Japanese vintage cards have no card number

“No. 009” on a Japanese Blastoise is the Pokédex number, not the card number.

The Japanese sets from 1996 to 2001 (Base, Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket, Gym, Neo) print no card number like 2/102. Pokémon cards show the Pokédex number instead, so the Japanese Blastoise says “No. 009”.

Sellers therefore put one of two numbers in the title: the card's Pokédex number or the number of the English release (“Blastoise 2/102 Base Set Japanese”). Both mean the same Japanese card.

Last Sold links every Japanese vintage card to its English and German counterpart and recognises both ways of writing it. That way the sales land on the right Japanese card instead of in the English market.

Sources

• Bulbapedia: Expansion Pack (TCG)

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