If you’ve ever cracked open a Pokémon pack, you know the magic is real. With now more than 20,000 different cards available in the database, every series reflects huge, deliberate changes in both the competitive game and the collecting world.
Grab a seat as we take a nostalgic journey through every major series, exploring the groundbreaking mechanics, the artwork, and the unforgettable chase cards that defined them all.
Base Series
This is where it all began. The “Base Era,” also known as the Wizards of the Coast (WotC) era, refers to the very first sets that launched the Pokémon TCG in English, starting in 1999. This series is defined by the original Base Set, Jungle, and Fossil expansions. These sets introduced the core mechanics of the game and featured the iconic original 151 Pokémon.
For collectors, this era is the most nostalgic, known for its simple card layouts and its scarcity. The initial production run featured “shadowless” cards, which lacked the subtle drop shadow found on later prints, signifying a much rarer first printing. These, alongside the “1st Edition” stamp, are the ultimate chase items, highlighted by the legendary holographic Charizard that started the collecting hobby. The era’s defining aesthetic, with its bold yellow borders and art from legendary TCG artists like Mitsuhiro Arita, established the visual language that would define the game for decades.
- Set count: 6
- Card count: 494
- Total Value: $31,805.61
- Most expensive card: Charizard 4/102
Track Your TCG Collection
Create your free Card Codex account to monitor card prices, view real-time market trends, and analyse your portfolio’s growth.
Start Tracking Now — It’s FreeGym Series
The Gym series, which arrived in 2000, was a classic part of the Wizards of the Coast (WotC) run. This series is comprised of two iconic sets: Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge. It was the first to introduce “Owner’s Pokémon,” featuring Pokémon owned by the famous Kanto Gym Leaders like Brock, Misty, and Blaine, as well as Team Rocket. These cards had the Gym Leader’s name in their title (e.g., “Brock’s Rhydon”).
Mechanically, the Owner’s Pokémon often had abilities or attacks that interacted uniquely with specific Gym Leader Trainer cards or Stadiums, encouraging thematic deck building. This series also marked a shift toward including villainous trainers with the introduction of Team Rocket’s Pokémon. This era is beloved by original collectors for its character-driven cards and its lore, including the infamous, and often censored, artwork on the Japanese version of “Misty’s Tears.”
- Set count: 2
- Card count: 264
- Total Value: $11,845.77
- Most expensive card: Blaine’s Charizard 2/132
Neo Series
The Neo era, which ran from 2000 to 2002, was the first to introduce the Generation 2 Pokémon from the Johto region. This era, which includes the sets Neo Genesis, Neo Discovery, Neo Revelation, and Neo Destiny, was revolutionary for gameplay. It introduced two brand new card types, Darkness and Metal, along with their respective Special Energy cards.
The era deepened gameplay by introducing “Baby Pokémon” (like Cleffa and Pichu), whose ‘Baby Power’ provided defensive utility via a coin flip to potentially avoid damage. The most spectacular addition was the Shining Pokémon. These secret-rare cards (like the legendary Shining Charizard and Shining Tyranitar) depicted Pokémon in their alternate-coloured “Shiny” forms. Their unique, foil-etched art and requirement for mixed energy types in their attacks made them powerful but challenging additions, establishing the TCG’s first major “1 per deck” rule.
- Set count: 4
- Card count: 365
- Total Value: $37,546.53
- Most expensive card: Lugia 9/111
E-Card Series
The e-Card era, which ran from 2002 to 2003, was the final series produced by Wizards of the Coast (WotC). This era is named for its unique compatibility with the Nintendo e-Reader accessory for the Game Boy Advance. Cards featured a dot-code strip that could be swiped to unlock Pokédex data, mini-games, or special attacks. This functionality required a drastic card redesign, which is instantly recognizable by its left-sided artwork and unique border.
The sets in this era, Expedition, Aquapolis, and Skyridge, are famous for being the last WotC sets and for introducing the highly sought-after Crystal Type Pokémon. These cards were mechanically unique because they could use Energy of any type to fulfill attack costs, making them incredibly versatile, powerful, and defining chase cards of the era.
- Set count: 3
- Card count: 529
- Total Value: $48,877.64
- Most expensive card: Lugia 149/147
EX Series
The EX era, which ran from 2003 to 2007, was the first series managed by The Pokémon Company International (TPCi). This era is defined by the introduction of Pokémon-ex (note the lowercase “ex”). Crucially, these were part of the evolution line and not always Basic Pokémon; players often had to evolve their Stage 1 or 2 Pokémon to reach these powerful forms, which, when Knocked Out, gave up two Prize cards.
This era also featured Delta Species, Pokémon with an unexpected, non-native typing (like a Steel-type Mew), adding fun, lore-based variety. Most beloved by collectors were the legendary Gold Star (Pokémon Star) cards. These were ultra-rare Shiny Pokémon, often illustrated by Masakazu Fukuda, and instantly recognizable by the small gold star next to the Pokémon’s name and their striking artwork that often broke the traditional borders.
- Set count: 20
- Card count: 1,766
- Total Value: $91,679.43
- Most expensive card: Torchic ★ 108/109
Diamond & Pearl Series
The Diamond & Pearl era, which ran from 2007 to late 2008, marked a significant turning point for the TCG. This series is most famous for introducing the Pokémon LV.X mechanic. These were “Level-Up” cards placed on top of an evolved Pokémon, allowing the player to use both the LV.X’s and the original card’s abilities, encouraging complex, layered strategies.
This era also brought key rule changes that standardized the game: it changed the Weakness modifier (moving from the harsh “x2” to a flat damage bonus like “+20”) and introduced Basic Darkness and Metal Energy cards for the first time, phasing out the need for Special Energy to power these types. For collectors, the final set, Stormfront, is a major highlight as it debuted the “SH” subset, the first small, dedicated set of Shiny Pokémon cards.
- Set count: 8
- Card count: 800
- Total Value: $16,725.43
- Most expensive card: Glaceon LV.X 98/100
Platinum Series
The Platinum era, which ran from 2009 to early 2010, was a direct continuation of the Diamond & Pearl series and was heavily focused on competitive play. This era is defined by two major mechanics: Pokémon LV.X and Pokémon SP (Special Pokémon).
The core focus was the competitive strength of Pokémon SP cards. These were typically powerful Basic Pokémon named after their trainers (e.g., Cynthia’s Garchomp), making them fast to deploy and supported by a suite of powerful, dedicated Trainer cards. The era also introduced the Lost Zone, a new, permanent game area (like a discard pile, but cards removed here could not be recovered), which enabled aggressive mill and lock-down strategies. For collectors, the Platinum and Supreme Victors sets are famous for their “SH” subset of cards featuring Shiny Pokémon.
- Set count: 4
- Card count: 517
- Total Value: $10,603.44
- Most expensive card: Charizard G LV.X 143/147
HeartGold & SoulSilver Series
The HeartGold & SoulSilver era, which ran in 2010, celebrated the return to the Johto region. This series is famous for its unique Pokémon LEGEND cards, where players had to combine a top and bottom half, played simultaneously from the hand, to form a single, ultra-powerful Pokémon that gave up two Prize cards.
The era also brought back Pokémon Prime, powerful versions of standard Pokémon with a distinct holographic treatment and art that bled out of the window, making them visually stunning and highly playable. This series was also notable for reintroducing Basic Darkness and Metal Energy cards (rather than just Special Energy) and ended with the Call of Legends set, which featured a popular “SL” subset of Shiny Pokémon.
- Set count: 6
- Card count: 545
- Total Value: $15,931.05
- Most expensive card: Lugia LEGEND 114/123
Black & White Series
The Black & White era, which ran from 2011 to late 2013, was a foundational period that introduced many mechanics still seen today. It’s most famous for re-introducing Pokémon-EX, which were powerful, two-prize Basic Pokémon. This mechanical shift dramatically increased the game’s pace and HP ceiling.
This era was also the first to establish the Dragon type as its own distinct card type (rather than being Colorless). Towards its end, the Black & White series debuted ACE SPEC cards, a new class of incredibly powerful Trainer cards limited to only one per deck—a major build constraint that forced strategic choices. For collectors, this era is highly significant as it standardized the “Full Art” card, with its textured, borderless illustration, as a key chase rarity.
- Set count: 13
- Card count: 1,437
- Total Value: $30,757.65
- Most expensive card: Charizard 136/135
XY Series
The XY series, which ran from 2014 to late 2016, was built around the powerful Pokémon-EX cards. This era is most famous for introducing the original M-Pokémon-EX (Mega Pokémon-EX), which evolved from Pokémon-EX and had immense HP and attacks.
However, their power was balanced by a strict drawback: evolving into one would immediately end your turn, a rule that players could only bypass by attaching a specific “Spirit Link” Tool card. The XY era also introduced the Fairy type to the TCG and a secondary mechanic called BREAK Evolution, which featured unique, horizontal, gold-foil cards that stacked on top of an existing Pokémon, giving it new attacks and abilities.
- Set count: 16
- Card count: 1,926
- Total Value: $31,298.88
- Most expensive card: Gengar-EX 114/119
Sun & Moon Series
The Sun & Moon era, which ran from 2017 to late 2019, was defined by the introduction of Pokémon-GX. These powerful Pokémon (which could be Basic, Stage 1, or Stage 2) featured high HP and gave up two Prize cards. Their unique feature was the “GX Attack”—a powerful, game-changing move that a player could use only once per entire game, forcing calculated strategy.
This era later evolved with the introduction of Tag Team-GX cards, which featured two or three Pokémon on a single, powerful Basic card. These had enormous HP and devastating attacks but came at the high risk of giving up three Prize cards. For collectors, the Sun & Moon era is famous for popularizing the visually dense “Rainbow Rare” (Hyper Rare) card and dramatically expanding the “Alternate Art” style, especially for the iconic Tag Team cards.
- Set count: 18
- Card count: 2,967
- Total Value: $46,482.14
- Most expensive card: Latias & Latios-GX 170/181
Sword & Shield Series
The Sword & Shield era was a landmark period for the Pokémon TCG, running from 2020 to early 2023. This era completely defined the game by introducing the powerful “Pokémon V” mechanic, which began with high-HP Basic Pokémon V that gave up two Prize cards.
These cards evolved into two strategic paths: the colossal “Pokémon VMAX” (massive HP, three Prizes) and the tactical “Pokémon VSTAR,” which offered powerful, game-changing “VSTAR Powers” (like an extra turn or massive draw power) that could only be used once per game, while only giving up two Prizes. The legacy of this era, however, rests firmly on its artwork, as it perfected the “Alternate Art” card. These beautiful, full-art illustrations became the singular, ultimate chase card for modern collectors.
- Set count: 25
- Card count:3,667
- Total Value: $33,047.54
- Most expensive card: Umbreon VMAX 215/203
Scarlet & Violet Series
The Scarlet & Violet era marked a major gameplay shift, retiring the V mechanic and reintroducing the fan-favourite “Pokémon ex” mechanic (giving up two prizes). This era brought a historic change by replacing the classic yellow borders on English cards with the sleek, silver borders from Japan, providing a uniform, modern aesthetic.
The powerful cards include the new Tera Pokémon ex, whose unique crystalline design grants them a crucial strategic rule: they are protected from damage while on the Bench, making them harder to “snipe” and defeat. For collectors, this era expanded the “alt art” concept with the introduction of “Illustration Rares (IR)” and “Special Illustration Rares (SAR),” which feature beautiful, stylized full-art illustrations across all rarity levels and have become the new chase cards for fans.
- Set count: 18
- Card count: 3,640
- Total Value: $31,001.31
- Most expensive card: Umbreon ex 161/131
Mega Evolution Series
The Mega Evolution series is the brand-new, current era of the Pokémon TCG, which launched in the autumn of 2025. This series marks a major return, replacing the Scarlet & Violet era and reintroducing the fan-favourite mechanic with a modern twist: Mega Evolution Pokémon ex.
Unlike their original appearance in the XY series, these new Mega Pokémon ex follow standard evolution rules and, crucially, do not end your turn, eliminating the major drawback from the past. This shift unleashes incredibly powerful cards with massive HP, balanced only by the severe three-Prize cost when Knocked Out. The chase card landscape continues to evolve, with beautiful Alternate Arts now extending to powerful Item and Stadium cards, ensuring a varied and exciting collecting experience.
