Pokémon TCG Almanac · 1999 · English edition

1999 English edition almanac

This page follows the cards printed outside Japan. 1999 was the first year they existed: three sets, 228 cards, every one of them a Wizards of the Coast release of material Japan had printed in 1996 and 1997. Japan's own 1999 output — Challenge from the Darkness and Southern Islands, 116 cards — is a different product line with a different card list, and has its own yearbook, the 1999 Japanese edition.

The year the cards first spoke English: Base Set, Jungle and Fossil — 228 cards, and not one card list matching Japan's.

9 January 1999. Wizards of the Coast puts the Base Set on sale: 102 cards, eleven to a pack, $3.29. The illustrations are the 102 Japanese ones from 1996 — the same pictures, printed abroad two years and three months later, with the text in English and a 1st Edition stamp on the first run.

Two more sets followed: Jungle on 16 June, 64 cards, and Fossil on 10 October, 62 cards. Both are bigger than the Japanese sets they came from — 48 each — and Fossil is missing a card Japan had: Mew. From its first year the English card list was already its own thing, and every set below opens with the two lists set against each other.

3Sets

228Cards

6Artists

How to read this page. Every section opens and closes. The timeline comes first, then the special cards, then the three sets. These sets are large and every illustration here already has a full write-up on the Japanese page for the year it first appeared, so cards are shown as a card face, number, name and rarity rather than a second commentary on the same picture. Each set opens with a Japan vs English comparison that gives the exact card-count difference and names every card that exists on only one side.

Rarity is as printed. Prices are the US list price of the period — $3.29 for an eleven-card pack — not a current market price. One thing the English records do not give us: their rarity field marks a card only as Common, Uncommon or Rare, without separating holo from non-holo rare, so no holo count is shown for these sets.

How many English Pokémon cards are documented in 1999?

This page documents 228 main-series cards across three products on three release dates in 1999. It covers cards printed outside Japan only; printings for other editions are tracked separately.

Publication edition	English edition
Products	3
Cards	228
Release dates	3 (1999-01-09 – 1999-10-10)
Series codes	base1, base2, base3
Card faces on record	all 228
Latest release on record	1999-10-10

Which English edition sets were released in 1999?

English Base Set (1st) (1999-01-09, 102 cards) · English Jungle (2nd) (1999-06-16, 64 cards) · English Fossil (3rd) (1999-10-10, 62 cards).

How many main-series cards does this page record for 1999?

228 cards across three products, an average of 76.0 cards per product. This is the main-series archive count, not a claim that every promo and event card from the year is itemised here.

What release dates does this page cover?

3 release dates, from 1999-01-09 to 1999-10-10.

How many of these 228 cards are shown with a card face?

All 228 cards have a card face on record.

What happened this year

5 entries

01-09
The Base Set goes on sale: 102 cards, eleven to a pack, $3.29. Wizards of the Coast had held the licence since 1998; this is the first set it actually shipped, two years and three months after Japan's expansion. The 102 cards are the Japanese 102, illustration for illustration.
06-16
Jungle, 64 cards. Japan's Jungle had 48. The English set added sixteen cards with no counterpart in the Japanese set at all — Clefable, Electrode, Flareon, Jolteon, Kangaskhan, Mr. Mime, Nidoqueen, Pidgeot, Pinsir, Scyther, Snorlax, Vaporeon, Venomoth, Victreebel, Vileplume and Wigglytuff — so the two sets cannot be mapped one to one.
10-10
Fossil, 62 cards. Fifteen more than Japan's 48, and one Japanese card missing: Mew. Mew reached English players only as a promo. It is the clearest early proof that the English set was not a translation but its own assembly.
1999
The card back does not change. An English card is the Japanese card with English text: same frame, same back, same attacks. What differs is the language, the set symbol and the copyright line — which is exactly why the two printings are kept on separate pages here.
1999
English promos begin. The Wizards Black Star Promos start this year and run to 53 cards by 2003, handed out at leagues, tournaments and through magazines — the English counterpart of the Japanese P series. They are not itemised on this page yet; see the special-cards section for why.

Special cards

not itemised yet

The English side had its own numbered promo series from the first year — the Wizards Black Star Promos, fifty-three cards numbered 1 to 53, given out at leagues, tournaments and through magazines between 1999 and 2003. They are not itemised here yet: we hold no card-face scans for them, and the sources available to us do not pin an individual promo to a single distribution date. Rather than guess a year or borrow another card's picture, this section stays empty until both can be established.

English Base Set (1st)

1999-01-09102 cards$3.29

Set logo (international)

Base Set

base1Out of print

Released: 1999-01-09
Original price: $3.29 US MSRP
Per pack: 11 cards102 kinds
Pack spread: 11 cards (1 in 3 packs is holo)
Per box: 36 packs
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

The first English set. Its 102 cards are the same as Japan's 1996 Base Set, localised 27 months after the Japanese release. Eleven cards per pack at $3.29. The January 1999 print run is the 1st Edition; the Unlimited print followed later the same year.

January 9, 1999, North America. The same 102 cards as Japan's first expansion, renumbered alphabetically by rarity. Artwork, attacks and HP are identical to the Japanese printing.

It exists in 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited and Base 2000 printings; the first two have no drop shadow around the art box. Print runs are not separated here.

Japan vs English102 cards against Japan's 102 · the same card list as Japan

The English Base Set and Japan's 1996 expansion are the same 102 cards — same illustrations, same HP, same attacks. Only the language, the set symbol and the copyright line differ, which is why no card here gets a second write-up: open the 1996 Japanese edition for the commentary.

Compared with the Japanese cards of 1996.

001Alakazam★ Blastoise (1999)

002Blastoise★ Chansey (1999)

003Chansey★ Charizard (1999)

004Charizard★ Clefairy (1999)

005Clefairy★ Gyarados (1999)

006Gyarados★ Hitmonchan (1999)

007Hitmonchan★ Machamp (1999)

008Machamp★ Magneton (1999)

009Magneton★ Mewtwo (1999)

010Mewtwo★ Nidoking (1999)

011Nidoking★ Ninetales (1999)

012Ninetales★ Poliwrath (1999)

013Poliwrath★ Raichu (1999)

014Raichu★ Venusaur (1999)

015Venusaur★ Zapdos (1999)

016Zapdos★ Beedrill (1999)

017Beedrill★ Dragonair (1999)

018Dragonair★ Dugtrio (1999)

019Dugtrio★ Electabuzz (1999)

020Electabuzz★ Electrode (1999)

021Electrode★ Pidgeotto (1999)

022Pidgeotto★ Arcanine (1999)

023Arcanine Charmeleon (1999)

024Charmeleon Dewgong (1999)

025Dewgong Dratini (1999)

026Dratini Farfetch'd (1999)

027Farfetch'd Growlithe (1999)

028Growlithe Haunter (1999)

029Haunter Ivysaur (1999)

030Ivysaur Jynx (1999)

031Jynx

032Kadabra Kakuna (1999)

033Kakuna

034Machoke Magikarp (1999)

035Magikarp Magmar (1999)

036Magmar

037Nidorino Poliwhirl (1999)

038Poliwhirl Porygon (1999)

039Porygon Raticate (1999)

040Raticate Seel (1999)

041Seel

042Wartortle Abra (1999)

043Abra

044Bulbasaur Caterpie (1999)

045Caterpie Charmander (1999)

046Charmander Diglett (1999)

047Diglett Doduo (1999)

048Doduo

049Drowzee Gastly (1999)

050Gastly

051Koffing Machop (1999)

052Machop

053Magnemite Metapod (1999)

054Metapod Nidoran♂ (1999)

055Nidoran♂ Onix (1999)

056Onix

057Pidgey

058Pikachu Poliwag (1999)

059Poliwag Ponyta (1999)

060Ponyta

061Rattata Sandshrew (1999)

062Sandshrew Squirtle (1999)

063Squirtle Starmie (1999)

064Starmie Staryu (1999)

065Staryu

066Tangela Voltorb (1999)

067Voltorb Vulpix (1999)

068Vulpix

069Weedle

070Clefairy Doll★ Computer Search (1999)

071Computer Search★ Devolution Spray (1999)

072Devolution Spray★ Impostor Professor Oak (1999)

073Impostor Professor Oak★ Item Finder (1999)

074Item Finder★ Lass (1999)

075Lass★

076Pokémon Breeder★ Pokémon Trader (1999)

077Pokémon Trader★ Scoop Up (1999)

078Scoop Up★ Super Energy Removal (1999)

079Super Energy Removal★ Defender (1999)

080Defender Energy Retrieval (1999)

081Energy Retrieval Full Heal (1999)

082Full Heal Maintenance (1999)

083Maintenance PlusPower (1999)

084PlusPower Pokémon Center (1999)

085Pokémon Center Pokémon Flute (1999)

086Pokémon Flute Pokédex (1999)

087Pokédex Professor Oak (1999)

088Professor Oak Revive (1999)

089Revive

090Super Potion Bill (1999)

091Bill

092Energy Removal Gust of Wind (1999)

093Gust of Wind Potion (1999)

094Potion

095Switch

096Double Colorless Energy Fighting Energy (1999)

097Fighting Energy Fire Energy (1999)

098Fire Energy Grass Energy (1999)

099Grass Energy Lightning Energy (1999)

100Lightning Energy Psychic Energy (1999)

101Psychic Energy Water Energy (1999)

102Water Energy

English Jungle (2nd)

1999-06-1664 cards$3.29

Set logo (international)

Jungle

base2Out of print

Released: 1999-06-16
Original price: $3.29 US MSRP
Per pack: 11 cards64 kinds
Pack spread: 11 cards (1 in 3 packs is holo)
Per box: 36 packs
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

The second English set, localising Japan's March 1997 Pokémon Jungle. Pack price and card count carried over unchanged from Base Set.

June 16, 1999. Japan's Jungle had 48 cards; the English one has 64, because every rare got a non-holo print as well. From here on, English sets routinely outnumbered the Japanese originals.

Sixteen of the 64 are non-holo prints of rares that were holo-only in Japan — Clefable, Electrode, Flareon, Jolteon and others. Same artwork, no foil.

Japan vs English64 cards against Japan's 48 · 16 of them have no card in that Japanese set

Sixteen cards appear here that have no counterpart in the Japanese Jungle set at all, and none of Japan's 48 is missing. The two sets are not the same list and cannot be mapped one to one.

Not in this Japanese set (16 names): Clefable, Electrode, Flareon, Jolteon, Kangaskhan, Mr. Mime, Nidoqueen, Pidgeot, Pinsir, Scyther, Snorlax, Vaporeon, Venomoth, Victreebel, Vileplume, Wigglytuff

Compared with the Japanese cards of 1997.

001Clefable★ Electrode (1999)

002Electrode★ Flareon (1999)

003Flareon★ Jolteon (1999)

004Jolteon★ Kangaskhan (1999)

005Kangaskhan★ Mr. Mime (1999)

006Mr. Mime★ Nidoqueen (1999)

007Nidoqueen★ Pidgeot (1999)

008Pidgeot★ Pinsir (1999)

009Pinsir★ Scyther (1999)

010Scyther★ Snorlax (1999)

011Snorlax★ Vaporeon (1999)

012Vaporeon★ Venomoth (1999)

013Venomoth★ Victreebel (1999)

014Victreebel★ Vileplume (1999)

015Vileplume★ Wigglytuff (1999)

016Wigglytuff★ Clefable (1999)

017Clefable★ Electrode (1999)

018Electrode★ Flareon (1999)

019Flareon★ Jolteon (1999)

020Jolteon★ Kangaskhan (1999)

021Kangaskhan★ Mr. Mime (1999)

022Mr. Mime★ Nidoqueen (1999)

023Nidoqueen★ Pidgeot (1999)

024Pidgeot★ Pinsir (1999)

025Pinsir★ Scyther (1999)

026Scyther★ Snorlax (1999)

027Snorlax★ Vaporeon (1999)

028Vaporeon★ Venomoth (1999)

029Venomoth★ Victreebel (1999)

030Victreebel★ Vileplume (1999)

031Vileplume★ Wigglytuff (1999)

032Wigglytuff★ Butterfree (1999)

033Butterfree Dodrio (1999)

034Dodrio

035Exeggutor Fearow (1999)

036Fearow

037Gloom

038Lickitung Marowak (1999)

039Marowak Nidorina (1999)

040Nidorina Parasect (1999)

041Parasect Persian (1999)

042Persian Primeape (1999)

043Primeape Rapidash (1999)

044Rapidash Rhydon (1999)

045Rhydon

046Seaking Tauros (1999)

047Tauros

048Weepinbell Bellsprout (1999)

049Bellsprout Cubone (1999)

050Cubone

051Eevee

052Exeggcute Goldeen (1999)

053Goldeen Jigglypuff (1999)

054Jigglypuff Mankey (1999)

055Mankey

056Meowth

057Nidoran♀ Oddish (1999)

058Oddish

059Paras

060Pikachu Rhyhorn (1999)

061Rhyhorn Spearow (1999)

062Spearow Venonat (1999)

063Venonat Poké Ball (1999)

064Poké Ball

English Fossil (3rd)

1999-10-1062 cards$3.29

Set logo (international)

Fossil

base3Out of print

Released: 1999-10-10
Original price: $3.29 US MSRP
Per pack: 11 cards62 kinds
Pack spread: 11 cards (1 in 3 packs is holo)
Per box: 36 packs
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

The third English set, localising Japan's June 1997 Mystery of the Fossils. In the English market this became the headline release of the 1999 holiday season.

October 10, 1999. Sixty-two cards against Japan's 48 — the smallest English set of the period. English packs had held eleven cards since Base Set at $3.29, and Fossil shipped the same way.

62 cards = the 47 Japanese cards minus Mew, plus fifteen non-holo reprints of rares. Mew stayed Japan-only and did not reach English until the Black Star promo #8 in 2000.

Japan vs English62 cards against Japan's 48 · 15 of them have no card in that Japanese set · 1 Japanese cards are missing here

Fifteen more than Japan's 48 — and one Japanese card missing: Mew. English players received Mew only as a promo card, which is why it does not appear in the 62 cards below.

Not in this Japanese set (15 names): Aerodactyl, Articuno, Ditto, Dragonite, Gengar, Haunter, Hitmonlee, Hypno, Kabutops, Lapras, Magneton, Moltres, Muk, Raichu, Zapdos

Only in the Japanese set (1): Mew

Compared with the Japanese cards of 1997.

001Aerodactyl★ Articuno (1999)

002Articuno★ Ditto (1999)

003Ditto★

004Dragonite★ Gengar (1999)

005Gengar★ Haunter (1999)

006Haunter★ Hitmonlee (1999)

007Hitmonlee★ Hypno (1999)

008Hypno★

009Kabutops★ Lapras (1999)

010Lapras★ Magneton (1999)

011Magneton★ Moltres (1999)

012Moltres★ Muk (1999)

013Muk★

014Raichu★ Zapdos (1999)

015Zapdos★ Aerodactyl (1999)

016Aerodactyl★ Articuno (1999)

017Articuno★ Ditto (1999)

018Ditto★

019Dragonite★ Gengar (1999)

020Gengar★ Haunter (1999)

021Haunter★ Hitmonlee (1999)

022Hitmonlee★ Hypno (1999)

023Hypno★

024Kabutops★ Lapras (1999)

025Lapras★ Magneton (1999)

026Magneton★ Moltres (1999)

027Moltres★ Muk (1999)

028Muk★

029Raichu★ Zapdos (1999)

030Zapdos★ Arbok (1999)

031Arbok

032Cloyster Gastly (1999)

033Gastly

034Golbat

035Golduck Golem (1999)

036Golem

037Graveler Kingler (1999)

038Kingler Magmar (1999)

039Magmar

040Omastar Sandslash (1999)

041Sandslash Seadra (1999)

042Seadra

043Slowbro Tentacruel (1999)

044Tentacruel Weezing (1999)

045Weezing Ekans (1999)

046Ekans

047Geodude Grimer (1999)

048Grimer

049Horsea

050Kabuto

051Krabby

052Omanyte Psyduck (1999)

053Psyduck Shellder (1999)

054Shellder Slowpoke (1999)

055Slowpoke Tentacool (1999)

056Tentacool Zubat (1999)

057Zubat

058Mr. Fuji Energy Search (1999)

059Energy Search Gambler (1999)

060Gambler Recycle (1999)

061Recycle Mysterious Fossil (1999)

062Mysterious Fossil

Also released this year: Japanese edition.

What came after

5 entries

2000-02-24
Base Set 2, 130 cards — Base Set and Jungle reprinted as one set. No Fossil cards are in it. The only English set of 2000 that introduced no new material.
2000-04-24
Team Rocket, 83 cards — eighteen more than Japan's 65, among them Dark Charizard, Dark Blastoise, Dark Dragonite, Dark Alakazam, Dark Machamp, Dark Gyarados and Dark Raichu, plus Rainbow Energy, Here Comes Team Rocket! and Rocket's Sneak Attack.
2000-08-14
Gym Heroes, 132 cards. Japan's two Gym expansions (96 and 98) were cut differently for English: 57 cards here have no Japanese counterpart in the fifth expansion, and 21 of Japan's do not appear. The split does not follow Japan's at all.
2000-10-16
Gym Challenge, 132 cards — the other half of the same re-cut, with 53 English-only cards and 19 Japanese cards left out.
2000-12-16
Neo Genesis, 111 cards. Japan's set had 96; six basic Energy cards and the nine starter evolutions of Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile are numbered cards here. With this set the English line reached Japan's February 2000 — a lag of ten months, against three years when it started.

In twelve months the English line went from three sets to eight, and from 228 cards to 816 counting every printing. The catching-up was done almost entirely with Japanese material from 1997 and 1998 — of the five sets of 2000, only Neo Genesis was less than two years behind.

Evidence & release sources

3 of 3 linked

Release dates and product identities are connected to the English edition release register by set code. Sources are printed per product so a reader can check the claim without trusting this page alone. Unmatched products say so instead of borrowing another edition’s citation.

English Base Set (1st) base1 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net
English Jungle (2nd) base2 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net
English Fossil (3rd) base3 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net

About the data

Card faces are the English-language scans (TCGdex and our own archive). Where a card exists in both editions, the Japanese page for the year it first appeared carries the full write-up; the picture is the same one.

Set dates, card counts and pack contents come from the set records, and were checked against the Japanese pages card by card. Where the two editions disagree on a name, the comparison names both spellings.

Prices are the US list price of the period, not a present-day market price.

The Japan vs English comparison is computed, not transcribed — the two card lists are compared directly, so the counts and the names in it always match the cards on the page.

Card names are as printed in English. The Japanese name appears under each one where the card also exists in Japanese, so the same card can be found on either page.

1999 in one line: the year the cards learned English. 228 cards in three sets, Mew left out of Fossil, and a card list that already diverged from Japan's — the English game was never a translation, and this is the year that became visible.