The first set released in the Pokémon Trading Card Game is the Base Set. It was released in Japan on October 20, 1996, under the name 1st Starter & Expansion Pack, and reached the United States as Base Set on January 9, 1999.
Base Set contains 102 cards featuring Pokémon from the original first generation. It includes iconic cards such as Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur, along with Trainer and Energy cards that helped establish the early structure of the trading card game. Wizards of the Coast produced the original English-language release, while Media Factory published the Japanese version.
Jungle and Fossil are often mistaken for the first set because they are also part of the earliest English expansions. In fact, Jungle was the second expansion and Fossil was the third. Collectors also distinguish First Edition, Shadowless, and Unlimited Base Set printings; these are print variations of the same foundational set, not separate first sets.