English · 2009

2009 English edition almanac

This page covers the four sets English printed in 2009 — 517 cards: Platinum (133) on 11 February, Rising Rivals (120) on 16 May, Supreme Victors (153) on 19 August and Arceus (111) on 4 November. The awkward fact about 2009 in English is that none of it is 2009 in Japanese. Platinum is built entirely out of Japan's October and December 2008 sets; the rest trails Japan by four to six months. Japan's own 2009 releases — Beat of the Frontier, Advent of Arceus, and the two October packs that introduced LEGEND — reach English in 2009, 2009 and 2010 respectively. The Japanese edition of this year is 348 cards across four sets.

Four sets, 517 cards, and a year spent catching up rather than keeping up

English 2009 is the year the gap stops being a gap and becomes a schedule. Platinum opens in February with material Japan printed in October — Pokémon SP, the Lost Zone, the owner's letter — and from that point on every English set is a cut of Japanese material between four and seven months old. By November English has closed the distance to about four months, which is where it will stay for the rest of the block.

What English adds on its own is volume and secrets. Supreme Victors is 153 cards, sixty-three more than the Japanese set it draws from, because English printed a whole slate of SP cards Japan never had. And every set this year carries cards past its own numbering: three secret reprints in Platinum, three Pikachu in Rising Rivals, three legendary birds in Supreme Victors, and in Arceus nine hidden Arceus, AR1 to AR9, one per type — the nine types Japan spread across two years and two products. Twenty-eight LV.X across the year, and the words LEGEND and Prime do not appear in English at all until February 2010.

4Sets

517Cards

108Holo

46Artists

Each set opens with what it was and when it landed, then every card in set order. The number line shows the local number the card prints, and the cards past the end of a set keep theirs: Platinum prints to 130, Rising Rivals to 114, Supreme Victors to 150, Arceus to 099. Then come the sub-series — SH4–SH12 shiny Pokémon, RT1–RT6 Rotom forms, AR1–AR9 hidden Arceus — which are real cards with their own numbers and their own rarity, and are shown with the letters the card prints rather than being renumbered.

About the pairing. Every English card here has a Japanese counterpart when one exists, and the link is shown on the card. Where it does not exist it is because the Japanese card is from a later year or the English card is an addition — the two editions arrange the same material differently, and this page does not force them to match. The reverse case matters more: thirty-two cards from the two October 2009 Japanese packs have no English printing in 2009, and are printed a set late instead — the Pokémon in Unleashed (12 May 2010) and the eight basic Energy cards in HeartGold SoulSilver at 115–122. Where a card has no Japanese twin, the entry says so rather than pointing at the nearest similar card.

How many English Pokémon cards are documented in 2009?

This page documents 517 main-series cards across four products on four release dates in 2009. It covers cards printed outside Japan only; printings for other editions are tracked separately.

Publication edition	English edition
Products	4
Cards	517
Release dates	4 (2009-02-11 – 2009-11-04)
Series codes	pl1, pl2, pl3, pl4
Card faces on record	516 of 517
Latest release on record	2009-11-04

Which English edition sets were released in 2009?

Platinum (2009-02-11, 133 cards) · Rising Rivals (2009-05-16, 120 cards) · Supreme Victors (2009-08-19, 153 cards) · Arceus (2009-11-04, 111 cards).

How many main-series cards does this page record for 2009?

517 cards across four products, an average of 129.2 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 2009-02-11 to 2009-11-04.

How many of these 517 cards are shown with a card face?

516 of 517 cards have a card face on record; the other 1 are listed without one rather than showing a card face from a different printing.

What happened this year

9 entries

02-11
Platinum, 133 cards. English's version of Japan's DPt opening: Pokémon SP, the Lost Zone and the owner's letter all arrive at once, four months after Japan. Six LV.X, three secret reprints of Base Set Pokémon and three shiny Pokémon numbered SH4–SH6.
02-11
Those three shiny cards are the fix for an old hole. SH4 Lotad, SH5 Swablu and SH6 Vulpix are the English printing of the second copies Japan printed in October 2008 — the ones that had no English twin until now.
05-16
Rising Rivals, 120 cards. The largest LV.X count of any English set this year — nine — and the set where GL and E4 finally reach English. Three secret Pikachu close the numbering at 112–114, and RT1–RT6 add six Rotom forms.
07-18
The twelfth film opens in Japan, and English is five months behind it. Nothing from Arceus and the Jewel of Life is available in English when the film runs.
08-19
Supreme Victors, 153 cards — the biggest English set of the year and the biggest of the whole DPt era. It carries most of Japan's July Arceus material and adds a large slate of SP cards Japan never printed, and 54 of its 153 cards have no Japanese twin at all.
08-19
Three legendary birds close it at 148–150 — Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos — reprints with no rarity symbol on the face. They are the English printing of the three secret cards Japan put at 098–100 of Beat of the Frontier in March.
11-04
Arceus, 111 cards. Nine hidden Arceus, AR1 to AR9, one per type, plus three in the numbered set and three Arceus LV.X. It is the only English set this year that prints one Pokémon twelve times.
11-04
English runs out of 2008 here. After November there is no Japanese material left that English has not printed, and the next English set is February 2010's HeartGold SoulSilver — the LEGEND era, arriving a full block late.
12-31
The year ends with English exactly where Japan was in December 2008. Every mechanic Japan has added in 2009 — the two-card Pokémon, the ☆ rarity, the secret card past the end of the set, the unnumbered basic Energy — is nine months away and entirely unseen by English players.

Promos, handouts & prizes

not itemised

Why this is empty. English 2009 promotional cards sit in several strands — the DP Black Star Promos, three League seasons with their own stamped holos, prerelease cards for all four sets, the 2009 National and World Championship participants' cards, and magazine and retailer distributions. Card faces for many exist, but our sources do not pin each card to a single distribution date and condition. The cards are real and they are 2009; the individual release facts are what is missing. Nothing here is filled in from memory.

Platinum

2009-02-11133 cardsHOLO 23

11 February 2009. 133 cards — 115 Pokémon, 17 Trainer and 1 Energy, with six LV.X (Dialga G, Drapion, Giratina, Palkia G, and two different Shaymin), 17 holofoil rares, 23 rares, 42 uncommons and 39 commons. Grass 24, Psychic 19, Colourless 17, Water 16, Fire 11, Metal 9, Fighting 8, Lightning 6, Darkness 5. 23 artists worked on it and Mitsuhiro Arita drew 18.

This set contains nothing that Japan printed in 2009. It is Japan's DPt opening — October's Galactic's Conquest plus December's Bonds to the End of Time — merged into one 127-card set, with six cards past the end: Electabuzz, Hitmonchan and Scyther at 128–130, straight reprints of Base Set cards, and SH4–SH6, three shiny Pokémon that fill the last gap left by October 2008's two-copy printings. The Lost Zone, Pokémon SP and the owner's letter all reach English on this one day.

Japan vs English133 cards against Japan's 186 · 37 of them have no card in those Japanese sets · 14 of those names turn up in another Japanese set that year · 90 Japanese cards are missing here

Not in these Japanese sets (32 names, 37 cards): Carnivine, Chimchar, Combee, Dialga, Dunsparce, Empoleon, Giratina, Grotle, Infernape, Lapras, Life Herb, Lucario, Miasma Valley, Misdreavus, Mismagius, Monferno, Nosepass, Palkia, Piplup, PlusPower, Poké Ball, Pokédex HANDY910is, Pokémon Rescue, Prinplup, Probopass, Riolu, Shaymin, Shaymin LV.X, Tauros, Torkoal, Torterra, Turtwig

Only in the Japanese set (90): Aerodactyl GL, Aggron, Alakazam E4, Alakazam E4 LV.X, Ambipom G, Arcanine, Aron, Bastiodon GL, Bebe's Search, Beedrill, Carvanha, Charon's Choice, Darkness Energy, Eevee, Fan Rotom, Flareon, Floatzel GL, Floatzel GL LV.X, Flygon, Flygon LV.X, Flying Pikachu, Forretress G, Froslass GL, Frost Rotom, Gastrodon East Sea, Gastrodon West Sea, Gengar GL, Glaceon, Growlithe, Heat Rotom, Hippopotas, Hippowdon, Hippowdon LV.X, Jirachi, Jolteon, Kakuna, Kecleon, Koffing, Lairon, Leafeon, Lucario GL, Luxray GL, Luxray GL LV.X, Machamp GL, Mamoswine GL, Metal Energy, Mismagius GL, Mow Rotom, Munchlax, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Nidoran ♀, Nidorina, Nidorino, Nuzleaf, Pikachu, Pokémon Contest Hall, Quagsire GL, Raichu GL, Rampardos GL, Roserade GL, SP Energy, Sealeo, Seedot, Sharpedo, Shellos East Sea, Shellos West Sea, Shiftry, Snorlax, Spheal, Starmie, Staryu, Steelix GL, Sunyshore City Gym, Surfing Pikachu, Team Galactic's Invention G-107 Technical Machine G, Team Galactic's Invention G-109 SP Radar, Trapinch, Tropius, Turtwig GL, Underground Expedition, Upper Energy, Vaporeon, Vibrava, Volkner's Philosophy, Walrein, Wash Rotom, Weedle, Weezing

14 of those names also turn up elsewhere in Japan's 2008. 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 these Japanese sets may still belong to a card Japan printed that year.

Compared with the Japanese cards of 2008.

001Ampharos★ Blastoise (2009)

002Blastoise★ Blaziken (2009)

003Blaziken★ Delcatty (2009)

004Delcatty★ Dialga (2009)

005Dialga★ Dialga (2009)

006Dialga★ Dialga G (2009)

007Dialga G★ Gardevoir (2009)

008Gardevoir★ Giratina (2009)

009Giratina★ Giratina (2009)

010Giratina★ Manectric (2009)

011Manectric★ Palkia G (2009)

012Palkia G★ Rampardos (2009)

013Rampardos★ Shaymin (2009)

014Shaymin★ Shaymin (2009)

015Shaymin★ Slaking (2009)

016Slaking★ Weavile G (2009)

017Weavile G★ Altaria (2009)

018Altaria★ Banette (2009)

019Banette★ Bastiodon (2009)

020Bastiodon★ Beautifly (2009)

021Beautifly★ Blissey (2009)

022Blissey★ Dialga (2009)

023Dialga★ Dugtrio (2009)

024Dugtrio★ Dustox (2009)

025Dustox★ Empoleon (2009)

026Empoleon★ Giratina (2009)

027Giratina★ Giratina (2009)

028Giratina★ Golduck (2009)

029Golduck★ Gyarados G (2009)

030Gyarados G★ Infernape (2009)

031Infernape★ Kricketune (2009)

032Kricketune★ Lickilicky (2009)

033Lickilicky★ Ludicolo (2009)

034Ludicolo★ Luvdisc (2009)

035Luvdisc★ Ninetales (2009)

036Ninetales★ Palkia (2009)

037Palkia★ Shaymin (2009)

038Shaymin★ Torterra (2009)

039Torterra★ Toxicroak G (2009)

040Toxicroak G★ Bronzong G (2009)

041Bronzong G Cacturne (2009)

042Cacturne Carnivine (2009)

043Carnivine Cascoon (2009)

044Cascoon Combusken (2009)

045Combusken Cranidos (2009)

046Cranidos Crobat G (2009)

047Crobat G Flaaffy (2009)

048Flaaffy Grotle (2009)

049Grotle

050Houndoom G Kirlia (2009)

051Kirlia

052Lombre

053Lucario Mightyena (2009)

054Mightyena Mismagius (2009)

055Mismagius Monferno (2009)

056Monferno Muk (2009)

057Muk

058Octillery Prinplup (2009)

059Prinplup Probopass (2009)

060Probopass Seviper (2009)

061Seviper Shieldon (2009)

062Shieldon Silcoon (2009)

063Silcoon Vigoroth (2009)

064Vigoroth Wartortle (2009)

065Wartortle Zangoose (2009)

066Zangoose Cacnea (2009)

067Cacnea

068Carnivine Chansey (2009)

069Chansey Chimchar (2009)

070Chimchar Combee (2009)

071Combee

072Diglett Dunsparce (2009)

073Dunsparce Electrike (2009)

074Electrike Grimer (2009)

075Grimer

076Happiny Honchkrow G (2009)

077Honchkrow G Kricketot (2009)

078Kricketot Lapras (2009)

079Lapras

080Lickitung Lotad (2009)

081Lotad

082Mareep

083Misdreavus Nosepass (2009)

084Nosepass Piplup (2009)

085Piplup

086Poochyena Psyduck (2009)

087Psyduck Purugly G (2009)

088Purugly G Ralts (2009)

089Ralts

090Remoraid Riolu (2009)

091Riolu

092Shuppet Skitty (2009)

093Skitty

094Skuntank G Slakoth (2009)

095Slakoth Squirtle (2009)

096Squirtle Swablu (2009)

097Swablu

098Tauros

099Torchic Torkoal (2009)

100Torkoal Turtwig (2009)

101Turtwig Vulpix (2009)

102Vulpix

103Wurmple Broken Time-Space (2009)

104Broken Time-Space Cyrus's Conspiracy (2009)

105Cyrus's Conspiracy Galactic HQ (2009)

106Galactic HQ Level Max (2009)

107Level Max Life Herb (2009)

108Life Herb Looker's Investigation (2009)

109Looker's Investigation Memory Berry (2009)

110Memory Berry Miasma Valley (2009)

111Miasma Valley PlusPower (2009)

112PlusPower Poké Ball (2009)

113Poké Ball Pokédex HANDY910is (2009)

114Pokédex HANDY910is Pokémon Rescue (2009)

115Pokémon Rescue

Team Galactic's Invention G-101 Energy Gain (2009)

116Team Galactic's Invention G-101 Energy Gain

Team Galactic's Invention G-103 Power Spray (2009)

117Team Galactic's Invention G-103 Power Spray

Team Galactic's Invention G-105 Poké Turn (2009)

118Team Galactic's Invention G-105 Poké Turn Armor Fossil (2009)

119Armor Fossil Skull Fossil (2009)

120Skull Fossil Rainbow Energy (2009)

121Rainbow Energy Dialga G LV.X (2009)

122Dialga G LV.X★ Drapion LV.X (2009)

123Drapion LV.X★ Giratina LV.X (2009)

124Giratina LV.X★ Palkia G LV.X (2009)

125Palkia G LV.X★ Shaymin LV.X (2009)

126Shaymin LV.X★ Shaymin LV.X (2009)

127Shaymin LV.X★ Electabuzz (2009)

128Electabuzz★ Hitmonchan (2009)

129Hitmonchan★ Scyther (2009)

130Scyther★ Lotad (2009)

SH4Lotad

SH5Swablu

SH6Vulpix

Rising Rivals

2009-05-16120 cardsHOLO 22

16 May 2009. 120 cards — 104 Pokémon, 12 Trainer and 4 Energy, with nine LV.X — the most of any English set this year — 13 holofoil rares, 24 rares, 32 uncommons and 33 commons. Psychic 17, Water 15, Fighting 15, Lightning 13, Grass 12, Colourless 11, Metal 8, Darkness 8, Fire 7. 33 artists worked on it and Ken Sugimori drew 14.

Nine LV.X is the whole point of this set. Alakazam E4, Gallade E4, Infernape E4, Floatzel GL, Luxray GL, Mismagius GL — the E4 and GL owners Japan introduced in December finally have cards in English — plus Flygon, Hippowdon and a Snorlax that is still the most expensive card of the year. Three secret Pikachu at 112–114 (plain, Flying and Surfing) and RT1–RT6, six Rotom forms including one named after a character rather than a Pokémon.

Japan vs English120 cards against Japan's 100 · 117 of them have no card in that Japanese set · 11 of those names turn up in another Japanese set that year · 97 Japanese cards are missing here

Not in this Japanese set (114 names, 117 cards): Aaron's Collection, Aerodactyl GL, Aggron, Alakazam E4, Alakazam E4 LV.X, Ambipom G, Arcanine, Aron, Bastiodon GL, Bebe's Search, Beedrill, Bertha's Warmth, Bronzong E4, Carvanha, Charon's Choice, Darkrai G, Drapion E4, Eevee, Electrode G, Espeon E4, Fan Rotom, Flareon, Flareon E4, Flint's Willpower, Floatzel GL, Floatzel GL LV.X, Flygon, Flygon LV.X, Flying Pikachu, Forretress G, Froslass GL, Frost Rotom, Gallade E4, Gallade E4 LV.X, Gastrodon East Sea, Gastrodon West Sea, Gengar GL, Glaceon, Gliscor E4, Golem E4, Growlithe, Heat Rotom, Heracross E4, Hippopotas, Hippowdon, Hippowdon E4, Hippowdon LV.X, Houndoom E4, Infernape E4, Infernape E4 LV.X, Jirachi, Jolteon, Kakuna, Kecleon, Koffing, Lairon, Leafeon, Lucario GL, Lucian's Assignment, Luxray GL, Luxray GL LV.X, Machamp GL, Mamoswine GL, Mismagius GL, Mismagius GL LV.X, Mow Rotom, Mr. Mime E4, Munchlax, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Nidoran ♀, Nidorina, Nidorino, Nuzleaf, Pikachu, Pokémon Contest Hall, Quagsire GL, Raichu GL, Rampardos GL, Rapidash E4, Rhyperior E4, Roserade GL, Scizor E4, Sealeo, Seedot, Sharpedo, Shellos East Sea, Shellos West Sea, Shiftry, Snorlax, Snorlax LV.X, Spheal, Starmie, Staryu, Steelix GL, Sunyshore City Gym, Surfing Pikachu, Team Galactic's Invention G-107 Technical Machine G, Team Galactic's Invention G-109 SP Radar, Trapinch, Tropius, Turtwig GL, Underground Expedition, Upper Energy, Vaporeon, Vespiquen E4, Vibrava, Volkner's Philosophy, Walrein, Wash Rotom, Weedle, Weezing, Whiscash E4, Yanmega E4

Only in the Japanese set (97): Absol G, Absol G LV.X, Articuno, Baltoy, Battle Tower, Beldum, Blaziken FB, Blaziken FB LV.X, Breloom, Bulbasaur, Butterfree FB, Camerupt, Champion's Room, Chatot G, Chimecho, Chingling, Claydol, Cynthia's Guidance, Cyrus's Initiative, Dewgong, Dodrio, Doduo, Dragonite FB, Drifblim FB, Dusknoir FB, Electivire FB, Electivire FB LV.X, Empoleon FB, Exploud, Feebas, Gabite, Garchomp, Gible, Goldeen, Honchkrow, Ivysaur, Lickilicky C, Loudred, Lunatone, Magmar, Magmortar, Mankey, Marshtomp, Masquerain, Mawile, Medicham, Meditite, Metagross, Metang, Milotic, Mime Jr., Minun, Moltres, Mr. Mime, Mudkip, Murkrow, Night Teleporter, Nincada, Ninjask, Numel, Palmer's Contribution, Paras, Parasect, Pinsir, Plusle, Primeape, Rayquaza C, Rayquaza C LV.X, Regigigas FB, Relicanth, Rhydon, Rhyhorn, Rhyperior, Sandshrew, Sandslash, Seaking, Seel, Shedinja, Shroomish, Skarmory FB, Solrock, Spinda, Staraptor FB, Staraptor FB LV.X, Surskit, Swampert, VS Seeker, Venusaur, Wailmer, Wailord, Whismur, Yanma, Yanmega, Zapdos

11 of those names also turn up elsewhere in Japan's 2009. 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 2009.

001Arcanine★ Bastiodon GL (2009)

002Bastiodon GL★ Darkrai G (2009)

003Darkrai G★ Floatzel GL (2009)

004Floatzel GL★ Flygon (2009)

005Flygon★ Froslass GL (2009)

006Froslass GL★ Jirachi (2009)

007Jirachi★ Lucario GL (2009)

008Lucario GL★ Luxray GL (2009)

009Luxray GL★ Mismagius GL (2009)

010Mismagius GL★ Rampardos GL (2009)

011Rampardos GL★ Roserade GL (2009)

012Roserade GL★ Shiftry (2009)

013Shiftry★ Aggron (2009)

014Aggron★ Beedrill (2009)

015Beedrill★ Bronzong E4 (2009)

016Bronzong E4★ Drapion E4 (2009)

017Drapion E4★ Espeon E4 (2009)

018Espeon E4★ Flareon (2009)

019Flareon★ Gallade E4 (2009)

020Gallade E4★ Gastrodon East Sea (2009)

021Gastrodon East Sea★ Gastrodon West Sea (2009)

022Gastrodon West Sea★ Golem E4 (2009)

023Golem E4★ Heracross E4 (2009)

024Heracross E4★ Hippowdon (2009)

025Hippowdon★ Jolteon (2009)

026Jolteon★ Mamoswine GL (2009)

027Mamoswine GL★ Mr. Mime E4 (2009)

028Mr. Mime E4★ Nidoking (2009)

029Nidoking★ Nidoqueen (2009)

030Nidoqueen★ Raichu GL (2009)

031Raichu GL★ Rhyperior E4 (2009)

032Rhyperior E4★ Snorlax (2009)

033Snorlax★ Vaporeon (2009)

034Vaporeon★ Vespiquen E4 (2009)

035Vespiquen E4★ Walrein (2009)

036Walrein★ Yanmega E4 (2009)

037Yanmega E4★ Alakazam E4 (2009)

038Alakazam E4 Electrode G (2009)

039Electrode G Gengar GL (2009)

040Gengar GL Glaceon (2009)

041Glaceon Hippowdon E4 (2009)

042Hippowdon E4 Infernape E4 (2009)

043Infernape E4 Lairon (2009)

044Lairon

045Leafeon Machamp GL (2009)

046Machamp GL Rapidash E4 (2009)

047Rapidash E4 Scizor E4 (2009)

048Scizor E4 Sharpedo (2009)

049Sharpedo Starmie (2009)

050Starmie Steelix GL (2009)

051Steelix GL Tropius (2009)

052Tropius Vibrava (2009)

053Vibrava Whiscash E4 (2009)

054Whiscash E4 Aerodactyl GL (2009)

055Aerodactyl GL Ambipom G (2009)

056Ambipom G Aron (2009)

057Aron

058Carvanha Eevee (2009)

059Eevee

060Flareon E4 Forretress G (2009)

061Forretress G Gliscor E4 (2009)

062Gliscor E4 Growlithe (2009)

063Growlithe Hippopotas (2009)

064Hippopotas Houndoom E4 (2009)

065Houndoom E4 Kakuna (2009)

066Kakuna

067Kecleon Koffing (2009)

068Koffing Munchlax (2009)

069Munchlax Munchlax (2009)

070Munchlax Nidoran ♀ (2009)

071Nidoran ♀ Nidoran ♂ (2009)

072Nidoran ♂ Nidorina (2009)

073Nidorina Nidorino (2009)

074Nidorino Nuzleaf (2009)

075Nuzleaf Quagsire GL (2009)

076Quagsire GL Sealeo (2009)

077Sealeo

078Seedot

079Shellos East Sea Shellos West Sea (2009)

080Shellos West Sea Snorlax (2009)

081Snorlax Spheal (2009)

082Spheal

083StaryuNo card face084Trapinch Turtwig GL (2009)

085Turtwig GL Weedle (2009)

086Weedle

087Weezing Aaron's Collection (2009)

088Aaron's Collection Bebe's Search (2009)

089Bebe's Search Bertha's Warmth (2009)

090Bertha's Warmth Flint's Willpower (2009)

091Flint's Willpower Lucian's Assignment (2009)

092Lucian's Assignment Pokémon Contest Hall (2009)

093Pokémon Contest Hall Sunyshore City Gym (2009)

094Sunyshore City Gym

Team Galactic's Invention G-107 Technical Machine G (2009)

095Team Galactic's Invention G-107 Technical Machine G

Team Galactic's Invention G-109 SP Radar (2009)

096Team Galactic's Invention G-109 SP Radar Underground Expedition (2009)

097Underground Expedition Volkner's Philosophy (2009)

098Volkner's Philosophy Darkness Energy (2009)

099Darkness Energy Metal Energy (2009)

100Metal Energy SP Energy (2009)

101SP Energy Upper Energy (2009)

102Upper Energy Alakazam E4 LV.X (2009)

103Alakazam E4 LV.X★ Floatzel GL LV.X (2009)

104Floatzel GL LV.X★ Flygon LV.X (2009)

105Flygon LV.X★ Gallade E4 LV.X (2009)

106Gallade E4 LV.X★ Hippowdon LV.X (2009)

107Hippowdon LV.X★ Infernape E4 LV.X (2009)

108Infernape E4 LV.X★ Luxray GL LV.X (2009)

109Luxray GL LV.X★ Mismagius GL LV.X (2009)

110Mismagius GL LV.X★ Snorlax LV.X (2009)

111Snorlax LV.X★ Pikachu (2009)

112Pikachu★ Flying Pikachu (2009)

113Flying Pikachu★ Surfing Pikachu (2009)

114Surfing Pikachu★ Fan Rotom (2009)

RT1Fan Rotom★ Frost Rotom (2009)

RT2Frost Rotom★ Heat Rotom (2009)

RT3Heat Rotom★ Mow Rotom (2009)

RT4Mow Rotom★ Wash Rotom (2009)

RT5Wash Rotom★ Charon's Choice (2009)

RT6Charon's Choice★

Supreme Victors

2009-08-19153 cardsHOLO 21

19 August 2009. 153 cards — 146 Pokémon, 7 Trainer and no Energy at all, with seven LV.X (Absol G, Blaziken FB, Charizard G, Electivire FB, Garchomp C, Rayquaza C, Staraptor FB), 14 holofoil rares, 34 rares, 47 uncommons and 45 commons. Colourless 30, Grass 24, Water 21, Psychic 19, Fire 15, Lightning 13, Fighting 13, Darkness 6, Metal 5. 32 artists worked on it and Masakazu Fukuda drew 13.

The largest set of the entire DPt era, and the one where English stops being a translation. It draws on Japan's July Advent of Arceus, but 54 of its 153 cards have no Japanese counterpart this archive can find — a whole slate of SP cards that exists only in English. Seven LV.X, six of them on SP bodies. Three legendary birds close it at 148–150 with no rarity symbol, and SH7–SH9 — Milotic, Relicanth and Yanma — are the English printing of the second copies Japan printed in March. Zero Energy cards, the only English set of the year without one.

Japan vs English153 cards against Japan's 90 · 144 of them have no card in that Japanese set · 99 of those names turn up in another Japanese set that year · 81 Japanese cards are missing here

Not in this Japanese set (138 names, 144 cards): Absol G, Absol G LV.X, Altaria C, Arcanine, Arcanine G, Articuno, Baltoy, Battle Tower, Beldum, Bibarel, Bidoof, Blaziken FB, Blaziken FB LV.X, Breloom, Buizel, Bulbasaur, Butterfree FB, Camerupt, Camerupt G, Carnivine, Champion's Room, Charizard G, Charizard G LV.X, Chatot, Chatot G, Chimchar, Chimecho, Chingling, Claydol, Combee, Corphish, Crawdaunt G, Cynthia's Guidance, Cyrus's Initiative, Dewgong, Dodrio, Doduo, Dragonite FB, Drifblim, Drifblim FB, Drifloon, Dusknoir FB, Electivire FB, Electivire FB LV.X, Empoleon FB, Exploud, Feebas, Floatzel, Gabite, Garchomp, Garchomp C, Garchomp C LV.X, Gible, Goldeen, Growlithe, Hippopotas, Honchkrow, Ivysaur, Kricketot, Lickilicky C, Loudred, Lucario C, Lunatone, Magikarp, Magmar, Magmortar, Magnemite, Manectric G, Mankey, Marshtomp, Masquerain, Mawile, Medicham, Meditite, Meowth, Metagross, Metang, Milotic, Milotic C, Mime Jr., Minun, Moltres, Mr. Mime, Mudkip, Murkrow, Night Teleporter, Nincada, Ninjask, Numel, Pachirisu, Palmer's Contribution, Paras, Parasect, Pinsir, Piplup, Plusle, Primeape, Raticate G, Rayquaza C, Rayquaza C LV.X, Regigigas FB, Relicanth, Rhydon, Rhyhorn, Rhyperior, Roselia, Roserade, Roserade C, Rotom, Sableye G, Sandshrew, Sandslash, Seaking, Seel, Shedinja, Shroomish, Skarmory FB, Skorupi, Solrock, Spinda, Spiritomb C, Staraptor FB, Staraptor FB LV.X, Staravia, Starly, Surskit, Swampert, Togekiss C, Turtwig, VS Seeker, Venusaur, Wailmer, Wailord, Whismur, Yanma, Yanmega, Zapdos, Zubat

Only in the Japanese set (81): Aerodactyl, Arceus, Arceus LV.X, Bagon, Bebe's Search, Beedrill G, Beginning Door, Bench Shield, Bronzong, Bronzor, Burmy Plant Cloak, Burmy Sandy Cloak, Burmy Trash Cloak, Charizard, Charmander, Charmeleon, Department Store Girl, Dome Fossil, Electrike, Energy Search, Expert Belt, Froslass, Gastly, Gengar, Gengar LV.X, Glalie, Golem, Graveler, Grovyle, Gulpin, Hariyama, Haunter, Heatran, Helix Fossil, Kabuto, Kabutops, Lucky Egg, Luxio, Luxray, Makuhita, Manectric, Mothim, Nosepass, Old Amber, Omanyte, Omastar, Pelipper, Pichu, Pokémon Rescue, Ponyta, Porygon-Z G, Probopass, Professor Oak's Visit, Rapidash, Raticate, Rattata, Salamence, Salamence LV.X, Sceptile, Shelgon, Shinx, Snorunt, Spiritomb, Swalot, Tangela, Tangrowth, Tangrowth LV.X, Toxicroak, Treecko, Ultimate Zone, Wingull, Wormadam Plant Cloak, Wormadam Sandy Cloak, Wormadam Trash Cloak, Zapdos G

99 of those names also turn up elsewhere in Japan's 2009. 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 2009.

001Absol G★ Blaziken FB (2009)

002Blaziken FB★ Drifblim FB (2009)

003Drifblim FB★ Electivire FB (2009)

004Electivire FB★ Garchomp (2009)

005Garchomp★ Magmortar (2009)

006Magmortar★ Metagross (2009)

007Metagross★ Rayquaza C (2009)

008Rayquaza C★ Regigigas FB (2009)

009Regigigas FB★ Rhyperior (2009)

010Rhyperior★ Staraptor FB (2009)

011Staraptor FB★ Swampert (2009)

012Swampert★ Venusaur (2009)

013Venusaur★ Yanmega (2009)

014Yanmega★ Arcanine G (2009)

015Arcanine G★ Articuno (2009)

016Articuno★ Butterfree FB (2009)

017Butterfree FB★ Camerupt (2009)

018Camerupt★ Camerupt G (2009)

019Camerupt G★ Charizard G (2009)

020Charizard G★ Chimecho (2009)

021Chimecho★ Claydol (2009)

022Claydol★ Crawdaunt G (2009)

023Crawdaunt G★ Dewgong (2009)

024Dewgong★ Dodrio (2009)

025Dodrio★ Dusknoir FB (2009)

026Dusknoir FB★ Empoleon FB (2009)

027Empoleon FB★ Exploud (2009)

028Exploud★ Honchkrow (2009)

029Honchkrow★ Lickilicky C (2009)

030Lickilicky C★ Lucario C (2009)

031Lucario C★ Lunatone (2009)

032Lunatone★ Mawile (2009)

033Mawile★ Medicham (2009)

034Medicham★ Milotic C (2009)

035Milotic C★ Moltres (2009)

036Moltres★ Mr. Mime (2009)

037Mr. Mime★ Parasect (2009)

038Parasect★ Primeape (2009)

039Primeape★ Roserade C (2009)

040Roserade C★ Sableye G (2009)

041Sableye G★ Sandslash (2009)

042Sandslash★ Seaking (2009)

043Seaking★ Shedinja (2009)

044Shedinja★ Solrock (2009)

045Solrock★ Spinda (2009)

046Spinda★ Wailord (2009)

047Wailord★ Zapdos (2009)

048Zapdos★ Altaria C (2009)

049Altaria C Arcanine (2009)

050Arcanine Bibarel (2009)

051Bibarel Breloom (2009)

052Breloom Carnivine (2009)

053Carnivine Chatot G (2009)

054Chatot G Cherrim (2009)

055Cherrim Dragonite FB (2009)

056Dragonite FB Drifblim (2009)

057Drifblim Floatzel (2009)

058Floatzel Gabite (2009)

059Gabite

060Garchomp C Hippopotas (2009)

061Hippopotas Ivysaur (2009)

062Ivysaur Lopunny (2009)

063Lopunny Loudred (2009)

064Loudred Magmar (2009)

065Magmar

066Manectric G Marshtomp (2009)

067Marshtomp Masquerain (2009)

068Masquerain Metang (2009)

069Metang

070Milotic Minun (2009)

071Minun

072Murkrow Ninjask (2009)

073Ninjask Numel (2009)

074Numel

075Pinsir

076Plusle

077Raichu

078Raticate G Relicanth (2009)

079Relicanth Rhydon (2009)

080Rhydon

081Roserade Rotom (2009)

082Rotom

083Skarmory FB Spiritomb C (2009)

084Spiritomb C Staravia (2009)

085Staravia Togekiss C (2009)

086Togekiss C Wailmer (2009)

087Wailmer Yanma (2009)

088Yanma

089Baltoy

090Beldum

091Bidoof

092Buizel

093Bulbasaur Buneary (2009)

094Buneary Chatot (2009)

095Chatot

096Cherubi Chimchar (2009)

097Chimchar Chingling (2009)

098Chingling Combee (2009)

099Combee

100Corphish Croagunk (2009)

101Croagunk Doduo (2009)

102Doduo

103Drifloon Feebas (2009)

104Feebas

105Geodude Gible (2009)

106Gible

107Goldeen Growlithe (2009)

108Growlithe Kricketot (2009)

109Kricketot Magikarp (2009)

110Magikarp Magnemite (2009)

111Magnemite Mankey (2009)

112Mankey

113Meditite Meowth (2009)

114Meowth

115Mime Jr. Mudkip (2009)

116Mudkip

117Nincada Pachirisu (2009)

118Pachirisu Paras (2009)

119Paras

120Pikachu Piplup (2009)

121Piplup

122Rhyhorn Roselia (2009)

123Roselia Sandshrew (2009)

124Sandshrew Seel (2009)

125Seel

126Shinx

127Shroomish Skorupi (2009)

128Skorupi Starly (2009)

129Starly

130Surskit Turtwig (2009)

131Turtwig Whismur (2009)

132Whismur Zubat (2009)

133Zubat

134Battle Tower Champion's Room (2009)

135Champion's Room Cynthia's Guidance (2009)

136Cynthia's Guidance Cyrus's Initiative (2009)

137Cyrus's Initiative Night Teleporter (2009)

138Night Teleporter Palmer's Contribution (2009)

139Palmer's Contribution VS Seeker (2009)

140VS Seeker Absol G LV.X (2009)

141Absol G LV.X★ Blaziken FB LV.X (2009)

142Blaziken FB LV.X★ Charizard G LV.X (2009)

143Charizard G LV.X★ Electivire FB LV.X (2009)

144Electivire FB LV.X★ Garchomp C LV.X (2009)

145Garchomp C LV.X★ Rayquaza C LV.X (2009)

146Rayquaza C LV.X★ Staraptor FB LV.X (2009)

147Staraptor FB LV.X★ Articuno (2009)

148Articuno★ Moltres (2009)

149Moltres★ Zapdos (2009)

150Zapdos★ Milotic (2009)

SH7Milotic Relicanth (2009)

SH8Relicanth Yanma (2009)

SH9Yanma

Arceus

2009-11-04111 cardsHOLO 18

4 November 2009. 111 cards — 99 Pokémon and 12 Trainer, with six LV.X (three Arceus, plus Gengar, Salamence and Tangrowth), 12 holofoil rares, 20 rares, 29 uncommons and 32 commons. Grass 19, Colourless 14, Fighting 13, Lightning 13, Psychic 11, Fire 10, Water 10, Metal 7, Darkness 2. 37 artists worked on it — the widest spread of any set this year — and Ryo Ueda drew 10.

Twelve Arceus in one set. Three are in the numbered run (94–96, all LV.X), and then AR1 to AR9 — nine hidden cards, one per type, Darkness through Metal. Japan printed five types of Arceus in its numbered set and one LV.X; English printed twelve. SH10–SH12 add shiny Bagon, Ponyta and Shinx. It is also the last English set before the LEGEND era, and the last one for four months.

Japan vs English111 cards against Japan's 90 · 24 of them have no card in that Japanese set · 3 Japanese cards are missing here

Not in this Japanese set (20 names, 24 cards): Arceus, Arceus LV.X, Bronzong, Bronzor, Buffer Piece, Electrike, Energy Restore, Gastly, Gengar, Grovyle, Gulpin, Haunter, Manectric, Pelipper, Ponyta, Rapidash, Sceptile, Tangela, Treecko, Wingull

Only in the Japanese set (3): Bebe's Search, Energy Search, Pokémon Rescue

Compared with the Japanese cards of 2009.

001Charizard★ Froslass (2009)

002Froslass★ Heatran (2009)

003Heatran★ Kabutops (2009)

004Kabutops★ Luxray (2009)

005Luxray★ Mothim (2009)

006Mothim★ Probopass (2009)

007Probopass★ Salamence (2009)

008Salamence★ Swalot (2009)

009Swalot★ Tangrowth (2009)

010Tangrowth★ Toxicroak (2009)

011Toxicroak★ Zapdos G (2009)

012Zapdos G★ Aerodactyl (2009)

013Aerodactyl★ Bronzong (2009)

014Bronzong★ Cherrim (2009)

015Cherrim★ Gengar (2009)

016Gengar★ Gengar (2009)

017Gengar★ Glalie (2009)

018Glalie★ Golem (2009)

019Golem★

020Hariyama★ Lopunny (2009)

021Lopunny★ Manectric (2009)

022Manectric★ Omastar (2009)

023Omastar★ Pelipper (2009)

024Pelipper★ Pichu (2009)

025Pichu★

026Porygon-Z G★ Raichu (2009)

027Raichu★ Rapidash (2009)

028Rapidash★ Raticate (2009)

029Raticate★ Sceptile (2009)

030Sceptile★ Sceptile (2009)

031Sceptile★ Spiritomb (2009)

032Spiritomb★ Bronzong (2009)

033Bronzong Bronzor (2009)

034Bronzor Charmeleon (2009)

035Charmeleon Gastly (2009)

036Gastly

037Graveler Grovyle (2009)

038Grovyle Grovyle (2009)

039Grovyle Gulpin (2009)

040Gulpin

041Haunter Haunter (2009)

042Haunter Luxio (2009)

043Luxio

044Manectric Pelipper (2009)

045Pelipper Ponyta (2009)

046Ponyta

047Rapidash Shelgon (2009)

048Shelgon Wormadam Plant Cloak (2009)

049Wormadam Plant Cloak Wormadam Sandy Cloak (2009)

050Wormadam Sandy Cloak Wormadam Trash Cloak (2009)

051Wormadam Trash Cloak Bagon (2009)

052Bagon

053Beedrill G Bronzor (2009)

054Bronzor Buneary (2009)

055Buneary Burmy Plant Cloak (2009)

056Burmy Plant Cloak Burmy Sandy Cloak (2009)

057Burmy Sandy Cloak Burmy Trash Cloak (2009)

058Burmy Trash Cloak Charmander (2009)

059Charmander Cherubi (2009)

060Cherubi Croagunk (2009)

061Croagunk Electrike (2009)

062Electrike Electrike (2009)

063Electrike Gastly (2009)

064Gastly

065Geodude Gulpin (2009)

066Gulpin

067Kabuto

068Makuhita Nosepass (2009)

069Nosepass Omanyte (2009)

070Omanyte Pikachu (2009)

071Pikachu Ponyta (2009)

072Ponyta

073Rattata Shinx (2009)

074Shinx

075Snorunt Tangela (2009)

076Tangela Tangela (2009)

077Tangela Treecko (2009)

078Treecko Treecko (2009)

079Treecko Wingull (2009)

080Wingull Wingull (2009)

081Wingull Beginning Door (2009)

082Beginning Door Bench Shield (2009)

083Bench Shield Buffer Piece (2009)

084Buffer Piece Department Store Girl (2009)

085Department Store Girl Energy Restore (2009)

086Energy Restore Expert Belt (2009)

087Expert Belt Lucky Egg (2009)

088Lucky Egg Old Amber (2009)

089Old Amber Professor Oak's Visit (2009)

090Professor Oak's Visit Ultimate Zone (2009)

091Ultimate Zone Dome Fossil (2009)

092Dome Fossil Helix Fossil (2009)

093Helix Fossil Arceus LV.X (2009)

094Arceus LV.X★ Arceus LV.X (2009)

095Arceus LV.X★ Arceus LV.X (2009)

096Arceus LV.X★ Gengar LV.X (2009)

097Gengar LV.X★ Salamence LV.X (2009)

098Salamence LV.X★ Tangrowth LV.X (2009)

099Tangrowth LV.X★ Arceus (2009)

AR1Arceus★ Arceus (2009)

AR2Arceus★ Arceus (2009)

AR3Arceus★ Arceus (2009)

AR4Arceus★ Arceus (2009)

AR5Arceus★ Arceus (2009)

AR6Arceus★ Arceus (2009)

AR7Arceus★ Arceus (2009)

AR8Arceus★ Arceus (2009)

AR9Arceus★ Bagon (2009)

SH10Bagon

SH11Ponyta Shinx (2009)

SH12Shinx

Also released this year: Japanese edition.

What came next

4 entries

2010-02-10
HeartGold SoulSilver, 124 cards — the LEGEND era reaches English, four months after Japan and cut from 158 cards to 124. LEGEND and Prime enter the English game on the same day, fifteen months after the mechanics existed in Japanese.
2010-02-10
Ten Pokémon lines do not fit the merge, among them Weedle, Poliwag, Zubat, Natu and Teddiursa — including the only Ursaring ☆ card either pack printed. They are not dropped: all of them are printed four months later in Unleashed (12 May 2010), Ursaring's ☆ as one of that set's six.
2010-05-12
Unleashed follows, and English begins printing two Japanese sets per English set to close the gap it opened in 2009.
2010-08-18
Undaunted, then Triumphant in November. By the end of 2010 English is four months behind Japan again — the same distance it was at the end of 2009.

The English 2009 year is a queue draining. Nothing in it is new; everything in it is late, and the mechanics Japan invented in October 2009 sit outside it entirely. What it does have that Japan does not is bulk and secrets — nine hidden Arceus, three secret Pikachu, three legendary birds, and a Supreme Victors sixty-three cards larger than anything Japan printed that year.

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.

Platinum pl1 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net
Rising Rivals pl2 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net
Supreme Victors pl3 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net
Arceus pl4 verified_secondary
secondary · api.tcgdex.net

About this data

All 517 cards are listed — Platinum 133, Rising Rivals 120, Supreme Victors 153, Arceus 111 — and every count matches the set's own printed total plus its sub-series. Nothing is padded and nothing is dropped. Where a set prints past its own numbering, the extra cards are listed with the numbers the cards print: 128–130 and SH4–SH6 in Platinum, 112–114 and RT1–RT6 in Rising Rivals, 148–150 and SH7–SH9 in Supreme Victors, AR1–AR9 and SH10–SH12 in Arceus.

The rarity of a sub-series card is not the rarity the database gives it. Our source marks every one of SH4–SH12, RT1–RT6, AR1–AR9 and the numeric secrets as plain Rare. They are not: the SH cards are shiny alternate-colour reprints, the RT cards are the six Rotom forms, the AR cards are the nine hidden Arceus, and the numeric cards past a set's total are secret reprints. All four groups are shown under their own rarity, checked against the card face rather than the field.

LV.X is read from the card's stage, never from a rarity string. This matters more than it sounds: the SH cards in Platinum, Supreme Victors and Arceus are marked Rare Holo LV.X by the source in some feeds — they are Basic Pokémon with no Level-Up box, and counting them would inflate the year's LV.X total by nine.

The Japanese pairing is real where it exists and absent where it does not. Each English card is linked to its Japanese twin by name and then by an image fingerprint on the two scans, with a hard cutoff. Where the pairing failed, the card is shown as having no Japanese counterpart rather than pointed at the nearest similar card. Across the four sets, 372 of the 517 cards have a Japanese twin and 145 do not — 35 in Platinum, 30 in Rising Rivals, 54 in Supreme Victors and 26 in Arceus. The unmatched ones are the sub-series and the English-only SP cards.

The two editions of 2009 do not describe the same year. English's Platinum is Japan's October–December 2008. English's AR1–AR9 are nine types of Arceus that Japan spread across a numbered set and a hidden set. Japan's own 2009 releases appear on the Japanese edition page of this almanac, and Japan's October packs — the ones with the two-card Pokémon — do not appear in English until 2010.

Promotional cards are not listed for 2009. The DP Black Star Promos, three League seasons, four prerelease stamps, the 2009 Championship and Worlds cards and the retailer distributions are all real and all absent, because per-card distribution dates and conditions could not be confirmed against a primary source. Nothing is filled in from memory.

About the pictures. Card faces on the English edition page are English prints from the same card database used throughout this almanac. Where a card exists in both editions, the Japanese scan is on the Japanese page and the English scan is on this one — the two pages never share an image, so a card face always tells you which edition you are looking at.

Four sets, 517 cards, twenty-eight LV.X, and not one mechanic invented in 2009. What English 2009 actually is, is the year the pipeline got long: a game printing a block of cards four to seven months after they were designed, adding secrets and bulk to fill the wait, and holding back an entire redesign until the following February. The two-card Pokémon is nine months away, and English players have no idea it is coming.