The Original era: Japanese sets (1996–1999)

The Pokémon Trading Card Game launched in Japan on 20 October 1996 with the Expansion Pack — what the rest of the world would later call Base Set. Over the next three years, Media Factory published the sets that founded the hobby: Jungle, Fossil, Rocket Gang, and the Gym Challenge arc.

The core 1996–1999 sets

• Expansion Pack — 20 Oct 1996. Internationally: Base Set. The seed of everything.
• Pokémon Jungle — Mar 1997. Int'l: Jungle.
• Mystery of the Fossils — Jun 1997. Int'l: Fossil.
• Rocket Gang — Apr 1997. Int'l: Team Rocket.
• Pokémon Jungle 2 / Vending Machine promo lines — 1998. Japan-only distribution.
• Gym Series 1 — Leaders' Stadium — Oct 1998. Int'l: Gym Heroes.
• Gym Series 2 — Challenge from the Darkness — Mar 1999. Int'l: Gym Challenge.

Why the Original era is special

These are the sets that defined Pokémon TCG grading culture (PSA 10 First Edition Base Set is the grail), introduced the energy / damage / retreat system that still runs the game, and gave us Charizard. Sealed Original-era Japanese product is museum-level rare, so our catalog treats them as reference entries rather than inventory — but the archive is here for completeness.

Era index: MEGA · Scarlet & Violet · Sword & Shield · Sun & Moon · XY · Black & White · LEGEND / DP / Platinum · ADV / PCG · e-Card / VS / Web · Neo · Original.

Back to the Japanese & Korean Pokémon TCG history index.