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How are 1999 Base Set Pokémon cards split into 1st Edition, Shadowless, and the rest?

Published September 24, 2026 · By the Cards from Japan editors

Summary

PSA's Set Registry lists the 1999 English Base Set as separate sets, including 1st Edition, Shadowless, and Basic Set. The Pokémon Company's corporate history dates the card game's launch to October 1996 in Japan and January 1999 in the U.S., where it arrived as "Pokémon Card Game: Base Set." Which of those sets a graded Base Set card belongs to is written on its label.

102 cards or 103

PSA's checklists for "1999 Pokemon Base Set Complete 1st Edition" and "1999 Pokemon Base Set Shadowless" each have 103 items. "1999 Pokemon Base Set Complete - Basic Set" has 102. The extra slot is card 58, Pikachu, which the 1st Edition and Shadowless lists count twice, once with red cheeks and once with yellow cheeks. PSA also keeps holo-only lists, "Holographic 1st Edition" and "Holofoil Shadowless," and the Jungle, Fossil, and Team Rocket sets each have their own 1st Edition set.

PSA's checklist for the Pokémon: The Movie 2000 promos has five items: an unnumbered Ancient Mew and Black Star Moltres (21), Articuno (22), Zapdos (23), and Pikachu (27). The Mew has been graded sealed. Cert 100290187 reads "2000 WOTC-POKEMON THE MOVIE 2000 PROMO CELLO PACK," is filed under PSA's PACKS category, not its card categories, and has no card number field.

Sources

Details are as published on these pages on the date above and can change. Check the official page before you buy or submit.

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