Pikachu (Wizards Promo 1)

Pikachu LV.16
ピカチュウ Pikachu
Lightning
PikachuToyotaPromo.jpg
Unnumbered Promotional print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Evolution stage Basic Pokémon
Card name Pikachu
Type Lightning
HP 60
weakness
Fighting×2
resistance
None
retreat cost
 
English expansion Wizards Black Star Promos
English card no. 1
Japanese expansion Unnumbered Promotional cards
TCG GB1 set Promotional Card
TCG GB1 ID P04
TCG GB2 set Promotion Card
TCG GB2 ID P11
Japanese expansion Unnumbered Promotional cards
Japanese Deck Kit Intro Pack
Japanese Deck Bulbasaur Deck
Japanese card no. 40
TCG GB1 set Promotional Card
TCG GB1 ID P05
TCG GB2 set Promotion Card
TCG GB2 ID P12
Japanese expansion XY-P Promotional cards
Japanese card no. 281/XY-P
For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Pikachu.

Pikachu (Japanese: ピカチュウ Pikachu) is a Lightning-type Basic Pokémon card. It was first released as one of the Wizards Black Star Promos.

Card text

Wizards Black Star Promo print

  Growl
なきごえ
If the Defending Pokémon attacks Pikachu during your opponent's next turn, any damage done by the attack is reduced by 10 (after applying Weakness and Resistance). (Benching either Pokémon ends this effect.)
   Thundershock
でんきショック
20
Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed.


Pokédex data (Wizards Black Star Promo print)

Pikachu - Mouse Pokémon
No. Height Weight
025 1'4" (0.4 m) 13 lbs. (6 kg)
Pokédex entry
When several of these Pokémon gather, their electricity could build and cause lightning storms.
ほっぺたの両側に小さい電気袋をもつ。ピンチのときに放電する。


XY-P Promotional print

  Growl
なきごえ
During your opponent's next turn, any damage done by attacks from the Defending Pokémon is reduced by 10 (before applying Weakness and Resistance).
   Thunder Shock
でんきショック
20
Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent's Active Pokémon is now Paralyzed.


Pokédex data (XY-P Promotional print)

Pikachu - Mouse Pokémon
No. Height Weight
025 1'04" (0.4 m) 13.2 lbs. (6.0 kg)
Pokédex entry
ほっぺたの りょうがわに ちいさい でんきぶくろを もつ。ピンチのときに ほうでんする。


Release information

This card was released as a Wizards Black Star Promo through the Pokémon League in July 1999. In Japan, it was first available as an Unnumbered Promotional card on a two-card insert alongside Jigglypuff in the November 1996 issue of CoroCoro Comic, released on October 15, 1996. This print uses glossy card stock and incorrectly credits Ken Sugimori as the illustrator. It was reprinted and included in copies of Easily Understand How to Play Pokémon Cards, released on November 30, 1996. This print updates the illustrator to the correct Keiji Kinebuchi and uses regular card stock.

It was reprinted as another Japanese Unnumbered Promotional card with different artwork by Ken Sugimori and was available through a Toyota Auto Campaign between October and December 1997. This card, along with Arcanine, came sealed in a card booklet presented to visitors at participating dealerships. It was subsequently reprinted in the Intro Pack as part of the Bulbasaur Deck.

A mail-in prize draw offering another glossy copy of the original print was published in the October 1998 issue of CoroCoro Comic, released on September 15, 1998. People wishing to enter the prize draw were required to affix the application ticket on the bottom left of the article page to a postcard and send it to Shogakukan. Two thousand winners were sent a set of four cards mounted on two plain sheets: Pikachu and Jigglypuff on one; Meowth and Brock's Onix on the other. This print credits Keiji Kinebuchi as the illustrator, allowing it to be distinguished from the original print. An English version on glossy Japanese card stock was also available on a two-card insert alongside Jigglypuff in the Spring 1999 issue of Hyper CoroCoro, released on March 1, 1999. This print features a gray star symbol with a yellow "PROMO" superimposed on it, similar to the Black Star promotional cards released outside Japan.

A Portuguese version of the Wizards Black Star Promo print was included in the Pikachu World Collection, available to purchase exclusively at Pokémon Park 2000 held at Sydney University, Sydney, Australia from September 12 to October 4, 2000. This print features a gold foil Pikachu tail stamp opposite the Black Star Promo symbol. English versions of the Wizards Black Star Promo print with a 1st Edition stamp were given to winners of the Pokémon Trading Card Game League Create-a-Card Activity in March 2001[1]; these had previously been included in limited quantities in 1st Edition Jungle booster packs.

It was reprinted again in Japan as a XY-P Promotional card, using a layout resembling that of the Original Era print in commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the TCG. It was available as part of the Trade Please Campaign 20th, which began on September 16, 2016 for as long as stocks lasted. Customers visiting participating Pokémon Centers, Pokémon Stores, and Pokémon Store Outlets, as well as those attending the 20th Anniversary Festa venues in October, could trade 20 Pokémon TCG cards featuring a classic reverse (those released during the Original and Neo Eras) with a member of staff for one of two "courses" whilst saying the secret password "Trade Please!". The "A Course" included this card and a reprint of the Trade Please! promotional card available during the original campaign in 1998. The "B Course" included a Charizard card and the Trade Please! card. Only one trade could be completed per day.

Gallery

Wizards Black Star Promo print
Illus. Keiji Kinebuchi
Unnumbered Promotional print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
XY-P Promotional print
Illus. Keiji Kinebuchi
Pikachu World Collection 2000 print
Illus. Keiji Kinebuchi
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori


TCG GB1 Promotional Card sprite (P04)
TCG GB2 Promotion Card sprite (P11)
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori


TCG GB1 Promotional Card sprite (P05)
TCG GB2 Promotion Card sprite (P12)
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori
Diamond & Pearl print
Illus. Ken Sugimori


Trivia

  • The initial Japanese CoroCoro print, together with Jigglypuff, were the first Pokémon TCG cards released, available five days before the release of Expansion Pack on October 20, 1996.
  • The English print is commonly known as Ivy Pikachu in reference to the background design of the illustration.
  • A small number of the English print with a 1st Edition symbol was available in the 1st Edition release of Jungle. For many years, this was assumed to have been an error; however, the emergence of a prototype Jungle booster pack, together with preliminary images showcasing the upcoming North American release of the expansion in Volume 2 of the Japanese publication Pokémon Card Trainers, suggest this was intentional. Both booster packs include similar text on the Poké Ball graphic not present on final 1st Edition Jungle packs: "Capture the rare Pikachu card! Look on inside wrapper!". On June 7th, 2021, Twitch user murkd_ opened three Jungle packs on stream which each contained three 1st Edition Ivy Pikachu cards (9 total). Each filled the pack's usual uncommon card slots.[2]

Origin

Growl and ThunderShock are both moves in the Pokémon games that Pikachu can learn. This card's Wizards Black Star Promo English Pokédex entry comes from Pokémon Red and Blue, whereas the Japanese entry comes from Pokémon Red and Green. This card's XY-P Promotional Pokédex entry comes from Pokémon Y.

References


  This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.