During the Card-E era (namely between Expedition Base Set in 2002 and EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua in 2004), Pokédex info wasn’t directly printed on Pokémon cards. Instead, it was encoded in Dot Code bars on the bottom of each card. Curiously tho, very little information about what was encoded on the bottom Dot Code bars was available… until now! This page aims to decode and catalog all the information that has been locked away in the bottom Dot Code bars.
As mentioned, the bottom Dot Code bar essentially serves as the “Pokédex Flavor Text” for the cards. When scanned with the e-Reader utility, a “Viewer” window displays important details about the card. Those pages are:
- the Pokémon page (initially loads), covering Pokédex info
- pressing “A” gives you the Evolution Info, unless it’s a Basic-only Pokémon
- Gen 2 (Gold/Silver/Crystal) cards: Includes Pokédex entry and National Pokédex number.
- Gen 3 (Ruby/Sapphire/
Emerald) cards: Includes capture location and Hoenn Pokédex number.
- the Card page, details info about the card itself
- Gen 2 (Gold/Silver/Crystal) cards: tips on using the card, powers, and attacks, with clickable gameplay keywords to the Dictionary for more info.
- Gen 3 (Ruby/Sapphire/
Emerald) cards: Pokédex entry and a link to one random “Pokémon TCG Glossary” (aka Dictionary)
- the Data page, which says what is stored in the left Dot Code bar (if it has one)
- This page will eventually link to specific card features and applications.
- If a card lacks a Data Page (common for Gen 3 cards), the Card Page will extend across both columns.
This page covers ALL data from the bottom Dot Code bar, ordered by e-Reader ID (e.g., A-01-#, A-02-#, B-01-#, etc.). Every entry includes an Info column, covering its name (plus HP), e-Reader ID number, then Set and Collector Number. I may include rarity and the set icon later. (Actual graphics data—sprites, icons, etc—will be covered in the e-Reader Sprites page.)
Notably, Card-E cards had two identification numbers:
- Collector number (e.g., 8/67, 5/309, etc).
- e-Reader ID (format: X-YY-#), where,
- X is a letter (A-Z)
- YY is a number (01-99); and,
- # is usually “#” but can occasionally be “a” or “b”.
Meanwhile, holo cards had unique handling;
- Wizards Card-E sets: Holo cards had a non-holo version with the same e-Reader ID but different collector numbers (e.g., Skyridge Houndoom H11/H32 and 12/144).
- For non-holo and holo cards sharing the same e-Reader ID, the non-holo had “#”, while the holo did not (e.g., non-holo Skyridge Houndoom 12/144 had “F-70-#”, holo H11/H32 had “F-70”).
- Nintendo EX sets: Holo cards had no non-holo equivalent and no Dot Code bars.
Finally, e-Reader IDs typically shared the initial letter within the same set (e.g., Expedition Base Set cards had IDs starting with “A” or “B”). Some cards had variations in Dot Code data, indicated by “a” or “b” in their e-Reader ID and collector numbers (e.g., Aquapolis Porygon 103a/147 with “C-32-a” and 103b/147 with “C-32-b”).
The full list—at least what exists so far—can be read below. After the list, I have some other interesting tidbits concerning the list:
| Info | Pokémon Page | Card Page | Data Page | Notes |
| Charmander (HP: 50) ID: A-10-# Expedition 98/165 |
NO. 004 If it’s healthy, the flame on the tip of its tail will burn vigorously, even if it gets a bit wet. |
⬥ Gnaw needs only 1 Energy of any type, meaning you can use it even on your first turn. ⬥ Searing Flame does 10 damage to the Defending Pokémon. If you get heads on the coin flip, Searing Flame also makes the Defending Pokémon Burned. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Charmeleon (HP: 80) ID: A-11-# Expedition 73/165 |
NO. 005 If it becomes agitated during battle, it spouts intense flames, incinerating its surroundings. |
⬥ You can use Double Scratch with any type of Energy. It can do up to 40 damage. ⬥ Flamethrower is a powerful attack, doing 50 damage. You have to discard a Fire Energy card attached to Charmeleon to use it, though. To make sure you always have enough Energy to use this attack, you should include Trainer cards like Energy Restore in your deck. |
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| Charizard (HP: 100) ID: A-12-# Expedition 39/165 |
NO. 006 It uses its wings to fly high. The temperature of its fire increases as it gains experience in battle. |
⬥ You can use Tail Smash with any type of Energy. With heads on the coin flip, you do 40 damage to the Defending Pokémon. Tail Smash does nothing if you get tails. ⬥ Flamethrower does 60 damage to the Defending Pokémon, but you have to discard a Fire Energy card attached to Charizard to use it. To make sure you don’t run out of Fire Energy cards, you should include Trainer cards like Energy Restore in your deck. |
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| Cyndaquil (HP: 40) ID: A-13-# Expedition 104/165 |
NO. 155 The fire that spouts from its back burns hottest when it is angry. The flaring flames intimidates foes. |
Singe doesn’t do any damage directly, but it makes the Defending Pokémon Burned if you get heads on the coin flip, causing the Defending Pokémon to lose HP every turn. ⬥ With heads on the coin flip, Quick Attack does 30 damage to the Defending Pokémon. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | This card produces a “Cynda!” sound for the Music Box app. The card text is missing the first diamond in front of “Single doesn’t do…” |
| Cyndaquil (HP: 50) ID: A-14-# Expedition 105/165 |
NO. 155 The fire that spouts from its back burns hottest when it is angry. The flaring flames intimidates foes. |
⬥ At 30 damage, Ember is one of the more powerful Basic Pokémon attacks. You have to discard a Fire Energy card attached to Cyndaquil to use it, though. When you use Ember, be careful not to run out of Energy cards. | This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Caterpie (HP: 40) ID: B-05-# Expedition 96/165 |
NO. 010 It crawls into foliage where it camouflages itself among leaves that are the same color as its body. |
Caterpie fits easily into any deck, as both of its attacks work with any type of Energy. When it evolves, though, Caterpie may not be able to use its attacks unless it has the right type of Energy attached, so you need to plan ahead. | This side Dot Code contains data for 1/3 of a mini-game. | |
| Marill (HP: 40) ID: B-13-# Expedition 120/165 |
NO. 183 The fur on its body naturally repels water. It can stay dry, even when it plays in the water. |
⬥ You can use Bubble with just 1 Water Energy. It does 10 damage and, if you get heads on the coin flip, it makes the Defending Pokémon Paralyzed. ⬥ You can use Tail Slap with any type of Energy. ⬥ If you want to keep your opponent from attacking, try using Bubble and hope for heads! |
This side Dot Code contains data for 1/6 of a mini-game. | |
| Abra (HP: 40) ID: B-18-# Expedition 93/165 |
NO. 063 It hypnotizes itself so that it can teleport away when it senses danger, even if it is asleep. |
You need only 1 Psychic Energy to use Abra’s attacks. Learn when to use Confuse Ray, which can put a Special Condition on the Defending Pokémon, and when to use Scratch, which always does 10 damage. | This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Larvitar (HP: 50) ID: B-22-# Expedition 116/165 |
NO. 246 Born deep underground, this Pokémon becomes a pupa after eating enough dirt to make a mountain. |
Larvitar has 50 HP, making it a good starting Pokémon. Both Bite and Mud Slap cost Fighting Energy, though, so you should put a lot of Fighting Energy in your deck or use Trainer cards like Energy Search to get them. | This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Metapod (HP: 60) ID: B-34-# Expedition 87/165 |
NO. 011 This is its pre-evolved form. At this stage, it can only harden, so it remains motionless to avoid attack. |
This Pokémon is really tough–its Exoskeleton Poké-Power reduces all damage by attacks done to it by 20. If you use damage-healing cards like Potion in combination with Metapod, your opponent will have to work even harder to Knock Out Metapod! | This side Dot Code contains data for 1/3 of a mini-game. | |
| Pupitar (HP: 70) ID: B-43-# Expedition 90/165 |
NO. 247 It will not stay still, even while it’s a pupa. It already has arms and legs under its solid shell. |
Although Pupitar has only 1 attack, it’s a very efficient and straightforward one. Headbutt does 20 damage for 1 Fighting Energy. | ||
| Hitmonlee (HP: 60) ID: B-45-# Expedition 81/165 |
NO. 106 It is also called the Kick Master. It uses its elastic legs to execute every known kick. |
Stretch Kick can do 30 damage to one of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon, and it isn’t affected by Weakness or Resistance. It’s one of the few attacks that can do damage to your opponent’s Bench. But keep it mind that you can’t use it to attack the Defending Pokémon. | ||
| Copycat (Trainer [Supporter]) ID: B-63-# Expedition 138/165 |
This is a new type of Trainer card called a Supporter. When you play Copycat, you shuffle your hand into your deck and then draw a new hand that has the same number of cards as your opponent’s hand. This card is best when you have lots of cards in your hand you don’t want to use, or if your opponent has more cards in his or her hand than you do. | |||
| Magby (HP: 30) ID: B-75-# Expedition 52/165 |
NO. 240 It naturally spits an 1100-degree flame. It is said when many appear, it heralds a volcanic eruption. |
⬥ Energy Catch has you flip a coin and, if you get heads, put a Basic Energy card from your discard pile into your hand. It’s a great ability for decks with lots of Fire or Lightning Pokémon in them, as those types of Pokémon have attacks that make you discard Energy cards. ⬥ There are special rules for dealing with Baby Pokémon. If you have a Baby Pokémon as your Active Pokémon, whenever your opponent tries to attack, he or she first has to flip a coin. If tails, the attack does nothing. This is a game rule, not an effect from a power or an attack, so always remember to flip a coin when attacking Baby Pokémon. |
This side Dot Code contains data for 1/2 of a cartoon. | |
| Mew (HP: 50) ID: B-85-# Expedition 55/165 |
NO. 151 Because it can learn any move, some people began research to see if it is the ancestor of all Pokémon. |
Super Psywave lets you choose 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon and put a number of damage counters on that Pokémon equal to the number of Energy cards attached to it. You can even choose Pokémon on your opponent’s Bench, so always choose the one with the most Energy attached to it. This attack just puts damage counters on your opponent’s Pokémon as opposed to damaging it, so it isn’t affected by Weakness or Resistance. | This side Dot Code contains data for ???. | |
| Dragonite (HP: 100) ID: B-93-# Expedition 43/165 |
NO. 149 It is said that somewhere in the ocean lies an island where these gather. Only they live there. |
⬥ Dragonite’s Poké-Power Tailwind lets your Active Pokémon retreat for free. It’s useful when combined with Pokémon that need a lot of Energy to retreat, or if you want to save a Pokémon that’s becomed Poisoned or Burned but don’t want to discard any Energy attached to it. ⬥ Dragon Tail needs 3 different kinds of Energy, meaning it can take a while to build up the Energy for it. Use cards like Energy Search or the Moonlight Poké-Power on Clefable (B-91) to get the Energy you need from your deck. It’s worth the wait, as it’s a powerful attack that can do up to 80 damage! |
This side Dot Code contains data for a cartoon. | |
| Tyranitar (HP: 120) ID: B-95-# Expedition 66/165 |
NO. 248 In just one of its mighty hands, it has the power to make the ground shake and mountains crumble. |
⬥ Tyranitar’s Poké-Power Dark Aura turns all Energy cards attached to Tyranitar into Darkness Energy, meaning you can use Tyranitar’s Stamp attack with any kind of Energy. ⬥ Stamp does 60 damage to the Defending Pokémon if you get heads on the coin flip. It also does 10 damage to each Pokémon on your opponent’s Bench. If Tyranitar has 4 Darkness Energy cards attached to it, you do a whopping 90 damage to the Defending Pokémon. Remember that Darkness Energy doesn’t increase damage done to Pokémon on the Bench. |
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| Hitmonchan (HP: 60) ID: C-26-# Aquapolis 81/147 |
NO. 107 To increase the strength of all its punch moves, it spins its arms just before making contact. |
⬥ The damage you can do with Rush depends on the coin flip. Get ready to use Switch, because Hitmonchan can’t attack during your next turn. ⬥ Smash Punch can do a whopping 50 damage on a coin flip of heads. Since you can use it with any type of Energy, you can quickly power up Hitmonchan and keep hoping for heads. |
This side Dot Code contains data for 1/5 of a mini-game. | |
| Tyrogue (HP: 30) ID: C-27-# Aquapolis 63/147 |
NO. 236 To brush up on its fighting skills, it will challenge anyone. It has a very strong competitive spirit. |
⬥ There are special rules for dealing with Baby Pokémon. If you have a Baby Pokémon as your Active Pokémon, whenever your opponent tries to attack, he or she first has to flip a coin. If tails, the attack does nothing. This is a game rule, not an effect from a power or an attack, so always remember to flip a coin when attacking a Baby Pokémon. ⬥ Energy Punch does 10 damage and lets you discard 1 Special Energy card attached to the Defending Pokémon on a coin flip of heads. If no Special Energy is attached to the Defending Pokémon, the attack just does damage. If you get tails on the coin flip, though, it does nothing. |
This side Dot Code contains data for 1/5 of a mini-game. | |
| Hitmontop (HP: 60) ID: C-28-# Aquapolis 82/147 |
NO. 237 After doing a handstand to throw off the opponent’s timing, it presents its fancy kick moves. |
⬥ Double Kick does up to 40 damage if you get 2 heads. ⬥ With Triple Spin, you can do up to 60 damage. If you do, though, you have to switch your Active Pokémon with 1 of your Benched Pokémon. If you don’t have any Benched Pokémon, you just do damage. |
This side Dot Code contains data for 1/5 of a mini-game. | |
| Eevee (HP: 50) ID: C-31-# Aquapolis 75/147 |
NO. 133 Its ability to evolve into many forms allows it to adapt smoothly and perfectly to any environment. |
⬥ Charge Up lets you choose 1 Energy card from your deck and attach it to your Eevee. If you have more than 1 type of Evolution card to play on Eevee, this is the first time to think about which Pokémon you want to evolve Eevee into and attach the right Energy card for that type. ⬥ Lunge is a powerful attack that can do 20 damage. If you get tails on the coin flip, though, it does nothing. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Porygon (HP: 40) ID: C-32-a Aquapolis 103a/147 |
NO. 137 An artificial Pokémon created due to extensive research, it can perform only what is in its program. |
Data Sort is one of the few things that lets you get a Trainer card back from your discard pile! Porygon has only 40 HP, so you need to watch closely how far it is from being Knocked Out. | This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Porygon (HP: 40) ID: C-32-b Aquapolis 103b/147 |
NO. 137 An artificial Pokémon created due to extensive research, it can perform only what is in its program. |
Data Sort is one of the few things that lets you get a Trainer card back from your discard pile! Porygon has only 40 HP, so you need to watch closely how far it is from being Knocked Out. | This side Dot Code contains data for ???. | |
| Houndour (HP: 50) ID: C-35-# Aquapolis 87/147 |
NO. 228 Around dawn, its ominous howl echoes through the area to announce that this is its territory. |
Feint Attack does 20 damage to 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon. The attack isn’t affected by Weakness, Resistance, Pokémon Powers, or any other effects directed toward the Defending Pokémon. If you have Darkness Energy attached to Houndour, though, Feint Attack does 20 damage plus 10 more damage to the Defending Pokémon. | This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Magnemite (HP: 40) ID: C-36-# Aquapolis 52/147 |
NO. 081 The electricity emitted by the units on each side of its body cause it to become a strong magnet. |
Attract lets you choose 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon and switch it with the Defending Pokémon. Choose a Pokémon with a high Retreat Cost or with a high Retreat Cost or with many damage counters on it, and attack it with Tackle on your next turn. | This side Dot Code contains data for 1/4 of a mini-game. | |
| Houndoom (HP: 80) ID: C-37-# Aquapolis 14/147 |
NO. 229 The pungent-smelling flame that shoots from its mouth results from toxins burning in its body. |
⬥ Smokescreen makes your opponent flip a coin before he or she tries to attack on the next turn. if tails, the attack does nothing. ⬥ Burn Up is a powerful attack that does 60 damage. If you get tails on the coin flip, though, you must discard all Fire Energy attached to Houndoom. So it’s a good idea to attach just enough Fire Energy to Houndoom to use this attack, and hold on to some in your hand. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Porygon2 (HP: 70) ID: C-42-# Aquapolis 28/147 |
NO. 233 This manmade Pokémon evolved from the latest technology. It may have unprogramed reactions. |
⬥ You can use Backup when the number of cards in your hand is down to 2 or fewer. Try using this power after using up most of the useful cards like Trainer and Energy cards. ⬥ Hypnotic Ray does 20 damage to the Defending Pokémon and makes it fall Asleep. Remember to start attaching Energy cards early so that you can use this attack when you need to. |
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| Suicune (HP: 70) ID: C-66-# Aquapolis 37/147 |
NO. 245 This divine Pokémon blows around the world, always in search of a pure reservoir. |
⬥ Suicine’s Poké-Body ability doesn’t allow you to attach a Water Energy to Suicine unless you discard 1 Energy card from it. You can still play Water Energy on Suicune directly from your deck, discard pile, or another Pokémon. Use the Energy Connect Poké-Power of Ampharos (B-81) and you can move Water Energy from your Benched Pokémon to your Active Pokémon! ⬥ The effect of Hypno Wave depends on a coin flip. It does 50 damage on heads. On tails, it does 30 damage and makes the Defending Pokémon fall Asleep. |
Yes, Suicune’s name was mispelled TWICE as “Suicine” on this card. It would be fixed on Promo Suicune #53 [Z-14-#]. | |
| Zapdos (HP: 80) ID: C-68-# Aquapolis 44/147 |
NO. 145 Legendary bird Pokémon. They say lightning caused by the flapping of its wings causes summer storms. |
⬥ You can’t attach Lightning Energy to Zapdos because of its Poké-Body effect. You still can play Lightning Energy on Zapdos directly from your deck, discard pile, or another Pokémon. Use the Super Dynamo Poké-Power of Electrode (C-67) to play Lightning Energy from your discard pile. You can also use the Energy Connect Poké-Power of Ampharos (B-81) to move Lightning Energy from your Benched Pokémon to your Active Pokémon. ⬥ Plasma does only 10 damage, but it’s worth more than the damage it does. If you get heads on the coin flip, it lets you take 1 Lightning Energy from your discard pile and attach it to Zapdos. If you succeed with the coin flip, you get to power up Zapdos in this way fairly quickly. ⬥ Lightning Storm is a powerful attack that lets you do 60 damage to the Defending Pokémon. But there’s a drawback. If you get tails on the coin flip, you have to put 2 damage counters on Zapdos. This isn’t the same as damage, which means cards like Metal Energy don’t protect Zapdos from this effect. |
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| Chinchou (HP: 50) ID: D-21-# Aquapolis 71/147 |
NO. 170 Its antennae, which evolved from a fin, have both positive and negative charges flowing through them. |
⬥ Jolt makes the Defending Pokémon Paralyzed with a coin flip of heads. ⬥ Confuse Ray does 10 damage to the Defending Pokémon and can make it Confused on a coin flip of heads. |
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| Sneasel (HP: 60) ID: D-37-# Aquapolis 110/147 |
NO. 215 This cunning Pokémon hides under the cover of darkness, waiting to attack its prey. |
⬥ Rob lets you look at your opponent’s hand, and shuffle any Technical Machine and Pokémon Tool cards there back into his or her deck. Even if there aren’t any Technical Machine or Pokémon Tool cards in your opponent’s hand, you still get to look at his or her hand, which makes it easier for you to plan ahead. ⬥ Claw doesn’t do anything on a coin flip of tails. Still, it has the potential to do a lot of damage for a small amount of Energy, and you can increase the damage done by attaching Darkness Energy to Sneasel, so it’s worth trying to use. |
This side Dot Code contains data for ???. | |
| Slowbro (HP: 80) ID: D-40-# Aquapolis 33/147 |
NO. 080 An attached SHELLDER won’t let go because of the tasty flavor that oozes out of its tail. |
⬥ Slowbro’s Poké-Body ability makes it difficult to damage with Basic Pokémon, as any damage from attacks by them is reduced by 20. It’s a good Pokémon to play early in the game, before your opponent plays many Evolution cards. ⬥ The more Energy attached to Slowbro, the more damage you can do with Energy Cannon. It’s an easy attack to boost up, as the extra damage can come from any type of Energy. |
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| Lanturn (HP: 80) ID: D-41-# Aquapolis 20/147 |
NO. 171 This Pokémon uses the bright part of its body, which changed from a dorsal fin, to lure prey. |
⬥ Lightning Ball is a straightforward efficient attack–it does 20 damage to the Defending Pokémon for 1 Lightning Energy. ⬥ Conduction does extra damage based on the number of Lightning Energy cards attached to Lanturn. For each heads you get on the coin flip, it does an extra 40 damage. To use the attack, though, you need to discard all Lightning Energy cards attached to Lanturn. Think about how many Energy cards you have in your deck before attaching them and using this attack. |
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| Entei (HP: 70) ID: D-61-# Aquapolis 10/147 |
NO. 244 This brawny Pokémon courses aroung the earth, spouting flames hotter than a volcano’s magma. |
⬥ Pure Body is an interesting Poké-Body. It forces you to discard an Energy card attached to Entei whenever you put a Fire Energy card on it. But you don’t have to discard an Energy card if you attach the Fire Energy from your discard pile or directly from your deck. Put Entei into a deck with Ampharos (B-81), and use Ampharos’s Energy Connect Poké-Power to put Fire Energy directly onto Entei. ⬥ Burning Fang gives you the option of flipping a coin. It does damage whenever you flip or not, and even if you get tails on the coin flip. If you get heads, it makes the Defending Pokémon Burned, but you have to discard a Fire Energy card from Entei. because Pure Body makes it difficult to put Fire Energy on Entei, you should think twice before choosing to flip. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Ampharos (HP: 100) ID: D-66-# Aquapolis 1/147 |
NO. 181 When it gets dark, the light from its bright, shiny tail can be seen from far away on the ocean’s surface. |
⬥ Thundershock is a powerful attack for just 1 Lightning Energy–it does 20 damage to the Defending Pokémon and, with a coin flip of heads, makes it Paralyzed. ⬥ Reflect Energy does 50 damage to the Defending Pokémon and lets you move 1 basic Energy card from Ampharos to 1 of your Benched Pokémon. You can use it to attach Lightning Energy to Zapdos (C-68), for example. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Weedle (HP: 40) ID: E-01-# Skyridge 115/144 |
NO. 013 The barb on top of its head secretes a strong poison. It uses this toxic barb to protect itself. |
⬥ This Weedle is a strong Pokémon, as it has 50 HP and two attacks that each use just 1 Energy. ⬥ Entangling Thread can Paralyze the Defending Pokémon, and Poison Horn can Poison it. Both require coin tosses. If you want to slow your opponent down, use Entangling Thread. If you want to go for a quick Knock-Out, use Poison Horn to do extra damage. |
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| Buried Fossil (HP: 30) ID: E-36-# Skyridge 47/144 |
⬥ This card is a special Pokémon that can evolve into any Pokémon that Mysterious Fossil can evolve into. ⬥ It only has 30 HP, so you should keep it on your Bench until you can evolve it. ⬥ You can use Buried Fossil’s Reconstruction power to get an Omanyte or Kabuto card from your deck and put it into your hand. You can use this power to get a Pokémon card and then use it to evolve Buried Fossil on the same turn. |
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| Magcargo (HP: 80) ID: E-60-# Skyridge 17/144 |
NO. 219 Its body is as hot as lava and is always billowing. Flames will occasionally burst from its shell. |
⬥ Eruption makes both you and your opponent discard a card from your decks. If you or your opponent discards a Fire Energy card this way, the damage goes up to 40. If both you and your opponent reveal Fire Energy cards, the attack does 60 damage! Use cards like Machamp (B-88) and Oracle to change the order of cards in your deck and ensure you flip over a Fire Energy card. ⬥ Fire Stream is a strong attack that damages all of your opponent’s Pokémon. ⬥ Fire Stream and Eruption makes you discard Energy cards, so you should play them with cards like Town Volunteers. ⬥ This Magcargo needs 3 Energy to retreat. If you need to retreat it, it’s better to use Trainer cards or Warp Energy to do so. |
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| Raikou (HP: 70) ID: E-65-# Skyridge 28/144 |
NO. 243 This rough Pokémon stores energy inside its body, then sweeps across the land, shooting off electricity. |
⬥ Pure Body is an interesting Poké-Body. It forces you to discard an Energy card attached to Raikou whenever you put a Lightning Energy card on it from your hand. You don’t have to discard an Energy card if you attach the Lightning Energy from your discard pile, directly from your deck, or from another Pokémon. Put Raikou into a deck with Alakazam (E-66), and use Alakazam’s Energy Switch ability to put Lightning Energy directly onto Raikou. ⬥ Unlike some attacks, Lightning Sphere lets you choose whether or not to flip a coin. If you flip a coin and get heads, you must discard all Lightning Energy cards attached to Raijou, but the attack does an extra 20 damage. if you don’t want to lose a lot of Lightning Energy, just attach the 1 Lightning Energy needed to use the attack. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | It’s interesting how the Card Page text calls Alakazam’s Energy Switch an “ability”, even though “Ability” as a card feature doesn’t appear until the release of the Black/White sets, some nine-ish years later. |
| Kakuna (HP: 70) ID: F-03-# Skyridge 70/144 |
NO. 014 Nearly incapable of movement, it leans against stout trees while waiting for its evolution. |
⬥ Exoskeleton reduces all damage Kakuna takes from attacks, whether it’s from an attack by your opponent’s Active Pokémon or yours. Because Kakuna also has 70 HP, it can stay in play for a long time. ⬥ PoisonPowder works with only 1 Grass Energy and always Poisons the Defending Pokémon. It’s especially effective when your opponent’s Pokémon is unable to retreat. |
This side Dot Code contains data for ???. | When you scan the side Dot Code, it loads a new attack called “Shining Powder”. |
| Slugma (HP: 50) ID: F-12-# Skyridge 99/144 |
NO. 218 These group together in areas that are hotter than normal. If it cools off, its skin hardens. |
Slugma has only 1 attack, but it’s a good one. Singe does 10 damage to the Defending Pokémon and makes the Defending Pokémon become Burned. Another Slugma (E-12) also has an attack that makes the Defending Pokémon become Burned. Which one you use in your deck is up to you. | This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Lapras (HP: 60) ID: F-17-# Skyridge 71/144 |
NO. 131 This gentle Pokémon loves to give people rides and provide a very comfortable way to get around. |
⬥ Assist is a handy attack that lets you search your deck for a Supporter card. You can use it to get whatever Supporter card you need at a particular time. ⬥ Hypnoblast not only does damage but also makes the Defending Pokémon Asleep with a successful coin flip. ⬥ This Lapras has Weakness to Metal Pokémon. Fortunately, there aren’t a lot of Metal Pokémon. That makes it a good addition to a Water deck that has a lot of Pokémon with Weaknesses to Lightning or Grass. |
This side Dot Code contains data for ???. | |
| Wigglytuff (HP: 70) ID: F-41-# Skyridge 34/144 |
NO. 040 The rich, fluffy fur that covers its body feels so good that anyone who feels it can’t stop touching it. |
⬥ Good Neighbor is a Poké-Power, which works when Wigglytuff is on the Bench. If you get heads on a coin flip, each player gets to remove 2 damage counters from his or her Active Pokémon. Because it affects your opponent as well, think about the best time to use it, based on how many HP both your and your opponent’s Pokémon have left. Note that even if you have more than 1 Wigglytuff on your Bench, you can use this Poké-Power only once a turn. ⬥ You have to flip a coin to use Do the Wave. If you get heads, if does 10 damage for each Pokémon you have in play. It’s a powerful attack that can do up to 60 damage for just 2 Colorless Energy! Use cards like Dual Ball or Pokémon Fan Club to get lots of Pokémon into play before using this attack. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | ERROR TIME: It really does say “your and your opponent’s”. |
| Cyclone Energy (Energy [Special Energy card]) ID: F-54-# Skyridge 143/144 |
⬥ This card is a Special Energy card. ⬥ This card provides 1 Colorless Energy. When you attach it to your Active Pokémon, your opponent has to switch the Defending Pokémon with 1 of his or her Benched Pokémon. Good times to use it are when the Defending Pokémon has Resistance to your Active Pokémon‘s type or when there’s a Pokémon on your opponent’s Bench with low HP. ⬥ If your opponent has no Benched Pokémon or you attach this to one of your Benched Pokémon, nothing happens. |
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| Moltres (HP: 80) ID: F-60-# Skyridge 21/144 |
NO. 146 Legendary bird Pokémon. It is said to migrate from the south along with the spring. |
⬥ Fire Immunity prevents you from attaching a Fire Energy card from your hand to Moltres. There’s nothing stopping you from attaching a Fire Energy card from your discard pile or your deck. You can also move a Fire Energy card from another Pokémon. Cards like Sunflora (F-10) and Energy Search can help you get around Fire Immunity. ⬥ Collect Fire does 10 damage to the Defending Pokémon. With a successful coin flip, it lets you take a Fire Energy card from your discard pile and attach it to Moltres. Fire Immunity prevents you from attaching Fire Energy cards from your hand to Moltres, so use this attack to get lots of Fire Energy cards to attach to Moltres! ⬥ Burning Tail is a powerful attack that does 60 points of damage. If you get tails on the coin flip, though, you have to discard a Fire Energy card attached to Moltres. If you run out of Fire Energy cards, use Collect Fire to get them back from the discard pile. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | This is the first—and maybe only?—instance where the phrase “XX points of damage” is used. Literally every other card (so far, at least) simply says “XX damage”. |
| Articuno (HP: 80) ID: F-63-# Skyridge 4/144 |
NO. 144 Legendary bird Pokémon. As it flies through the sky, it cools the air, causing snow to fall. |
⬥ Water Immunity prevents you from attaching a Water Energy card from your hand to Articuno. But there’s nothing stopping you from attaching a Water Energy card to Articuno from your discard pile or your deck. You can also move a Water Energy card from another Pokémon. Cards like Politoed (E-62), with its Energy Splash attack, or Starmie (E-67), with its Star Back attack, can help you get around Water Immunity. ⬥ Ice Cyclone is a powerful attack that does 50 damage to the Defending Pokémon plus 10 damage to each of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon if you get heads on the coin flip. If you get tails, it does 10 damage to each of your Benched Pokémon. To protect your Benched Pokémon, use cards like Meganium (B-66), with its Soothing Aroma power. Or you can take advantage of damaging your own Pokémon with Misdreavus (E-41) and its Gift of Spike attack. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
| Magneton (HP: 70) ID: F-71-# Skyridge 20/144 |
NO. 082 When many MAGNETON gather together, the resulting magnetic storm distrupts radio waves. |
⬥ Bounce Off is an unusual ability that has the player with the Active Pokémon with the least amount of Energy cards attached to it switch it with a Benched Pokémon. If you want to adjust the number of Energy cards attached to your Active Pokémon, use cards like Tentacruel (D-62), with its Strange Tentacles power, or Alakazam (E-66), with its Energy Switch power. ⬥ Magnetic Wave does more damage if you have more Pokémon on your Bench than your opponent does. You can get lots of Pokémon on your Bench if you use Pokémon Fan Club or cards like Rattata (E-27), with its Call for Friends attack. |
This Magneton is one of the rare instances of a card’s info text referencing other cards like this. | |
| Grovyle (HP: 70) ID: G-04-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 31/109 |
NO. 002 Area |
The leaves growing out of GROVYLE’s body are convenient for camouflaging it from enemies in the forest. This POKéMON is a master at climbing trees in jungles.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Torchic (HP: 40) ID: G-08-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 73/109 |
NO. 004 Area |
TORCHIC sticks with its TRAINER, following behind with unsteady steps. This POKéMON breathes fire of over 1,800 degrees F, including fireballs that leave the foe scorched black.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Combusken (HP: 70) ID: G-10-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 27/109 |
NO. 005 Area |
COMBUSKEN toughens up its legs and thighs by running through fields and mountains. This POKéMON’s legs possess both speed and power, enabling it to dole out ten kicks in one second.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Blaziken (HP: 110) ID: G-12-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 15/109 |
NO. 006 Area |
In battle, BLAZIKEN blows out intense flames from its wrists and attacks foes courageously. The stronger the foe, the more intensely this POKéMON’s wrists burn.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Mudkip (HP: 50) ID: G-15-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 60/109 |
NO. 007 Area |
In water, MUDKIP breathes using the gills on its cheeks. If it is faced with a tight situation in battle, this POKéMON will unleash its amazing power – it can crush rocks bigger than itself.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Marshtomp (HP: 70) ID: G-16-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 40/109 |
NO. 008 Area |
The surface of MARSHTOMP’s body is enveloped by a thin, sticky film that enables it to live on land. This POKéMON plays in mud on beaches when the ocean tide is low.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Swampert (HP: 100) ID: G-18-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 23/109 |
NO. 009 Area |
SWAMPERT is very strong. It has enough power to easily drag a bounder weighing more than a ton. This POKéMON also has powerful vision that lets it see even in murky water.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Makuhita (HP: 50) ID: G-26-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 57/165 |
NO. 048 Area |
MAKUHITA has a tireless spirit – it will never give up hope. It eats a lot of food, gets plenty of sleep, and it trains very rigorously. By living that way, this POKéMON packs its body with energy.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Mightyena (HP: 70) ID: G-33-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 42/109 |
NO. 011 Area |
MIGHTYENA gives obvious signals when it is preparing to attack. It starts to growl deeply and then flattens its body. This POKéMON will bite savagely with its sharply pointed fangs.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Aron (HP: 40) ID: G-34-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 49/109 |
NO. 070 Area |
This POKéMON has a body of steel. To make its body, ARON feeds on iron ore that it digs from mountains. Occasionally, it causes major trouble by eating bridges and rails.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Aron (HP: 50) ID: G-35-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 50/109 |
NO. 070 Area |
ARON has a body of steel. With one all-out charge, this POKéMON can demolish even a heavy dump truck. The destroyed dump truck then becomes a handy meal for the POKéMON.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Makuhita (HP: 50) ID: H-09-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 58/165 |
NO. 048 Area |
MAKUHITA is tenacious – it will keep getting up and attacking its foe however many times it is knocked down. Every time it gets back up, this POKéMON stores more energy in its body for evolving.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Poochyena (HP: 50) ID: H-12-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 65/109 |
NO. 010 Area |
At first sight, POOCHYENA takes a bite at anything that moves. This POKéMON chases after prey until the victim becomes exhausted. However, it may turn tail if the prey strikes back.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Pelipper (HP: 70) ID: H-26-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 19/109 |
NO. 028 Area |
PELIPPER is a flying transporter that carries small POKéMON and eggs inside its massive bill. This POKéMON builds its nest on steep cliffs facing the sea.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Sharpedo (HP: 70) ID: H-27-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 22/109 |
NO. 098 Area |
Nicknamed “the bully of the sea,” SHARPEDO is widely feared. Its cruel fangs grow back immediately if they snap off. Just one of these POKéMON can thoroughly tear apart a supertanker.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Nosepass (HP: 60) ID: H-30-# EX Ruby and Sapphire 18/109 |
NO. 060 Area |
NOSEPASS’s magnetic nose is always pointed to the north. if two of these POKéMON meet, they cannot turn their faces to each other when they are close because their magnetic noses repel one another.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Shroomish (HP: 40) ID: I-04-# EX Sandstorm 78/100 |
NO. 034 Area |
If SHROOMISH senses danger, it shakes its body and scatters spores from the top of its head. This POKéMON’s spores are so toxic, they make trees and weeds wilt.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Marill (HP: 50) ID: I-11-# EX Sandstorm 68/100 |
NO. 055 Area |
MARILL’s oil-filled tail acts much like a life perserver. If you see just its tail bobbing on the water’s surface, it’s a sure indication that this POKéMON is diving beneath the water to feed on aquatic plants.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Eevee (HP: 50) ID: I-25-# EX Sandstorm 63/100 |
NO. ??? Area |
It has the ability to alter the composition of its body to suit its surrounding environment.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Aron (HP: 50) ID: I-30-# EX Sandstorm 56/100 |
NO. 070 Area |
ARON has a body of steel. With one all-out charge, this POKéMON can demolish even a heavy dump truck. The destroyed dump truck then becomes a handy meal for the POKéMON.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Arbok (HP: 70) ID: I-34-# EX Sandstorm 29/100 |
NO. ??? Area |
Transfixing prey with the face-like pattern on its belly, it binds and poisons the frightened victim.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Azumarill (HP: 70) ID: I-44-# EX Sandstorm 30/100 |
NO. 056 Area |
AZUMARILL’s long ears are indispensable sensors. By focusing its hearing, this POKéMON can identify what kinds of prey are around, even in rough and fast-running rivers.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Anorith (HP: 80) ID: I-54-# EX Sandstorm 27/100 |
NO. 135 Area |
ANORITH was regenerated from a prehistoric hossil. This primitive POKéMON once lived in warm seas. It grips its prey firmly between its two large claws.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Azurill (HP: 40) ID: I-59-# EX Sandstorm 31/100 |
NO. 054 Area |
AZURILL spins its tail as if it were a lasso, then hurls it far. The momentum of the throw sends its body flying, too. Using this unique action, one of these POKéMON managed to hurl itself a record 33 feet.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Golduck (HP: 70) ID: I-69-# EX Sandstorm 17/100 |
NO. 159 Area |
The webbed flippers on its forelegs and the streamlined body of GOLDUCK give it frightening speed. This POKéMON is definitely much faster than even the most athletic swimmer.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Pichu (HP: 40) ID: I-72-# EX Sandstorm 20/100 |
NO. 155 Area |
PICHU charges itself with electricity more easily on days with thunderclouds or when the air is very dry. You can hear the crackling of static electricity coming off this POKéMON.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Wobbuffet (HP: 80) ID: I-73-# EX Sandstorm 26/100 |
NO. 161 Area |
If two or more WOBBUFFET meet, they will turn competitive and try to outdo each other’s endurance. However, they may try to see which one can endure the longest without food. TRAINERS need to beware of this habit.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
Wobbuffet’s Pokédex entry here is based on its Ruby entry. However, here it says “outdo each other’s endurance”, but its official Ruby Pokédex entry says “outdo the other’s endurance” instead. WOAH!
My guess? The e-Reader’s entry was based on a slightly earlier draft of the Pokédex for Ruby/Sapphire, which was just slightly updated for the final release. |
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| Kecleon (HP: 60) ID: I-76-# EX Sandstorm 18/100 |
NO. 145 Area |
KECLEON is capable of changing its body colors at will to blend in with its surroundings. There is one exception – this POKéMON can’t change the zigzag pattern on its belly.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Umbreon (HP: 80) ID: I-77-# EX Sandstorm 24/100 |
NO. ??? Area |
When agitated, this POKéMON protects itself by spraying poisonous sweat from its pores.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
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| Caerbannog (HP: 100) ID: J-99-# EX Spamstorm |
NO. ??? Area |
This POKéMON is a terrific creature, known to have a vicious streak a mile wide. Due to its nasty, big, pointy teeth, the first CAERBANNOG was said to have been captured only after it had defeated a full fifty men.
Pokémon TCG Glossary |
Just kidding! This isn’t real (but don’t worry, everything else is). I was just seeing if you were paying attention.
BTW, how are you doing today? I hope you’re doing well! |
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| Swablu (HP: 40) ID: K-30-# EX Dragon 75/97 |
NO. 121 Area |
SWABLU has light and fluffy wings that are like cottony clouds. This POKéMON is not frightened of people. It lands on the heads of people and sits there like a cotton-fluff hat.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Bagon (HP: 40) ID: K-31-# EX Dragon 49/97 |
NO. 187 Area |
BAGON has a dream of one day soaring in the sky. In doomed efforts to fly, this POKéMON hurls itself off cliffs. As a result of its dives, its head has grown tough and as hard as tempered steel.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Snorunt (HP: 50) ID: K-44-# EX Dragon 44/97 |
NO. 171 Area |
SNORUNT live in regions with heavy snowfall. In seasons without snow, such as spring and summer, this POKéMON steals away to live quietly among stalactites and stalagmites deep in caverns.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Shuppet (HP: 50) ID: K-47-# EX Dragon 30/97 |
NO. 146 Area |
SHUPPET is attracted by feelings of jealousy and vindictiveness. If someone develops strong feelings of vengeance, this POKéMON will appear in a swarm and line up beneath the eaves of that person’s home.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Houndoom (HP: 70) ID: K-58-# EX Dragon 34/97 |
NO. ??? Area |
If you are burned by the flames it shoots from its mouth, the pain will never go away.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Girafarig (HP: 70) ID: K-70-# EX Dragon 16/97 |
NO. 164 Area |
GIRAFARIG’s rear head also has a brain, but it is small. The rear head attacks in response to smells and sounds. Approaching this POKéMON from behind can cause the rear head to suddenly lash out and bite.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Dragonair (HP: 70) ID: K-71-# EX Dragon 14/97 |
NO. ??? Area |
They say that if it emits an aura from its whole body, the weather will begin to change instantly.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Shelgon (HP: 80) ID: K-74-# EX Dragon 20/97 |
NO. 188 Area |
Inside SHELGON’s armor-like shell, cells are in the midst of transformation to create an entirely new body. This POKéMON’s shell is extremely heavy, making its movements sluggish.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Skarmory (HP: 70) ID: K-76-# EX Dragon 21/97 |
NO. 115 Area |
SKARMORY is entirely encased in hard, protective armor. This POKéMON flies at close to 190 mph. It slashes foes with its wings that possess swordlike cutting edges.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Raichu (HP: 80) ID: M-70-# EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua 13/95 |
NO. 157 Area |
This POKéMON exudes a weak electrical charge from all over its body that makes it take on a slight glow in darkness. RAICHU searches for electricity by planting its tail in the ground.
-Pokémon TCG Glossary- |
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| Celebi (HP: 50) ID: Z-04-a Wizards Promo 50 |
NO. 251 Revered as a guardian of the forest, CELEBI appears wherever beautiful forests exist. |
The effect of Leaf Slice depends on the coin flip. If you get 2 tails, the attack does nothing, but if get 2 heads, it does 40 damage! | This side Dot Code contains data for a cartoon. | Yep, the original e-Reader page does actually say “but if get 2 heads”.
Also, just so you don’t keep trying to find it, there was no English “Z-04-b” Celebi, despite the fact that this card was “Z-04-a” which implies that it’s part of an a/b set. There said, there IS a “Z-04-b” Celebi, it’s only in Japanese. This also means don’t go looking for a Japanese “Z-04-a” Celebi, because it doesn’t exist either. |
| Ho-oh (HP: 80) ID: Z-06-# Wizards Promo 52/0 |
NO. 250 It will reveal itself before a pure-hearted trainer by shining its bright rainbow-colored wings. |
⬥ With 80 HP, Ho-oh can fight for a long time. Sacred Wing needs 4 Energy, though, so wait until it has enough Energy before making it your Active Pokémon. ⬥ Venusaur’s (B-65) Harvest Bounty Poké-Power is perfect for powering up Ho-oh. You can use Sacred Wing in now time by attaching 2 Energy cards at a time! |
This side Dot Code contains data for 1/2 of a mini-game. | |
| Suicune (HP: 70) ID: Z-14-# Wizards Promo 53 |
NO. 245 This divine Pokémon blows around the world, always in search of a pure reservoir. |
⬥ Suicune’s Poké-Body ability doesn’t allow you to attach a Water Energy to Suicune unless you discard 1 Energy card from it. You can still play Water Energy on Suicune directly from your deck, discard pile, or another Pokémon. Use the Energy Connect Poké-Power of Ampharos (B-81) and you can move Water Energy from your Benched Pokémon to your Active Pokémon! ⬥ The effect of Hypno Wave depends on a coin flip. It does 50 damage on heads. On tails, it does 30 damage and makes the Defending Pokémon fall Asleep. |
This side Dot Code contains data for construction function blocks. | |
This layout is still in flux as I may change it to suit other format designs, etc… but it’s probably fairly set in stone by now. I later plan on including a link to what the Long-side Dot Code contains. For example, Celebi (Z-04-a)’s Code Page will only say “This side Dot Code contains data for a cartoon.”, but the goal will be to allow you to click on the word “a cartoon” to lead to more info. The reverse will work the same way, where the entry about the Celebi Cartoon will link towards the above entry for Celebi (Z-04-a). Either way, I can’t wait to see where things go from here!
So some quick tidbits about this list include:
- Japanese and English cards can share the same ID number, but only for the actual same card. For example, Skyridge Weedle and Mysterious Mountains Weedle are both “F-01-#“. This is despite the fact that, if you scan one or the other, their content will be in English or Japanese, respectively.
- I would have thought maybe they would have included something like a language code in the ID, like Skyridge Weedle would be F-01E-# while Mysterious Mountains Weedle would be F-01J-#.
- That said, there would be some minor (accidental?) overlap with the letters over different cards.
- Specifically, in Japan there was a McDonald’s promotion that released a set of 12 e-Reader compatible cards, and their IDs were numbered M-01-# to M-12-#; these used the Card-E card design.
- But when the last ever e-Reader compatible set—EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua—was released, there were nine cards with Dot Code bars… and they had IDs starting with “M” as well (most likely “M” for “(Team) Magma”). Unfortunately those English M-cards did not sync up with the Japanese M-cards, meaning that you have a situation were “M-03-#” is both McDonald’s Vulpix and EX TMvTA Squirtle.
- Coincidentally, both Japanese and English M-01-# cards were Bulbasaur.
- Japan ended e-Reader compatability long before it did in English, with the Japanese ADV 1 (aka EX Ruby & Sapphire) being the first set released without it.
- This means that the e-Reader material for the English EX sets—particularly the sprites!—were English exclusive!
- This also makes a bit of sense as to why the EX sets got rid of the card tips and simply added capture locations: the original Japanese cards for Expedition, Aquapolis and Skyridge had all that data already written in Japanese and was therefore a simple matter of translating it into English (lol “simple”). But since the Japanese ADV sets lacked e-Reader capability, no one on the English side of things was gonna take the type to write up new card tips no one would read, so they simply stuck with text they could copy-and-paste from other standard internal documents. I don’t blame them; writing up those card tips would be pointless work.
- The letters used for the IDs only made their way up to N, as well as Z for promo cards.
- English sets tend to have two letters between them, mostly because they are a mix of two separate Japanese sets. For example, Aquapolis and Skyridge both were a mix of Japanese Card-E sets 2/3 and 4/5 respectively, so their respective e-Reader IDs are C/D and E/F.
- Since the ADV/EX sets only had e-Reader support for the English sets, they all basically have one ID letter across the entire set. For example, EX Sandstorm cards all have “I” ID letters, while EX Dragon have “K”.
- One the other hand, EX Ruby & Sapphire have two letters: “G” and “H”. I don’t know why THAT set has two ID letters, but I suspect it might be a clue as to the origin of each card… like G cards came from one Japanese set and H came from another.
- J and L cards were skipped outright for some reason.
- N cards were only used in a Japanese-only Theater Pack, while R cards seem to have been used for internal purposes only (R-06-# Pikachu is the only known R card).
- Every other letter—O, P, Q, S, T, U, V, W, X and Y—were never made into e-Reader cards.
- I imagine that, if the e-Reader accessory was more popular, the sets would continue using them, at least until the Diamond/Pearl sets were released. So assuming that Nintendo didn’t skip any other letters, then EX Hidden Legends would probably use “O”, EX FireRed & LeafGreen would be “P”, and so forth.
- Incidentally, they might have reused “R” for EX Team Rocket Returns, which would’ve been cool.
- In fact, it might have been that they would’ve needed to reuse it, as otherwise EX Crystal Guardians would’ve most likely used “Y”, and therefore exhausting every possible letter. This would leave both EX Dragon Frontiers and EX Power Keepers without a unique single letter for it. Maybe they would’ve used the remaining “J” and “L” letters which were not previously used? Aw whatever, this is a purely acedemic argument, as we’ll never know for sure.
- The two-digit number values for the cards, however, don’t exactly seem to match up to any predictable order.
- Like, they’re definitely split up by type (Grass, then Fire, then Water, etc), but within each type there doesn’t seem to be any other kind of order. Then the types themselves seem to be split between Common/Uncommon and Rares, with rares having higher ID numbers. But then Trainer and Energy cards are located in between the two rarities? I dunno what the smeg is goin’ on here…
- By the looks of things, it appears as if the e-Reader coding was all done by Nintendo, and they simply sent the Dot Code files over to Wizards to place on the cards themselves.
- To be more specific, there were three companies involved in this product: Olympus (which created the Dot Code technology), Nintendo (which likely programmed the Dot Code data) and Wizards of the Coast and Media Factory (which printed the cards worldwide and in Japan, respectively).
- Olympus probably provided a level of technical support to both Nintendo and Wizards, namely Nintendo was shown how to program for Dot Code and WotC and MF was shown how to print the code onto card stock.
- The text in the original Japanese Dot Code bars were most likely written by Media Factory themselves, because it’s their game and they understood the game enough to write all the card tips. That text was then sent over to Nintendo to then program into Dot Code bars, who then sent the final compiled Dot Code data back to Media Factory to print on their cards.
- However, since this information needed to be rewritten in English, what likely then happened was that Nintendo of Japan took their pre-compiled Dot Code work and sent it over to Nintendo of America, who then took their text and translated it. They also switched the text graphics from Japanese to English.
- It was around this time when those Nintendo-produced English Card-E “Sample” cards were made (outside of Wizards’ control) as a proof of concept to make sure the Japanese technology can be adapted to English.
- There was undoubtedly also some back-and-forth with NOA and WotC concerning how Wizards would actually be renaming the attack names in English, among other things, just to make sure NOA and WotC were on the same page. Also around this time I’m sure Wizards was in contact with Olympus to ask technical questions, etc.
- Once the card data was finalized and compiled by NOA, that data was sent to WotC to print on their cards.
- Again, this is just my very educated guess on how things happened, but it is simply a guess in the end. But to me this makes the most sense concerning how the overall process was to bring Dot Code to the Pokémon TCG, because (among other things) there does seem to be a bit of disconnect between the English and Japanese cards, and not only because Wizards—as a third party licensee—was involved. For example, the fact that “M” cards were used on two different products in Japan and in English, signifying to me that NOA and NOJ didn’t exactly keep each other up-to-date on what they were doing.
That’s all my tidbits for you for now! I hope you enjoyed them. 