The Pokémon Trading Card Game’s first Japanese set launched on October 20, 1996.
Known as the 1st Starter & Expansion Pack, it was published in Japan by Media Factory. The set was based on the Pokémon video games and depicted the original generation of Pokémon, helping extend the franchise beyond handheld consoles.
The English-language release followed much later. Wizards of the Coast launched the Pokémon TCG Base Set in the United States on January 9, 1999, after Pokémon had become a major television and video-game success in North America.
The Japanese first set is sometimes simply called Base Set in English discussions, but Base Set is the name commonly used for the English release. The original Japanese card launch therefore predates the English version by more than two years.