly useful, but as more cards were released, the card game became increasingly stacked against Pokémon-ex.
EX Sandstorm, released on September 18, 2003, is the 18th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 2nd set released by Pokémon USA Inc. Its symbol is a pair of fossils: the Claw Fossil and the Root Fossil from the video games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. It contains 100 cards. The Sandstorm name comes from the fact that the player must retrieve these fossils in the video game from within a sandstorm.
EX Sandstorm also continues to introduce third-generation Pokémon into the card game, with many desert-themed Pokémon, such as Cacnea and Vibrava, and thereof unrelated Pokémon, such as Zangoose and Sableye. This set brings back the Mysterious Fossil from the Fossil set and expands on it with the Claw Fossil, which can be made into Anorith, and the Root Fossil, which can be made into Lileep. The Mysterious Fossil plays the same role as before, which is to evolve it into Omanyte, Kabuto, or Aerodactyl. Other Pokémon from older generations return, such as Xatu from the second generation and Psyduck from the first.
EX Dragon, released in November 2003, is the 19th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 3rd set released by Pokémon USA. The set's symbol is a weapon's crosshair. The set contains a total of 100 cards (97 plus 3 secret). The secret rare cards are Base Set tributes of Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard redrawn by Mitsuhiro Arita. The main emphasis of this set is "Dragon" type Pokémon appearing as Colorless, using two or more types of Energy.
EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua, released in March 2004, is the 20th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 4th set released by Pokémon USA. The set's symbol is a maroon and navy "X" that's slightly slanted, somewhat like a cut or a scar. This set contains 95 cards and was the last set to feature e-Reader compatibility.
This set introduces Team Magma Pokémon and Team Aqua Pokémon, which are themed after the villainous Team Magma and Team Aqua. Dual-type Pokémon were also introduced.
EX Hidden Legends, released in June 2004, is the 21st set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 5th set released by Pokémon USA. Its symbol is a trapezoid with six equally-spaced smaller dots surrounding it. This entire setup is within a solid white irregular hexagon. The Hidden Legends part refers to Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, Legendary Pokémon hidden away in stone structures. This set contains 101 different cards
This set revolves around three concepts: Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, as mentioned above; Jirachi, a Legendary Pokémon with the power of wishes; and Pokémon 4Ever with the presence of Dark Celebi. This set also continues to introduce Pokémon into the card game. In addition to the Pokémon above, Beldum and its evolution line make its debut.
EX Fire Red and Leaf Green, released in September 2004, is the 22nd set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 6th set released by Pokémon USA. Its symbol is an emblem of a black Pokéball. It came out around the time the Nintendo video games, Pokémon Fire Red and Leaf Green were released. The set had some extra cards: 113/112 Charmander, Box Topper; 114/112 Articuno ex, Secret ex; 115/112 Moltres ex, Secret ex; and 116/112 Zapdos ex, Secret ex.
EX Team Rocket Returns, released in November 2004, is the 23rd set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 7th set released by Pokémon USA. The set symbol is the red Team Rocket "R" emblem. The set contains a total of 111 cards (109 plus 2 secret rares). This set also introduced "Darkness" type Pokémon variants such as Rocket's Articuno ex, Rocket's Zapdos ex, and Rocket's Moltres ex.
Team Rocket as a criminal organization – its members, the Pokémon they control, and the techniques they use for world domination are all part of the set's overall theme. EX Team Rocket Returns is a sequel to the original Team Rocket set released four years prior. This set also introduced "Gold Star" shiny (alternate color) Pokémon, called "Pokémon Star". Rare holo star Pokémon cards are indicated by a foil star symbol beside their name text. Only one Pokémon Star could be in a deck.
EX Deoxys, released in February 2005, is the 24th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 8th set released by Pokémon USA. The set's symbol is a shooting star and has 107 cards. The set is named after the Pokémon Deoxys and also features Rayquaza, both of which were the featured legendary Pokémon in the seventh Pokémon movie, Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys. While the Pokémon in this set have little, if anything, to do with either of these two Pokémon, the set's Trainer cards feature people and places involved with astronomy in the Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald video games.
EX Emerald, released in May 2005, is the 25th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 9th set released by Pokémon USA. Its symbol is a gemstone, presumably an emerald. It has a set of 106 cards. Nintendo released six 15-card packs, known as Quick Construction Packs – one pack for each type of Basic Energy.
The set is also composed of Japanese promos that were never brought outside Japan. Because of this, and the fact that most promos are viewed as "unplayable" in the competitive scene, this set was largely ignored, with exceptions to Medicham ex.
EX Unseen Forces, released in August 2005, is the 26th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 10th set released by Pokémon USA. The set's symbol is a black silhouette of Ho-Oh's wing, superimposed on a white silhouette of Lugia's wing. It is a set of 115 cards, plus 2 secret cards (including the box topper), plus 28 Unowns. The set, which in Japan was named "GoldenSky and SilverSea", is set in Johto, and is the first set by Pokémon USA to mainly consist of Pokémon from the Pokémon Gold and Silver games, released in 2001. EX Unseen Forces is known for having more Pokémon-ex than any other set to date, with a total of fourteen (including one box topper and one secret rare card).
EX Delta Species, released in October 2005, is the 27th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 11th set released by Pokémon USA. It contains 113 different cards. While this set was released after EX Legends hit in Japan, it was released before Legend Maker in English-language territories. The set, which in Japan was named "Researching Tower of Holon", is set in the research centre, Holon. Its logo/symbol is Holon Tower, a tower with a broad top floor.
This set introduces rare "Delta Species" Pokémon, which are unusually unique types. For example, Tyranitar would typically be a Dark- or Fighting-type Pokémon, but in this set Tyranitar is a Metal/Fire dual-typed Pokémon. Dragonite would typically be a Colorless- Pokémon, but in this set Dragonite is a Metal/Lightning dual-typed Pokémon. It also introduces the staff of Holon Tower and their Pokémon. The Holon staff appears in the form of Supporter cards, all of which require a card to be discarded in order for them to be used, and Holon's Pokémon, which can be used as either Pokémon or as Energy cards.
EX Legend Maker, released in February 2006, is the 28th set of 92 cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 12th set released by Pokémon USA. The set, which in Japan was named "Eidolon Forest", is set in a forest in the middle of nowhere. Its symbol is a stylized forest, a white egg-shaped area with three black acute isosceles triangles. It received the name Legend Maker due to the inclusion of Mew.
Due to a mix-up with translations, this was supposed to be released before EX Delta Species, but was delayed until February 2006 in English-language territories. This is considered by many to be a very good set, for several reasons – possibly for its similarity with Jungle and Fossil original expansions, or possibly for its exclusion of the complicated Delta Species Pokémon.
EX Holon Phantoms, released in May 2006, is the 29th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 13th set released by Pokémon USA. Its symbol is the Holon symbol, with three triangles around the sides. The set, which in Japan was named "Holon Phantom", is set in an undeveloped area of Holon. It marks the return of Delta Species Pokémon, after they debuted in EX Delta Species. This set contains 110 Cards in total. This set included cards such as Sharpedo, Nosepass, Torchic, and others that are selectively stamped with the EX Holon Phantoms logo. The back of the cards from this set also have a lighter back than other sets.
EX Crystal Guardians, released in July 2006, is the 30th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 14th set released by Pokémon USA. Its symbol is a sliver of a crystal. 100 cards are included in this set release.
EX Dragon Frontiers, released in November 2006, is the 31st set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 15th set released by Pokémon USA. Its symbol is a pair of black mountains on a circular white background. It is a set of 101 cards. The set is based on an unknown set of islands far away, inhabited primarily by Dragon Pokémon. This set marks the final appearance of Delta Species Pokémon, and, strangely, almost every single Pokémon card is Delta Species. There are even "Delta Star" Pokémon, Mew, and Charizard, whose type depends on their alternate color (Shiny form), which is, in this case, Water and Dark, respectively.
This set introduces a new mechanic: Shockwave and Imprison markers. These markers are similar to special conditions, except that they can be applied to Benched Pokémon and that they don't go away when the Pokémon moves to the Bench. Only three cards in the set use these markers, however: two Pokémon place the markers, and one Pokémon can remove them.
EX Power Keepers, released in February 2007, is the 32nd set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The symbol for this set is a road leading to a vanishing horizon on which the sun is either rising or setting. It is a set of 108 cards.
It is the first set since EX Emerald to be released only outside Japan, and the first since EX Unseen Forces not to include Delta Species Pokémon. The set is loosely based on the Hoenn Elite Four, as all four members (Drake, Glacia, Phoebe, and Sidney) have their own Stadium cards, and the Pokémon-EX is all Pokémon owned by members of the Elite Four. The set also consists of several reprints of cards from older sets and is the last third-generation set and Power Keepers.
All of the Fourth Generation sets have the words "Diamond and Pearl", "Platinum", "HeartGold SoulSilver", or "Legends" in their names; this comes from the Pokémon Diamond, Pokémon Pearl, Pokémon Platinum, Pokémon HeartGold and Pokémon SoulSilver video games present in these sets.
Diamond and Pearl Base Set, released in May 2007, is the 33rd set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 17th set released by Pokémon USA. Its symbol is a circle in an upside-down pentagon. It is a set of 130 cards. The set is the first in English-language territories to include fourth-generation Pokémon; namely, those that first featured in the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl video games on the Nintendo DS. Several new rules were introduced to the Pokémon Trading Card Game with the release of Diamond & Pearl Base Set in Japan, and several changes have been made to the format of the cards; some of these changes were included in previous card formats, and others are brand new. One such change is the introduction of Pokémon LV.X, replacing the retired Pokémon-ex and Pokémon Star cards. A Pokémon LV.X can be played to "Level Up" the Active Pokémon, and it would retain all attacks, Poké-Powers, and Poké-Bodies of the previous "Level". This is also the first set in which Pokémon classified as Poison type in the video game series would be identified as Psychic rather than Grass type, and the first set to include Pokémon cards with attacks with no Energy costs, denoted by a transparent effect where Energy requirements would normally be. Basic Dark and Steel Energy cards are introduced in this set. Three holographic Pokémon cards from this set were released in tin sets a few weeks prior to the set's launch. These tins included a Tyranitar tin featuring a Turtwig, a Camerupt tin featuring a Chimchar, and a Milotic tin featuring a Piplup.
Diamond and Pearl – Mysterious Treasures, released in August 2007, is the 34th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 18th set released by Pokémon USA. Its symbol is a shiny jewel. The set introduces the Sinnoh Legendary trio, Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, as well as the fourth-generation Fossil Pokémon Rampardos and Bastiodon, both featured in their respective theme decks. The set also introduces "Pokémon with Item" cards, Pokémon cards with held items that work similarly to the Poké-Body mechanic. For this particular set, all held items are the berries found in the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games. The set includes three new Pokémon LV.X and has a total of 123 cards. It is also the first set to include a secret card since EX Holon Phantoms.
Diamond and Pearl – Secret Wonders, released in November 2007, is the 35th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 19th set released by Pokémon USA. Its symbol is a whirlpool. The set includes several more "Pokémon with Item" cards: Pokémon cards with integrated Pokémon Tools, which include specific items from the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games, such as the Moon Stone and Reaper Cloth evolution items. The set also includes two new Pokémon LV.X. and has 132 cards.
Diamond and Pearl – Great Encounters is the 36th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 20th set released by Pokémon USA, released in February 2008, and is the second-smallest Diamond and Pearl set to date, with 106 cards. Its symbol is a triskelion inside a hexagon. The set introduces Darkrai, an event Pokémon and legendary Pokémon featured alongside Dialga and Palkia in Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai. The set also features four more Pokémon LV.X.
Diamond and Pearl – Majestic Dawn, released in May 2008, is the 37th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game and the 21st set released by Pokémon USA. Its symbol is a rising sun coming over a hill, hence the name Majestic Dawn. It is the smallest Diamond and Pearl set to date with 100 cards. This set introduces Leafeon and Glaceon as two new evolutions of Eevee and includes four more Pokémon LV.X.
Diamond and Pearl – Legends Awakened is the 38th set of cards of the Trading Card Game and the 22nd released by Pokémon USA, and was released in August 2008. The set reintroduces Technical Machines to the Trading Card Game and includes the last of the Pokémon card variants of Pokémon first seen in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Video Games (excluding unreleased Shaymin and Arceus). The set includes seven Pokémon LV.X, more than any set thus far. Many great decks came out of LA LV.X cards, a prominent one being AMU. It is the fourth-largest set in the history of the TCG with 146 cards.
Diamond and Pearl – Stormfront is the 39th set of cards of the Trading Card Game and the 23rd released by Pokémon USA, and was released in November 2008. Its symbol is a circle with a lightning bolt running through it. It is a set of 100 cards. The set reintroduced Pokémon of alternate coloration (better known as shiny Pokémon) and was the first set of the Diamond and Pearl series to reprint three "classic" cards from the first Trading Card Game expansions. The set includes eight Pokémon LV.X, two of which were also released as promotional cards. It also introduced trainer cards that can be used with another one at the same time.
Platinum Base Set is the 40th set of cards of the Trading Card Game and the 24th released by Pokémon USA. It was released on October 13, 2008, in Japan and in the United States on February 11, 2009. It introduces the never-before-seen Pokémon Shaymin and includes a new variant of Pokémon belonging to Team Galactic, called Pokémon G, which are part of a new mechanic, called "Pokémon SP". The set also includes a new mechanic called the Lost Zone, which acts as a second discard pile but one which players cannot retrieve cards from. It features two theme decks, one built around Shaymin, "Flourish", and the other around Renegade Pokémon Giratina, "Rebellion". Platinum includes six Pokémon LV.X, two of which are Shaymin (one of Land Forme and one of Sky Forme), and 127 cards in total. The set includes 6 secret cards. Two of the Pokémon LV.X were released as promotional reprints with new artwork on March 2, 2009.
Platinum – Rising Rivals is the 41st set of cards of the Trading Card Game and the 25th released by Pokémon USA. It is a set of 114 cards not including the 6 secret holofoil cards of the Pokémon Rotom. It introduces Gym Leader's Pokémon ("Pokémon GL"), and Elite Four's Pokémon ("Pokémon E4"), which are new variants of Pokémon SP. It was released on December 26, 2008, in Japan. It was released in the US on May 16, 2009. The cards from this set include Luxray GL LV.X, Lucian's Assignment, Gallade E4 LV.X, and a new version of Infernape LV.X. It was not reprinted, this Infernape is now in SP form, with different attacks and a Poke-Power. Some other LV.X include Alakazam LV.X and Snorlax LV.X. It also includes some hidden rares which are remakes of original cards from the first sets. They have as much value as a LV.X. They include the original Pikachu, Surfing Pikachu, and Flying Pikachu. The main Pokémon from this set is Rotom, which has many unique forms: Wash, Mow, Fan, Heat, and Frost Rotom.
Platinum – Supreme Victors is the 42nd set of cards of the Trading Card Game and the 26th released by Pokémon USA. It was released on March 6, 2009, in Japan and was released in the United States on August 19, 2009. It is a set of 147 cards. Its symbol is two connected upside-down triangles. This set contains Frontier Brain Pokémon ("Pokémon FB"), as well as the Champion's Pokémon ("Pokémon C"), also variants of Pokémon SP. New LV.X Pokémon, like, Rayquaza C LV.X and Charizard G LV.X are also included.
Platinum – Arceus is the 43rd set of cards of the Trading Card Game and the 27th released by Pokémon USA. Contains 99 different cards. It was released on July 5, 2008, in Japan and was released in North America on November 4, 2009.
This set marks the TCG debut of the final Generation IV Pokémon, Arceus. All the Arceus Pokémon cards have a special rule printed on them that allows a deck to have any number of Pokémon with the name "Arceus", as opposed to the normal 4-per-deck rule.
Six new Pokémon LV.X were included in this expansion, three of which were different forms of Arceus LV.X, the other three being Gengar LV.X, Salamence LV.X and Tangrowth LV.X. This expansion also marked the continuation of the "Shining" Pokémon which were featured through the Platinum booster series. Each of these cards had a different collector number sequence than the other cards in the expansion, which were Bagon (SH10) Ponyta (SH11), and Shinx (SH12).
HeartGold & SoulSilver is based on the Pokémon video games of the same title. This set has over 123 cards in it. It includes the new Pokémon Prime cards, which replace Lv.Xs. Pokémon Prime cards depict a close-up of the Pokémon's face, and are stronger than usual, albeit with no other gameplay restrictions. This set also features 2 Pokémon LEGEND, which are one Pokémon made up of 2 cards. They are Ho-oh and Lugia. It has an Alph Lithograph in it, allowing the player to look at the cards in the opponent's hand. This set has 3 theme decks.
HS–Unleashed is the second Pokémon trading card game set based on the Pokémon games, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. The set has a total of 95 cards, including Tyranitar (Prime), Steelix (Prime), Crobat (Prime), Kingdra (Prime), Lanturn (Prime), Ursaring (Prime), Entei & Raikou LEGEND, Raikou & Suicune LEGEND, and Suicune & Entei LEGEND. The set also features a Secret Rare card" Alph Lithograph. Unlike the one in the previous set, HGSS, this one allows the player to shuffle their deck. There are 4 versions of Alph Lithograph. HeartGold and SoulSilver – Unleashed is the first set to feature dual-Legend cards, which consist of two Pokémon on the same two-card LEGEND. However, these Pokémon, when Knocked Out, have the opponent take 2 Prize Cards rather than 1. The set features Chaos Control (Tyranitar) and Steel Sentinel (Steelix) decks.
HS–Undaunted is the third Pokémon trading card game set based on the Pokémon games, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. The set has a total of 90 cards, including Raichu (Prime), Houndoom (Prime), Espeon (Prime), Umbreon (Prime), Scizor (Prime), Slowking (Prime), Rayquaza & Deoxys LEGEND and Kyogre & Groudon LEGEND. The set also features a Secret Rare card: Alph Lithograph. This one allows the player to return any Stadium in play to its owner's hand. HS—Undaunted continue the trend of dual-Legend cards, Legend cards depicting 2 Pokémon that allow the opponent to draw 2 prize cards when Knocked Out. The starter decks for HGSS Undaunted are Nightfall, a dark/metal type deck featuring Umbreon, and Daybreak, a grass/psychic type deck featuring Espeon. With HGSS Undaunted came out there were two changes to the Starter Deck packaging: they now contain an additional booster pack from the set as well as a cardboard deck box that can hold a 60-card unsleeved deck.
HS–Triumphant is the Fourth Pokémon trading card game set based on the Pokémon games, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. The set has a total of 102 cards, including Absol (Prime), Celebi (Prime), Gengar (Prime), Electrode (Prime), Mew (Prime), Magnezone (Prime), Yanmega (Prime), Machamp (Prime), Darkrai/Cresselia LEGEND and Dialga/Palkia LEGEND. The set also features a Secret Rare card: Alph Lithograph. This one, unlike the ones in the previous sets, allows the player to look at all of their face-down prize cards. HS–Triumphant continue the trend of dual-Legend cards, Legends depicting 2 Pokémon that allow the opponent to draw 2 prize cards when Knocked Out. The starter decks for HGSS Triumphant are Royal Guard, a Psychic/Fighting type deck featuring Nidoking, and Verdant Frost, a grass/water type deck featuring Mamoswine. It is speculated to be the last Heartgold and Soulsilver set in America. The set contains cards from the Japanese set "Clash at the Summit" and the mini-set Lost Link. One card missing from the set is the Stadium "Lost World" which introduced a new win condition to the game in Japan. The card, along with the other cards missing from the Lost Link set was released in the next expansion, Call of Legends.
Call of Legends is a stand-alone English set of reprints and previously unreleased cards. Contains 95 different cards. Due to the extended time period between HS–Triumphant and the release of the 5th generation of Pokémon video games this set was released as a filler set. It contains reprints from the HeartGold & SoulSilver series sets, as well as the remaining cards from the Japanese Lost Link set. In addition, it contains cards of legendary Pokémon in shiny and non-shiny forms. The shiny Pokémon are also known as Shiny Legendaries, and for example, Shiny Suicune is number SL11. There are a total of 11 shiny Legendaries.
When the Heartgold and Soulsilver Pokémon trading card lineup was released in Japan, it was done differently from in the United States. It also had an abnormally long waiting period between the first and second sets.
Heartgold and Soulsilver Collection is the first Japanese set based on the Heartgold and Soulsilver games. It has 140 cards in total, including the following special cards: Alph Lithograph, Ursaring Prime, Crobat Prime, Typhlosion Prime, Meganium Prime, Blissey Prime, Donphan Prime, Ampharos Prime, Feraligatr Prime, Lugia LEGEND, and Ho-Oh LEGEND. Starting from this set, the Trainer cards in Japan have been renamed Goods cards. It has been renamed in America as HeartGold SoulSilver, or HS.
The Heartgold and Soulsilver special decks were released in between the releases of the first and second Heartgold and Soulsilver sets. Expert Deck: Leafeon vs. Metagross is a set of two 60-card decks (120 different cards) with a CD for online play. In addition to being more powerful than most theme decks, the Leafeon and Metagross decks have special cards that weren't released in any other Japanese sets. There are also Battle Starter decks, which were released with special cards only available to their specific deck. The decks are named Offense (fire types), Defense (grass types), Speed (electric types), and Skill (water types).
Heartgold and Soulsilver Revived Legends is the second Japanese set based on the Heartgold and Soulsilver games. It has 80 cards, including the following special cards: Tyranitar Prime, Steelix Prime, Lanturn Prime, Kingdra Prime, Entei & Raikou LEGEND, Suicune & Entei LEGEND, Raikou & Suicune LEGEND, and Alph Lithograph. It has been renamed HS Unleashed in the United States.
Lost Link is a mini-set that features Mew Prime, Absol Prime, Gengar Prime, Darkrai and Cresselia LEGEND, and Magnezone Prime. The set has a total of 40 cards. In Japan, it was released on April 16. Though the boosters have 8 cards rather than 11 in Japan, they cost less than regular boosters. The special feature of the series is that it includes a Stadium called Lost World, which has a revolutionary effect. However, the mini-set will not be released in the United States, but instead will be combined with the cards from the Japanese set Clash at the Summit, to make HS Triumphant, which was released in the United States in early November.
All of the Fifth Generation sets have the words "Black and White" in their names; this comes from the Pokémon Black and Pokémon White video games present in these sets. The first set was released on April 6, 2011, and included codes that allowed purchasers to play online with an identical deck.
The sixth generation sets have "XY" in their names. This comes from the sixth generation video games Pokémon X and Pokémon Y.
Double Crisis is an extra set in the X and Y series of Pokémon cards. This set features many Pokémon used by Team Aqua and Team Magma in the Pokémon video games. These include the highly sought-after full arts Team Magma's Groudon EX and Team Aqua's Kyogre EX.
Generations is an extra set in the X and Y series of Pokémon cards. This set is a collection of some new cards and some reprints, along with the "Radiant Collection", a subset containing cards with jewels in the artworks and on the frames, along with some holo patterns across the entire card. Full arts with exclusive artwork were also included in the Radiant Collection.
The seventh generation sets have Sun & Moon in their name. This comes from the seventh generation of video games Pokémon Sun and Moon.
Sun & Moon – Shining Legends is an extra set in the Sun & Moon series of Pokémon cards. It was released on October 6, 2017, however, Pokémon Center Online had already released them if players pre-ordered from the website. This set brings back the Shining mechanics from the Second Generation sets (Neo series), with the Legendary Pokémon.
Sun & Moon – Dragon Majesty is an expansion set released on September 7, 2018. The booster packs were sold as part of special collection boxes. The set features over 70 cards, including 6 Pokémon-GX cards, 2 Prism Star cards, and 6 full-art cards.
Sun & Moon – Detective Pikachu is a mini set released on March 29, 2019. The booster packs were sold as part of special collection boxes. The set features 18 cards with artwork and attacks based on the Pokémon: Detective Pikachu film. Many cards from the set were also distributed with a foil stamp if you bought a ticket to the movie.
Sun & Moon – Hidden Fates is a wild set released on August 23, 2019. For the first time, a Tag Team Pokémon GX trio card was released featuring the legendary birds of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos. Also, over 75 Pokémon are featured in their shiny forms including Charizard-GX and Mewtwo-GX. The set features over 150 cards, including 1 brand new Tag Team Pokémon-GX trio, 8 new Pokémon-GX cards, 15 trainer cards, and over 75 shiny Pokémon.
In conjunction with the launch of Pokémon Sword and Shield, a new generation of cards were released. The Japanese sets were released on December 6, 2019 within the "Premium Trainer Box Sword & Shield", and the English version was released on February 7, 2020.
Champion's Path is the first extra set in the Sword & Shield series of Pokémon cards. The first boxes for this set were released on September 25, 2020. Champion's Path contains over 70 cards with 15 Pokémon V cards, three Pokémon VMAX cards, and 19 trainer cards. Pokémon announced a special energy card earlier on, but this seems to not be the case.
Shining Fates is the second extra set in the Sword & Shield series of Pokémon cards. This set was released on March 8, 2021. Shining Fates contains over 190 cards including more than 30 Pokémon V and VMAX cards along with more than 100 shiny Pokémon. The set was popular, but not as popular as its predecessor Hidden Fates. The set is best known for the shiny Charizard VMAX card included in the set's subset, the Shiny Vault, the most popular part of the set.
Celebrations is the third extra set in the Sword & Shield series, and was released October 8, 2021. The set celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise, and features lots of Legendary Pokémon, as well as V and VMAX printings of Surfing and Flying Pikachu. It features 25 new cards, as well as 25 reprints of cards from past series. Each Celebrations pack only contains four cards though, due to the set's incredibly small amount of cards.
Pokémon GO is the fourth extra set in the Sword & Shield series, and was released on July 1, 2022, and is the fourth extra set in the Sword and Shield series. Pokémon GO contains 78 cards in the main set, including 3 Radiant Pokémon, 13 Pokémon V cards, 2 Pokémon VMAX cards, 5 Pokémon VSTAR (some of those being alternate art cards). Pokémon GO is based on the incredibly popular mobile game of the same name.
Crown Zenith is the fifth and final extra set of Sword & Shield, and was released on January 20, 2023, and is the final set of the Sword and Shield era. It contains 240 cards, with 70 of those being special art rares in a subset called the "Galarian Gallery."
With the release of Pokémon games Scarlet and Violet, The Pokémon Company started releasing card sets from the Scarlet and Violet series of the Pokémon TCG. The Japanese sets Scarlet ex and Violet ex released on January 20, 2023, along with three "ex Starter Decks." The English set, Scarlet and Violet, released on March 31, 2023. The Scarlet and Violet series introduced some big changes, with Pokémon Tool cards becoming their own Trainer card group (they were previously considered Item cards), new card rarities, silver card borders, a new pack structure, which includes one holographic card and two reverse holographic cards per pack, and a booster pack price raise from $3.99 to $4.49 USD.
Prerelease cards are reprints of one selected card from an expansion with a foil stamp of the set's logo stamped on the bottom right corner of the card's illustration, which previously featured a foil "PRERELEASE" stamp. There are currently 163 cards of this kind in the Pokémon Trading Card Game dating from the release of the Jungle expansion in 1999 to the release of the Scarlet and Violet expansion in 2023.
Wizards of the Coast first produced Prerelease cards when the Trading Card Game was first localized and were given to players of early test leagues. Prerelease cards were only awarded through select sites of the Pokémon League for the next three expansions before Wizards ended their production. After Pokémon USA acquired the rights to license and produce the Trading Card Game, Prerelease events were set up to coincide with the release of the upcoming expansions. In the United States, Prerelease events are held over two weekends prior to the commercial release of expansions.
Officially, there were only four Prerelease cards produced by Wizards of the Coast. These cards were Clefable (1/64) from the Jungle Expansion, Aerodactyl (1/62) from the Fossil Expansion, Dark Gyarados (8/82) from the Team Rocket Expansion, and Misty's Seadra (9/132) from the Gym Heroes Expansion. However, during the printing of the Clefable Prerelease cards, several Base Set Raichu cards were added to the printing sheet and were stamped with a foil "PRERELEASE". The error was eventually corrected and the Raichu cards were either destroyed or given to Wizards of the Coast employees. Wizards of the Coast had denied existence of the Prerelease Raichu for years until an employee released an image of the card in 2006.
Throughout the Trading Card Game, there have been many promotional cards released. Promotional cards have a five-pointed black star with the word "PROMO" written across it in place of an "expansion" symbol.
The first promotional set consisted of 53 cards in all with a 54th being a holographic Ancient Mew (which is not recognized as a promo card due to its nonconforming layout). The 53 cards vary between holographic and normal and encompass Pokémon and Trainer cards alike. The most famous of these is likely the card "Birthday Pikachu", for its uniqueness and scarcity. The second promotional set, called Best of Game, was also released by Wizards of the Coast. It included reverse holographic reprints of Hitmonchan and Electabuzz from the Base Set, Rocket's Hitmonchan and Rocket's Mewtwo from Gym Challenge and Professor Elm from Neo Genesis. In addition, there were four new cards: Rocket's Sneasel and Rocket's Scizor from the Pokémon*VS Japanese expansion and Dark Ivysaur and Dark Venusaur from the Pokémon Web Japanese expansion. Many were taken directly from Japanese cards, though there were a few that simply had alternate art of regular expansion cards. Most were obtainable through league or tournament play, while others were mail-in offers, or exclusive to certain retailers.
There have also been "box toppers", special or secret cards that are included at the top of the booster packs in a booster box, as well as various "jumbo" cards, Skyridge for example, approximately four times the size of a regular card and not legal in play.
Under Nintendo's publishing house, the third promotional set consisted of 40 cards. The release of these cards coincided with the Pokémon Organized Play (POP) packs and as a result, are less well documented. They were obtainable in two-card booster packs, given for winning tournaments. The fourth promotional set is based on the Diamond & Pearl era card sets with 56 total cards. The fifth promotional set is based on the Heart Gold & Soul Silver era card sets with 25 total cards. The sixth promotional set is based on the Black & White era card sets with 101 total cards. The seventh promotional set is based on the X & Y era card sets with 211 total cards. The eighth promotional set is based on the Sun & Moon era card sets with 244 total cards. The ninth promotional set is based on the Sword & Shield era card sets and has over 185 total cards. The tenth promotional set is based on the Scarlet & Violet era card sets.