No.1 Trainer (Pokémon Card Game Official Tournament promo): Difference between revisions

{{TCGTrainerCardInfobox/Expansion|class=Item|expansion={{TCG|Miscellaneous Promotional cards}}}}

{{TCGTrainerCardInfobox/Expansion|class=Item|expansion={{TCG|Miscellaneous Promotional cards}}}}

{{TCGTrainerCardInfobox/Footer|class=Item}}

The next major iteration featured new artwork by [[Ken Sugimori]] and was first awarded to the champions of each regional Japanese World Challenge Summer event held between July and August 2000, which like the Challenge Road '99 SUMMER campaign was split into the Tropical Mega Battle and Secret Super Battle events. The winners of each tournament were awarded this card and granted entry into the finals held later in August. Unlike previously awarded trophy cards, these cards were personalised with the name and regional conference of the winner. It is unknown if there was a card awarded for those competing in the Tropical Mega Battle tournaments.<br>

This card was reprinted in 2001 and awarded to the champions from both {{tt|age divisions|Junior and Senior}} of each regional Neo Spring Road tournament, held between February and March 2001, and each Neo Summer Road tournament, held between July and August 2001. The top ranking players from both age divisions and each regional Neo Spring Road and Neo Summer Road tournament were eligible for entry into the "Best in Japan Deciding Match", held on March 31, 2001 and August 25, 2001 respectively. The senior champions of these tournaments were also awarded a No.1 Trainer card, but were made more unique by having their photographs printed on the card illustration. It is unknown if the junior champions were also awarded these cards.<br>

The latest iteration of this card was awarded to those who came first in each {{tt|age division|Junior, Senior, and Master}} in the [[World Championships]]. It was first awarded in 2004 when [[Pokémon Organized Play]] hosted the first Pokémon TCG World Championships under [[Pokémon USA]], and has been awarded at every Worlds tournament since. In 2007 this card was printed on DP stock, lacking the circle pattern prior prints featured. In 2010 this card was printed on HGSS stock, adopting the blue Trainer color scheme and gold illustration window. In 2011 this card was printed as an {{TCG|Item card}} on BW stock as per all previously classed Trainer cards.<br>

Details of each tournament this card was awarded at are below.

==Trivia==

*The prints awarded between 1997 and 1998 were well publicized during the Pokémon phenomenon at the turn of the century, and are popularly known collectively as the ''Pikachu Trophy No.1'' card in reference to the illustration. There are misconceptions regarding the distribution of these particular cards, one of which is that the latter two prints were awarded in 1998 and 1999, whereas both were awarded across two tournament series in 1998. Similarly, the Tropical Mega Battle print was only awarded during the 1999 event. The other misconception is that they were awarded to the overall winners of the tournament finals, where in fact they were awarded to the qualifying event winners. The same also applies to the Tropical Mega Battle and Super Secret Battle prints.

*For the non-"Best in Japan" cards, the number of Pokémon present in the illustration increases as the rank increases; No.3 Trainer features two Pokémon; No.2 Trainer features four; No.1 Trainer features six.

*The cards awarded to the "Best in Japan" top ranking players have a photograph of the winner in the illustration superimposed on the logo of the tournament they competed in; the Neo Spring Road features Lugia, while the Neo Summer Road features Ho-Oh. These cards, as well as the Elite Four Trainer cards awarded in the Battle Road Summer 2002 finals are the only official cards to feature images of real life people.

*The 2000 and 2001 prints have "No.1 Trainer" instead of "Trainer" at the top of the card. On the 2002 print this is present on the top right of the card, making it a unique Trainer card subclass. The double star rarity was also no longer used with the 2002 print.

*The number of the early Japanese prints in existence is a popular topic of discussion. Amongst the collector community, the general consensus is that there were two copies of the Pokémon Official Tournament print awarded; however, the numbers of the 1998-1999 prints are disputed. Based on the regional events at which the cards were awarded, there are likely a minimum of six of the Lizardon Mega Battle print, with a maximum of twelve, and a minimum of five of the Kamex Mega Battle print, with a maximum of ten. Based on how the age divisions were split and the regional events for the Challenge Road '99 SUMMER, there were an estimated seven of each of the Tropical Mega Battle and Super Secret Battle prints awarded. Not taking personalised elements into account, there were an estimated eight of the 2000 print awarded, 14 of the Neo Spring Road print, one of the Neo Spring Road "Best in Japan" print, 14 of the Neo Summer Road print, one of the Neo Summer Road "Best in Japan" print, 21 of the Battle Road Spring 2002 print, and 21 of the Battle Road Summer 2002 print. As stated above, the ratio of male to female variants for the Battle Road 2002 series prints are unknown. The cards awarded via the World Championships are only printed in English, making it one of the rarest English cards in existence. There are only three copies of each annual version produced.

===Origin===

[[Category:Promotional cards]]

[[Category:Illus. by Mitsuhiro Arita]]

[[Category:Holographic cards]]

[[ja:No.1トレーナー]]