The Pokémon Trading Card Game first launched in Japan in 1996.
Media Factory published the original Japanese cards, with the first starter and expansion products released on October 20, 1996. The card game was developed by Creatures and adapted the Pokémon concept into a two-player tabletop battle using Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards.
The timing connected the card game closely to the original Game Boy games, which had launched in Japan earlier that year. Players could build decks, attach Energy, use attacks, and take Prize cards by knocking out opposing Pokémon. This made the trading cards both a collectible product and a playable competitive game.
The English-language release came later. Wizards of the Coast published the English Base Set in the United States in January 1999, so 1999 is sometimes incorrectly given as the TCG’s launch year. Japan’s 1996 release came first and established the foundation for the global card game.