1995 Pokémon Alpha Prototype Japanese Pikachu Mounted On Card - CGC 10 Pristine

This is arguably the rarest, most historically important Pikachu card on the planet. 

This Japanese Alpha Prototype Pikachu card was created as part of a proof of concept for the Pokémon trading card game. Presented to Pokémon executives by Tsunekazu Ishihara the year before the release of the inaugural TCG set, the 1996 Japanese Base set, Alpha Prototype printings are thought to be among the first Pokémon cards ever made. 

Featuring sprite designs from the original video games for the illustration, few characteristics of the card resemble what was ultimately released to the public in the 1996 Japanese Base Set. This card's features include energy symbols that do not appear on any other cards, no rarity symbol in the bottom right corner, and no illustrator listed on the bottom of the card. When compared with the final iteration of the '96 Japanese Base Set, these quirks help illustrate just how early in the game's development these cards were created.

For nearly 30 years, very little was known about these cards. However, earlier this year, Takumi Akabane, one of Pokémon’s founding fathers, verified that Pokémon prototype printings were the first cards created, that Alpha Prototypes were created by Ishihara to be shown to the company, and that this is an example of the first Pikachu card. As such, this is an example of the earliest known Pikachu card ever created. To date, there are only four graded examples of this Pikachu. One earned a CGC 9.5 grade, another a CGC 9 grade, another a CGC 8. The fourth is showcased in this listing, encapsulated in a CGC 10 Pristine holder. This is a unique opportunity to procure a piece of Pokémon history: an artifact that played a direct role in the birth of a set that helped transform TCG playing and collecting forever.

This card has been authenticated and deemed to be in Pristine condition, receiving a grade of 10 from the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC).

The CGC certificate number for this card is: 1401030938002.

Going Deeper - TCG, Pokemon, and Pikachu

A Global Sensation

When Tsunekazu Ishihara, Kouichi Ooyama, and Takumi Akabane considered Pokémon Trading Card Game prototypes in 1995, they surely could not have imagined the cultural revolution they would soon become a part of.

The era of modern trading card games (TCGs) was in its nascent stage, with Magic the Gathering released by Wizards of the Coast just two years prior in 1993, and the Pokémon video games, which the prototype’s visuals were based on, were in the final stages of development. The concept, inspired by Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri’s childhood love for bug collecting, was centered on a world in which people and creatures called Pokémon, who have a wide variety of special powers, join together to help teach each other about the world and themselves as well as take on life’s problems. 

What followed is history. The first Pokémon video games, Pocket Monsters: Red and Pocket Monsters: Green, were released in February of 1996 and introduced the world to the first 151 Pokémon. The first installment of the Pokémon trading card game was released in Japan in October of the same year and featured art by Mitsuhiro Arita, the creator of the iconic Base Set Charizard art, Ken Sugimori, and Keiji Kinebushi. Together these, as well as a number of other illustrators, provided strong foundations for the Trading Card Game’s collectibility as well as its global expansion, which was on the horizon.

1997 saw the release of the Pokémon anime as well as the manga, and then in 1998 Pokémon hit the rest of the world like a freight train. The anime and its introductory song that is emblazoned in the memory of so many 90s kids and parents saw its English debut in the United States on September 8, with the beloved Game Boy Games, Pokémon Blue and Pokémon Red (based on the updated Pocket Monsters: Blue released in Japan after the initial Red and Green release), coming out on September 28 in the U.S., with further global releases shortly thereafter. They were an instant hit and sparked a cultural frenzy that continues to this day. When the Pokémon Trading Card Game saw the first major English release on January 9, 1999 (there was a sample pack distributed to stores in late 1998), demand was feverish. Between January and September of 1999, Pokémon card sales totaled over $300M, and the demand has rarely let up. There are now over 1,000 different Pokémon and a world of collectors eager to find the best cards available for them. 

To date, Pokémon has sold more than 64 Billion cards and shows no signs of slowing, having released dozens of expansions since the one that started it all.

The Face of the Franchise

Pikachu has been the face of the Pokémon franchise since its very early days, and it is easy to see why. One of the original 151 Pokémon and among the first to achieve broader popularity, it was decided that Pikachu would be the mascot of the franchise, especially due to the judgment that all kids might like the cute electric mouse. That judgment, it turned out, was right on the money.

Pikachu has proven a boon for the franchise and been a focal point for Pokémon fans for nearly three decades. Pikachu was ranked by IGN as one of the 25 most important Pokémon of all time in 2021 and has become a transcendent character. Pikachu is the byword for Pokémon for fans and novices alike, adorning everything from t-shirts to airplanes and being the muse of collaborations with famous art museums, such as the Van Gogh Museum, as well as a focus for widely popular memes. 

Only appropriately comparable to the most beloved characters ever made such as Mario and Mickey Mouse, Pikachu exists in the public consciousness across nations and cultures. Though Pokémon has undergone many adaptations and evolutions, Pikachu appears poised to be a force in global media for decades to come.