The first Pokémon Trading Card Game set in the United States was called Base Set.
Base Set was released in the United States on January 9, 1999, after the Pokémon card game had debuted in Japan in 1996. It contained 102 cards and featured Pokémon primarily from the first generation, including the famous holographic Charizard.
Wizards of the Coast handled the original English-language publication in the United States. The set helped turn Pokémon cards into a major collecting and playing hobby, with booster packs, theme decks, trades, and organized competition bringing the game to a broad audience.
Base Set is often confused with the Japanese 1st Starter & Expansion Pack, which was the first Japanese release and is commonly treated as the equivalent foundation of the card game. The English name “Base Set” belongs specifically to the original U.S. set. Later sets such as Jungle and Fossil expanded the card pool rather than starting it.