English edition · 2004

2004 English edition almanac

This page covers the English market's four sets of 2004, 426 cards. Japan released four as well — 332 cards — but only three of them reached English this year, and one of those was Japan's 2003 set. The January set arrived in June, the April set in August, the October set in November; Japan's July set, Clash of the Blue Sky, did not reach English until February 2005. Each edition has its own page.

Four sets, 426 cards, the first Gold Stars — and the year the lead changed hands

15 March: Team Magma vs Team Aqua, 97 cards — Japan's October 2003 subset, five months old, folded together with two theme decks. 14 June: Hidden Legends, 102 cards, Japan's January set. 30 August: FireRed & LeafGreen, 116 cards and twelve Pokémon-ex, the most any English set had carried. 8 November: Team Rocket Returns, 111 cards, and the first Gold Stars printed outside Japan.

For five years the English game had been running a year behind Japan and closing. 2004 is the year it stopped closing. The March set was Japan's previous October; the June set was Japan's January; but Japan's July set was not in English by December and would not be until February 2005. From here on the gap is four to seven months and it never closes again — and the two editions are cut differently every time, which is why the almanac keeps them apart.

4Sets

426Cards

104Holo

44Artists

The English sets are shown as a compact grid — card face, number, name, rarity — because the full notes for these cards belong to the Japanese pages where they first appeared. Every set here has a Japan vs English block that gives the exact overlap, computed from the card lists rather than copied from a source.

About the pictures. These are English scans, the printing that was sold in the West. The Japanese originals of three of these four sets are on the 2004 Japan page; the fourth, Team Magma vs Team Aqua, belongs to the 2003 Japan page, because that is when Japan printed it.

How many English Pokémon cards are documented in 2004?

This page documents 426 main-series cards across four products on four release dates in 2004. It covers cards printed outside Japan only; printings for other editions are tracked separately.

Publication edition	English edition
Products	4
Cards	426
Release dates	4 (2004-03-15 – 2004-11-08)
Series codes	ex4, ex5, ex6, ex7
Card faces on record	all 426
Latest release on record	2004-11-08

Which English edition sets were released in 2004?

EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua (2004-03-15, 97 cards) · EX Hidden Legends (2004-06-14, 102 cards) · EX FireRed & LeafGreen (2004-08-30, 116 cards) · EX Team Rocket Returns (2004-11-08, 111 cards).

How many main-series cards does this page record for 2004?

426 cards across four products, an average of 106.5 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?

4 release dates, from 2004-03-15 to 2004-11-08.

How many of these 426 cards are shown with a card face?

All 426 cards have a card face on record.

What happened this year

6 entries

03-15
Team Magma vs Team Aqua, 97 cards — Japan's Magma VS Aqua subset of October 2003 plus the two theme decks that shipped with it, in one set. The first English set built around two opposing factions, and the first time a Japanese 強化拡張パック (enhanced expansion) became an English main set. Seven Pokémon-ex at 89 to 95, including Entei, Raikou and Suicune.
06-14
Hidden Legends, 102 cards — Japan's January set, five months late. Nine Pokémon-ex at 93 to 101, and a clean one-to-one for once: the same nine Japan printed, in the same order, with thirteen English extras from the theme decks and gift sets of early 2004.
08-30
FireRed & LeafGreen, 116 cards and twelve Pokémon-ex — Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise ex at 112, 105 and 104, the three legendary birds at 114 to 116, Clefable, Electrode, Gengar, Gyarados, and two Mr. Mime ex at 110 and 111. Twelve is the most any English set had carried, and it stays the record until the Holon block.
11-08
Team Rocket Returns, 111 cards — Japan's October set, one month late, and the fastest turnaround of the year. The first Gold Stars in English: Treecko ☆, Torchic ☆ and Mudkip ☆ at 107, 108 and 109. Eleven Pokémon-ex, every one of them a Rocket's card, from Mewtwo at 99 to Articuno at 96.
11-08
The gap opens. Japan's July set, Clash of the Blue Sky, is not in English by the end of the year — it arrives in February 2005 as EX Deoxys. That is the structural change of 2004: the English edition stops being a delayed copy and becomes a separate release schedule, four to seven months behind and cut differently every time.
12-31
The licence question is settled by now. The handover from Wizards of the Coast to Nintendo finished in 2003 and 2004 is the first full year under the new publisher: four sets, no gaps in the schedule, and a Prerelease programme that runs at every set. The cards themselves do not change — same frame, same ex rule — but the release machine behind them is a different one.

Promos, handouts & prizes

not itemised

Why this is empty. The English promotional cards of 2004 were distributed through league kits, prerelease tournaments and magazine inserts, and our sources do not pin each card to a single date, event and condition. The cards are real and they are 2004; the individual release facts are what is missing. A missing section is better than a section of guesses.

EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua

2004-03-1597 cardsHOLO 21

15 March 2004 — Japan's Magma VS Aqua subset of 24 October 2003, five months old, plus the two theme decks that shipped alongside it. 77 Pokémon, 17 Trainer, 3 Energy. Seven Pokémon-ex at 89 to 95. Water and Fighting lead with nineteen and sixteen.

Two factions, two card designs. Team Magma's Pokémon and Team Aqua's Pokémon are printed with their team's emblem and their own Trainer support, and the set's Trainer line is built around them. It is also the first English set to come from a Japanese subset rather than a main expansion — and the English version is far bigger, 97 against 80, because the theme decks came with it.

Japan vs English97 cards against Japan's 80 · 61 of them have no card in that Japanese set · 3 of those names turn up in another Japanese set that year · 44 Japanese cards are missing here

The English set folds in the two theme decks, which is where most of the extra seventeen cards come from.

Not in this Japanese set (47 names, 61 cards): Absol, Bulbasaur, Cubone, Entei ex, Jigglypuff, Jirachi, Meowth, Pikachu, Psyduck, Raichu, Raikou ex, Slowpoke, Squirtle, Team Aqua Ball, Team Aqua Conspirator, Team Aqua Hideout, Team Aqua's Carvanha, Team Aqua's Chinchou, Team Aqua's Corphish, Team Aqua's Crawdaunt, Team Aqua's Electrike, Team Aqua's Kyogre, Team Aqua's Lanturn, Team Aqua's Manectric, Team Aqua's Mightyena, Team Aqua's Poochyena, Team Aqua's Sealeo, Team Aqua's Sharpedo, Team Aqua's Spheal, Team Aqua's Walrein, Team Magma Ball, Team Magma Conspirator, Team Magma Hideout, Team Magma's Aggron, Team Magma's Aron, Team Magma's Baltoy, Team Magma's Camerupt, Team Magma's Claydol, Team Magma's Groudon, Team Magma's Houndoom, Team Magma's Houndour, Team Magma's Lairon, Team Magma's Mightyena, Team Magma's Numel, Team Magma's Poochyena, Team Magma's Rhydon, Team Magma's Rhyhorn

Only in the Japanese set (44): Aerodactyl ex, Anorith, Arbok, Arcanine, Cacnea, Combusken, Delcatty, Dunsparce, Duskull, Eevee, Ekans, Espeon, Flareon, Forretress, Geodude, Golem ex, Graveler, Grovyle, Growlithe, Jolteon, Kabuto, Kabutops ex, Kirlia, Lileep, Linoone, Marshtomp, Mudkip, Murkrow, Mysterious Fossil, Omanyte, Omastar, Onix, Pelipper, Pineco, Ralts, Skitty, Steelix, Swellow, Torchic, Treecko, Umbreon, Vaporeon, Wailmer, Wingull

3 of those names also turn up elsewhere in Japan's 2003. That is a statement about names, not cards: the same Pokémon was often printed more than once, with different HP, attacks and art. The English edition never matched a Japanese set one for one, so a name missing from this Japanese set may still belong to a card Japan printed that year.

Compared with the Japanese cards of 2003.

001Team Aqua's Cacturne★ Team Aqua's Crawdaunt (2004)

002Team Aqua's Crawdaunt★ Team Aqua's Kyogre (2004)

003Team Aqua's Kyogre★ Team Aqua's Manectric (2004)

004Team Aqua's Manectric★ Team Aqua's Sharpedo (2004)

005Team Aqua's Sharpedo★ Team Aqua's Walrein (2004)

006Team Aqua's Walrein★ Team Magma's Aggron (2004)

007Team Magma's Aggron★ Team Magma's Claydol (2004)

008Team Magma's Claydol★ Team Magma's Groudon (2004)

009Team Magma's Groudon★ Team Magma's Houndoom (2004)

010Team Magma's Houndoom★ Team Magma's Rhydon (2004)

011Team Magma's Rhydon★ Team Magma's Torkoal (2004)

012Team Magma's Torkoal★ Raichu (2004)

013Raichu★ Team Aqua's Crawdaunt (2004)

014Team Aqua's Crawdaunt★ Team Aqua's Mightyena (2004)

015Team Aqua's Mightyena★ Team Aqua's Sealeo (2004)

016Team Aqua's Sealeo★ Team Aqua's Seviper (2004)

017Team Aqua's Seviper★ Team Aqua's Sharpedo (2004)

018Team Aqua's Sharpedo★ Team Magma's Camerupt (2004)

019Team Magma's Camerupt★ Team Magma's Lairon (2004)

020Team Magma's Lairon★ Team Magma's Mightyena (2004)

021Team Magma's Mightyena★ Team Magma's Rhydon (2004)

022Team Magma's Rhydon★ Team Magma's Zangoose (2004)

023Team Magma's Zangoose★ Team Aqua's Cacnea (2004)

024Team Aqua's Cacnea Team Aqua's Carvanha (2004)

025Team Aqua's Carvanha Team Aqua's Corphish (2004)

026Team Aqua's Corphish Team Aqua's Electrike (2004)

027Team Aqua's Electrike Team Aqua's Lanturn (2004)

028Team Aqua's Lanturn Team Aqua's Manectric (2004)

029Team Aqua's Manectric Team Aqua's Mightyena (2004)

030Team Aqua's Mightyena Team Aqua's Sealeo (2004)

031Team Aqua's Sealeo Team Magma's Baltoy (2004)

032Team Magma's Baltoy Team Magma's Claydol (2004)

033Team Magma's Claydol Team Magma's Houndoom (2004)

034Team Magma's Houndoom Team Magma's Houndour (2004)

035Team Magma's Houndour Team Magma's Lairon (2004)

036Team Magma's Lairon Team Magma's Mightyena (2004)

037Team Magma's Mightyena Team Magma's Rhyhorn (2004)

038Team Magma's Rhyhorn Bulbasaur (2004)

039Bulbasaur Cubone (2004)

040Cubone

041Jigglypuff Meowth (2004)

042Meowth

043Pikachu Psyduck (2004)

044Psyduck Slowpoke (2004)

045Slowpoke Squirtle (2004)

046Squirtle Team Aqua's Carvanha (2004)

047Team Aqua's Carvanha Team Aqua's Carvanha (2004)

048Team Aqua's Carvanha Team Aqua's Chinchou (2004)

049Team Aqua's Chinchou Team Aqua's Corphish (2004)

050Team Aqua's Corphish Team Aqua's Corphish (2004)

051Team Aqua's Corphish Team Aqua's Electrike (2004)

052Team Aqua's Electrike Team Aqua's Electrike (2004)

053Team Aqua's Electrike Team Aqua's Poochyena (2004)

054Team Aqua's Poochyena Team Aqua's Poochyena (2004)

055Team Aqua's Poochyena Team Aqua's Spheal (2004)

056Team Aqua's Spheal Team Aqua's Spheal (2004)

057Team Aqua's Spheal Team Magma's Aron (2004)

058Team Magma's Aron Team Magma's Aron (2004)

059Team Magma's Aron Team Magma's Baltoy (2004)

060Team Magma's Baltoy Team Magma's Baltoy (2004)

061Team Magma's Baltoy Team Magma's Houndour (2004)

062Team Magma's Houndour Team Magma's Houndour (2004)

063Team Magma's Houndour Team Magma's Numel (2004)

064Team Magma's Numel Team Magma's Poochyena (2004)

065Team Magma's Poochyena Team Magma's Poochyena (2004)

066Team Magma's Poochyena Team Magma's Rhyhorn (2004)

067Team Magma's Rhyhorn Team Magma's Rhyhorn (2004)

068Team Magma's Rhyhorn Team Aqua Schemer (2004)

069Team Aqua Schemer Team Magma Schemer (2004)

070Team Magma Schemer Archie (2004)

071Archie

072Dual Ball Maxie (2004)

073Maxie

074Strength Charm Team Aqua Ball (2004)

075Team Aqua Ball Team Aqua Belt (2004)

076Team Aqua Belt Team Aqua Conspirator (2004)

077Team Aqua Conspirator Team Aqua Hideout (2004)

078Team Aqua Hideout

079Team Aqua Technical Machine 01 Team Magma Ball (2004)

080Team Magma Ball Team Magma Belt (2004)

081Team Magma Belt Team Magma Conspirator (2004)

082Team Magma Conspirator Team Magma Hideout (2004)

083Team Magma Hideout

084Team Magma Technical Machine 01 Warp Point (2004)

085Warp Point Aqua Energy (2004)

086Aqua Energy Magma Energy (2004)

087Magma Energy Double Rainbow Energy (2004)

088Double Rainbow Energy★ Blaziken ex (2004)

089Blaziken ex★ Cradily ex (2004)

090Cradily ex★ Entei ex (2004)

091Entei ex★ Raikou ex (2004)

092Raikou ex★ Sceptile ex (2004)

093Sceptile ex★ Suicune ex (2004)

094Suicune ex★ Swampert ex (2004)

095Swampert ex★ Absol (2004)

096Absol★

097Jirachi★

EX Hidden Legends

2004-06-14102 cardsHOLO 25

14 June 2004 — Japan's Undone Seal of 16 January, five months old. 93 Pokémon, 9 Trainer. Nine Pokémon-ex at 93 to 101, the same nine Japan printed and in the same order. Water leads with twenty-one, Grass follows with seventeen.

The last ADV set, in English. Groudon ex at 93 and Kyogre ex at 94, the three regi at 97 to 99, Metagross, Ninetales, Vileplume and Wigglytuff complete the nine. The cards Japan does not have — twelve names that never appeared in Undone Seal — are the English edition's own: theme deck and gift set prints from the first half of 2004, and they are why this set is 102 cards against 83.

Japan vs English102 cards against Japan's 83 · 21 of them have no card in that Japanese set · 10 of those names turn up in another Japanese set that year · 2 Japanese cards are missing here

Same nine Pokémon-ex in the same order as Japan; the extra cards are theme-deck and gift-set prints.

Not in this Japanese set (17 names, 21 cards): Baltoy, Beldum, Chikorita, Chinchou, Claydol, Cyndaquil, Dark Celebi, Groudon, Jirachi, Medicham, Meditite, Metagross, Metang, Minun, Plusle, Togepi, Totodile

Only in the Japanese set (2): High Pressure System, Low Pressure System

10 of those names also turn up elsewhere in Japan's 2004. That is a statement about names, not cards: the same Pokémon was often printed more than once, with different HP, attacks and art. The English edition never matched a Japanese set one for one, so a name missing from this Japanese set may still belong to a card Japan printed that year.

Compared with the Japanese cards of 2004.

001Banette★ Claydol (2004)

002Claydol★ Crobat (2004)

003Crobat★ Dark Celebi (2004)

004Dark Celebi★ Electrode (2004)

005Electrode★ Exploud (2004)

006Exploud★ Heracross (2004)

007Heracross★ Jirachi (2004)

008Jirachi★ Machamp (2004)

009Machamp★ Medicham (2004)

010Medicham★ Metagross (2004)

011Metagross★ Milotic (2004)

012Milotic★ Pinsir (2004)

013Pinsir★ Shiftry (2004)

014Shiftry★ Walrein (2004)

015Walrein★ Bellossom (2004)

016Bellossom★ Chimecho (2004)

017Chimecho★ Gorebyss (2004)

018Gorebyss★ Huntail (2004)

019Huntail★ Masquerain (2004)

020Masquerain★ Metang (2004)

021Metang★ Ninetales (2004)

022Ninetales★ Rain Castform (2004)

023Rain Castform★ Relicanth (2004)

024Relicanth★ Snow-cloud Castform (2004)

025Snow-cloud Castform★ Sunny Castform (2004)

026Sunny Castform★ Tropius (2004)

027Tropius★ Beldum (2004)

028Beldum

029Beldum

030Castform Claydol (2004)

031Claydol Corsola (2004)

032Corsola Dodrio (2004)

033Dodrio

034Glalie

035Gloom

036Golbat

037Igglybuff Lanturn (2004)

038Lanturn Loudred (2004)

039Loudred Luvdisc (2004)

040Luvdisc Machoke (2004)

041Machoke Medicham (2004)

042Medicham Metang (2004)

043Metang

044Metang

045Nuzleaf Rhydon (2004)

046Rhydon

047Sealeo

048Spinda

049Starmie Swalot (2004)

050Swalot

051Tentacruel Baltoy (2004)

052Baltoy

053Baltoy

054Beldum

055Chikorita Chinchou (2004)

056Chinchou Chinchou (2004)

057Chinchou Clamperl (2004)

058Clamperl Cyndaquil (2004)

059Cyndaquil Doduo (2004)

060Doduo

061Feebas

062Gulpin

063Jigglypuff Machop (2004)

064Machop

065Meditite Meditite (2004)

066Meditite Minun (2004)

067Minun

068Oddish

069Plusle

070Rhyhorn Seedot (2004)

071Seedot

072Shuppet Snorunt (2004)

073Snorunt Spheal (2004)

074Spheal

075Staryu

076Surskit Tentacool (2004)

077Tentacool Togepi (2004)

078Togepi

079Totodile Voltorb (2004)

080Voltorb Vulpix (2004)

081Vulpix

082Whismur Zubat (2004)

083Zubat

084Ancient Technical Machine [Ice]

085Ancient Technical Machine [Rock]

Ancient Technical Machine [Steel] (2004)

086Ancient Technical Machine [Steel] Ancient Tomb (2004)

087Ancient Tomb Desert Ruins (2004)

088Desert Ruins Island Cave (2004)

089Island Cave Life Herb (2004)

090Life Herb Magnetic Storm (2004)

091Magnetic Storm Steven's Advice (2004)

092Steven's Advice Groudon ex (2004)

093Groudon ex★ Kyogre ex (2004)

094Kyogre ex★ Metagross ex (2004)

095Metagross ex★ Ninetales ex (2004)

096Ninetales ex★ Regice ex (2004)

097Regice ex★ Regirock ex (2004)

098Regirock ex★ Registeel ex (2004)

099Registeel ex★ Vileplume ex (2004)

100Vileplume ex★ Wigglytuff ex (2004)

101Wigglytuff ex★ Groudon (2004)

102Groudon★

EX FireRed & LeafGreen

2004-08-30116 cardsHOLO 30

30 August 2004 — Japan's Flight of Legends of 9 April, four and a half months old, and the tie-in to the FireRed and LeafGreen remakes. 99 Pokémon, 16 Trainer, 1 Energy. Twelve Pokémon-ex. Grass and Colourless lead with twenty-three each.

Twelve Pokémon-ex, the most in any English set of the era — and the first time Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise appear as ex cards together. Two Mr. Mime ex at 110 and 111, because Japan printed two, and the three legendary birds at 114 to 116. The English set is 116 cards against Japan's 82: the extra thirty-four are deck and promo prints, plus the secret cards that close the English numbering.

Japan vs English116 cards against Japan's 82 · 35 of them have no card in that Japanese set · 5 of those names turn up in another Japanese set that year · 1 Japanese cards are missing here

Not in this Japanese set (31 names, 35 cards): Blastoise ex, Bulbasaur, Charizard ex, Charmander, Charmeleon, Dodrio, Doduo, Energy Removal 2, Energy Switch, Fearow, Ivysaur, Jigglypuff, Life Herb, Meowth, Multi Energy, Persian, Pidgeotto, Pidgey, Poké Ball, Pokémon Reversal, Potion, Prof. Oak's Research, Raticate, Rattata, Spearow, Squirtle, Super Scoop Up, Switch, Venusaur ex, Wartortle, Wigglytuff

Only in the Japanese set (1): Professor Oak's Research

5 of those names also turn up elsewhere in Japan's 2004. That is a statement about names, not cards: the same Pokémon was often printed more than once, with different HP, attacks and art. The English edition never matched a Japanese set one for one, so a name missing from this Japanese set may still belong to a card Japan printed that year.

Compared with the Japanese cards of 2004.

001Beedrill★ Butterfree (2004)

002Butterfree★ Dewgong (2004)

003Dewgong★ Ditto (2004)

004Ditto★

005Exeggutor★ Kangaskhan (2004)

006Kangaskhan★ Marowak (2004)

007Marowak★ Nidoking (2004)

008Nidoking★ Nidoqueen (2004)

009Nidoqueen★ Pidgeot (2004)

010Pidgeot★ Poliwrath (2004)

011Poliwrath★ Raichu (2004)

012Raichu★ Rapidash (2004)

013Rapidash★ Slowbro (2004)

014Slowbro★ Snorlax (2004)

015Snorlax★ Tauros (2004)

016Tauros★ Victreebel (2004)

017Victreebel★ Arcanine (2004)

018Arcanine★ Chansey (2004)

019Chansey★ Cloyster (2004)

020Cloyster★ Dodrio (2004)

021Dodrio★ Dugtrio (2004)

022Dugtrio★ Farfetch'd (2004)

023Farfetch'd★ Fearow (2004)

024Fearow★ Hypno (2004)

025Hypno★

026Kingler★ Magneton (2004)

027Magneton★ Primeape (2004)

028Primeape★ Scyther (2004)

029Scyther★ Tangela (2004)

030Tangela★ Charmeleon (2004)

031Charmeleon Drowzee (2004)

032Drowzee Exeggcute (2004)

033Exeggcute Haunter (2004)

034Haunter Ivysaur (2004)

035Ivysaur Kakuna (2004)

036Kakuna

037Lickitung Mankey (2004)

038Mankey

039Metapod Nidorina (2004)

040Nidorina Nidorino (2004)

041Nidorino Onix (2004)

042Onix

043Parasect Persian (2004)

044Persian Pidgeotto (2004)

045Pidgeotto Poliwhirl (2004)

046Poliwhirl Porygon (2004)

047Porygon Raticate (2004)

048Raticate Venomoth (2004)

049Venomoth Wartortle (2004)

050Wartortle Weepinbell (2004)

051Weepinbell Wigglytuff (2004)

052Wigglytuff Bellsprout (2004)

053Bellsprout Bulbasaur (2004)

054Bulbasaur Bulbasaur (2004)

055Bulbasaur Caterpie (2004)

056Caterpie Charmander (2004)

057Charmander Charmander (2004)

058Charmander Clefairy (2004)

059Clefairy Cubone (2004)

060Cubone

061Diglett Doduo (2004)

062Doduo

063Gastly

064Growlithe Jigglypuff (2004)

065Jigglypuff Krabby (2004)

066Krabby

067Magikarp Magnemite (2004)

068Magnemite Meowth (2004)

069Meowth

070Nidoran♀ Nidoran♂ (2004)

071Nidoran♂ Paras (2004)

072Paras

073Pidgey

074Pikachu Poliwag (2004)

075Poliwag Ponyta (2004)

076Ponyta

077Rattata Seel (2004)

078Seel

079Shellder Slowpoke (2004)

080Slowpoke Spearow (2004)

081Spearow Squirtle (2004)

082Squirtle Squirtle (2004)

083Squirtle Venonat (2004)

084Venonat Voltorb (2004)

085Voltorb Weedle (2004)

086Weedle

087Bill's Maintenance Celio's Network (2004)

088Celio's Network Energy Removal 2 (2004)

089Energy Removal 2 Energy Switch (2004)

090Energy Switch EXP. ALL (2004)

091EXP. ALL Great Ball (2004)

092Great Ball Life Herb (2004)

093Life Herb Mt. Moon (2004)

094Mt. Moon Poké Ball (2004)

095Poké Ball PokéDex (HANDY909) (2004)

096PokéDex (HANDY909) Pokémon Reversal (2004)

097Pokémon Reversal Prof. Oak's Research (2004)

098Prof. Oak's Research Super Scoop Up (2004)

099Super Scoop Up VS Seeker (2004)

100VS Seeker Potion (2004)

101Potion

102Switch

103Multi Energy★ Blastoise ex (2004)

104Blastoise ex★ Charizard ex (2004)

105Charizard ex★ Clefable ex (2004)

106Clefable ex★ Electrode ex (2004)

107Electrode ex★ Gengar ex (2004)

108Gengar ex★ Gyarados ex (2004)

109Gyarados ex★ Mr. Mime ex (2004)

110Mr. Mime ex★ Mr. Mime ex (2004)

111Mr. Mime ex★ Venusaur ex (2004)

112Venusaur ex★ Charmander (2004)

113Charmander★ Articuno ex (2004)

114Articuno ex★ Moltres ex (2004)

115Moltres ex★ Zapdos ex (2004)

116Zapdos ex★

EX Team Rocket Returns

2004-11-08111 cardsHOLO 28

8 November 2004 — Japan's Rocket Gang Strikes Back of 15 October, three weeks old and the fastest turnaround of the year. 97 Pokémon, 12 Trainer, 2 Energy. Eleven Pokémon-ex and three Gold Stars. Darkness leads with nineteen.

The first Pokémon ☆ printed outside Japan. Treecko ☆ at 107, Torchic ☆ at 108 and Mudkip ☆ at 109 — the three starters of Ruby & Sapphire, holofoil across the whole card and marked with a ☆ where the rarity symbol would be. The eleven ex cards are all Rocket's: Articuno at 96, Entei at 97, Hitmonchan at 98, Mewtwo at 99, Moltres at 100, then Scizor, Scyther, Sneasel, Snorlax, Suicune and Zapdos to 106.

Japan vs English111 cards against Japan's 85 · 27 of them have no card in that Japanese set · 3 of those names turn up in another Japanese set that year · 1 Japanese cards are missing here

Not in this Japanese set (23 names, 27 cards): Charmeleon, Dark Ariados, Dark Dragonair, Dark Dragonite, Dark Golduck, Dark Gyarados, Dark Houndoom, Dark Magcargo, Dark Magneton, Dark Pupitar, Dark Tyranitar, Dratini, Houndour, Larvitar, Magikarp, Magnemite, Psyduck, Rattata, Rocket's Articuno ex, Rocket's Moltres ex, Rocket's Poké Ball, Slugma, Spinarak

Only in the Japanese set (1): Dark Celebi

3 of those names also turn up elsewhere in Japan's 2004. That is a statement about names, not cards: the same Pokémon was often printed more than once, with different HP, attacks and art. The English edition never matched a Japanese set one for one, so a name missing from this Japanese set may still belong to a card Japan printed that year.

Compared with the Japanese cards of 2004.

001Azumarill★ Dark Ampharos (2004)

002Dark Ampharos★ Dark Crobat (2004)

003Dark Crobat★ Dark Electrode (2004)

004Dark Electrode★ Dark Houndoom (2004)

005Dark Houndoom★ Dark Hypno (2004)

006Dark Hypno★ Dark Marowak (2004)

007Dark Marowak★ Dark Octillery (2004)

008Dark Octillery★ Dark Slowking (2004)

009Dark Slowking★ Dark Steelix (2004)

010Dark Steelix★ Jumpluff (2004)

011Jumpluff★ Kingdra (2004)

012Kingdra★ Piloswine (2004)

013Piloswine★ Togetic (2004)

014Togetic★ Dark Dragonite (2004)

015Dark Dragonite★ Dark Muk (2004)

016Dark Muk★ Dark Raticate (2004)

017Dark Raticate★ Dark Sandslash (2004)

018Dark Sandslash★ Dark Tyranitar (2004)

019Dark Tyranitar★ Dark Tyranitar (2004)

020Dark Tyranitar★ Delibird (2004)

021Delibird★ Furret (2004)

022Furret★ Ledian (2004)

023Ledian★ Magby (2004)

024Magby★

025Misdreavus★ Quagsire (2004)

026Quagsire★ Qwilfish (2004)

027Qwilfish★ Yanma (2004)

028Yanma★

029Dark Arbok Dark Ariados (2004)

030Dark Ariados Dark Dragonair (2004)

031Dark Dragonair Dark Dragonair (2004)

032Dark Dragonair Dark Flaaffy (2004)

033Dark Flaaffy Dark Golbat (2004)

034Dark Golbat Dark Golduck (2004)

035Dark Golduck Dark Gyarados (2004)

036Dark Gyarados Dark Houndoom (2004)

037Dark Houndoom Dark Magcargo (2004)

038Dark Magcargo Dark Magneton (2004)

039Dark Magneton Dark Pupitar (2004)

040Dark Pupitar Dark Pupitar (2004)

041Dark Pupitar Dark Weezing (2004)

042Dark Weezing Heracross (2004)

043Heracross Magmar (2004)

044Magmar

045Mantine Rocket's Meowth (2004)

046Rocket's Meowth Rocket's Wobbuffet (2004)

047Rocket's Wobbuffet Seadra (2004)

048Seadra

049Skiploom Togepi (2004)

050Togepi

051Cubone

052Dratini Dratini (2004)

053Dratini Drowzee (2004)

054Drowzee Ekans (2004)

055Ekans

056Grimer

057Hoppip

058Horsea

059Houndour Houndour (2004)

060Houndour Koffing (2004)

061Koffing Larvitar (2004)

062Larvitar Larvitar (2004)

063Larvitar Ledyba (2004)

064Ledyba

065Magikarp Magnemite (2004)

066Magnemite Mareep (2004)

067Mareep

068Marill

069Onix

070Psyduck Rattata (2004)

071Rattata Rattata (2004)

072Rattata Remoraid (2004)

073Remoraid Sandshrew (2004)

074Sandshrew Sentret (2004)

075Sentret Slowpoke (2004)

076Slowpoke Slugma (2004)

077Slugma

078Spinarak Swinub (2004)

079Swinub

080Voltorb Wooper (2004)

081Wooper

082Zubat

083Copycat Pokémon Retriever (2004)

084Pokémon Retriever Pow! Hand Extension (2004)

085Pow! Hand Extension Rocket's Admin. (2004)

086Rocket's Admin. Rocket's Hideout (2004)

087Rocket's Hideout Rocket's Mission (2004)

088Rocket's Mission Rocket's Poké Ball (2004)

089Rocket's Poké Ball Rocket's Tricky Gym (2004)

090Rocket's Tricky Gym Surprise! Time Machine (2004)

091Surprise! Time Machine Swoop! Teleporter (2004)

092Swoop! Teleporter Venture Bomb (2004)

093Venture Bomb Dark Metal Energy (2004)

094Dark Metal Energy R Energy (2004)

095R Energy Rocket's Articuno ex (2004)

096Rocket's Articuno ex★ Rocket's Entei ex (2004)

097Rocket's Entei ex★ Rocket's Hitmonchan ex (2004)

098Rocket's Hitmonchan ex★ Rocket's Mewtwo ex (2004)

099Rocket's Mewtwo ex★ Rocket's Moltres ex (2004)

100Rocket's Moltres ex★ Rocket's Scizor ex (2004)

101Rocket's Scizor ex★ Rocket's Scyther ex (2004)

102Rocket's Scyther ex★ Rocket's Sneasel ex (2004)

103Rocket's Sneasel ex★ Rocket's Snorlax ex (2004)

104Rocket's Snorlax ex★ Rocket's Suicune ex (2004)

105Rocket's Suicune ex★ Rocket's Zapdos ex (2004)

106Rocket's Zapdos ex★ Mudkip ☆ (2004)

107Mudkip ☆★ Torchic ☆ (2004)

108Torchic ☆★ Treecko ☆ (2004)

109Treecko ☆★ Charmeleon (2004)

110Charmeleon★ Here Comes Team Rocket! (2004)

111Here Comes Team Rocket!★

Also released this year: Japanese edition.

What came next

3 entries

2005-02-01
EX Deoxys, 108 cards — Japan's Clash of the Blue Sky of July 2004, seven months late. It brings the three Gold Stars Japan printed in July (Latias ☆, Latios ☆, Rayquaza ☆) and closes the backlog.
2005-05-09
EX Emerald, 107 cards — a set with no single Japanese original: it is compiled from the PCG era and from promotional material, and it is the first English set of the modern era built that way.
2005-08-22
EX Unseen Forces, 117 cards — Japan's Golden Sky, Silvery Ocean of April, and the last set before the δ Delta Species block that would define the next two years.

From 2005 the English schedule settles into four sets a year, each four to seven months behind a Japanese set, and the two lists diverge further every time: the English edition keeps adding deck and promo prints, the Japanese edition keeps adding subsets and Gold Stars first. The almanac keeps them on separate pages for exactly this reason.

Evidence & release sources

4 of 4 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.

EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua ex4 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net
EX Hidden Legends ex5 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net
EX FireRed & LeafGreen ex6 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net
EX Team Rocket Returns ex7 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net

About this data

All 426 cards are listed, and the counts are the real ones. Team Magma vs Team Aqua 97, Hidden Legends 102, FireRed & LeafGreen 116, Team Rocket Returns 111. Nothing is reconstructed from a list of names; every number here comes from the published checklists.

The card faces are English scans, the printing that was sold in the West — not Japanese ones. Three of these four sets have their Japanese originals on the 2004 Japan page; the fourth, Team Magma vs Team Aqua, belongs to the 2003 Japan page, because Japan printed it in October 2003 and English did not carry it until March 2004.

Why the English sets are bigger than the Japanese ones. 97 against 80, 102 against 83, 116 against 82, 111 against 85. The English edition of this era folded the theme decks into the main set and added promo and secret prints of its own, so a Pokémon that appears once in Japan can appear twice here. The Japan vs English block on each set gives the exact overlap and lists the names that do not cross over.

Pokémon-ex and Pokémon ☆ are counted as holofoils and labelled separately. 2004 is the first year the almanac has to make the second distinction: a Gold Star is a different thing to own from an ex card, and the ☆ mark on the card face is the only thing that tells you. Both are marked on every card here.

Nothing on this page is a translation of the Japanese page. The card lists are different lengths, the numbering is different, and in one case — Team Magma vs Team Aqua — the English set is a year younger than the page it sits on. Where the two editions agree, the block says so; where they do not, it gives the count.

What is still missing. The sealed product: wrapper artwork, the price at release, what a player had to do to buy one, and the shop link. None of that is in the card databases this almanac is built from, and none of it is guessed here.

Four sets, 426 cards, and a lead that changed hands. 2004 is the last year the English game could be described as a delayed copy of the Japanese one — after this, the two schedules are simply different. It is also the year the almanac's rarest card type arrives: three Gold Stars in November, the first outside Japan, at the very end of the set run and the very end of the year. Everything after this is a different era.