Japanese Pokémon - VS Series Half Deck Booster Pack (Fat Pack) [1st Edition] (Fighting & Psychic) (2001)

Information

Pokémon Card★VS is the only expansion in the Pokémon Card Game VS Era. It was released on July 19, 2001.

Pokémon Card★VS introduced the classification of Special Conditions, which saved the need to reference a number of them in attack or Pokémon Power. Burned was also added as a Special Condition. It also introduced Technical Machine cards, which allow the Pokémon they are attached to use an attack as specified on the card (a reference to the TM in the core series games).

Pokémon Card★VS was also the first Japanese expansion to utilize a numbering system. The Pokémon were ordered by the sequence in which players encounter the Gym Leaders in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal Versions, then followed by the sequence in which players battle the Johto Elite Four, then Team Rocket, and the Champion.

Pokémon Card★VS also introduced an updated card design, which included numerous changes. Firstly, the left and bottom borders have been increased in size. The artwork window is rounded on the left. The Pokémon's species, height and weight were moved to the left, next to its Trainer's headshot. It lacked the Pokédex entry and the Weakness and Resistance was moved to the right, with the Retreat Cost on the left. The illustrator was moved to the center on the bottom of the card. The set symbol was located on the bottom left of the card. Lastly, the back of the card was changed from the "Pocket Monsters Card Game" to the "Pokémon" design used in international prints.

This was the first Japanese expansion to include Secret cards and the first to release 1st Edition prints.

Each booster pack contained 30 cards instead of the usual 10; 12 Pokémon (11 Non Holo and 1 Holo), 4 Trainer cards, 2 Technical Machine, 11 Basic Energy cards, and 1 Holo Special Energy card. Each booster pack cost ¥690 instead of ¥300.

A Psychic/Fighting booster pack contained a Holofoil Pokémon, a Holofoil Special Energy, 6 Fighting Energy, 5 Psychic Energy, 4 Fighting-type Pokémon, 4 Psychic-type Pokémon, 3 Colorless-type Pokémon, 4 Trainer cards, and 2 Technical Machine.

A Water/Fire booster pack contained a Holofoil Pokémon, a Holofoil Special Energy, 6 Water Energy, 5 Fire Energy, 5 Water-type Pokémon, 3 Fire-type Pokémon, 3 Colorless-type Pokémon, 4 Trainer cards, and 2 Technical Machine.

A Grass/Lightning booster pack contained a Holofoil Pokémon, a Holofoil Special Energy, 6 Grass Energy, 5 Lightning Energy, 5 Grass-type Pokémon, 3 Lightning-type Pokémon, 3 Colorless-type Pokémon, 4 Trainer cards, and 2 Technical Machine.

There were three random Half Decks released; Fighting & Psychic, Water & Fire, and Grass & Lightning. Each Half Deck contained a random assortment of Pokémon that were exclusive to its type and Colorless-type Pokémon.

Except for Brock, each Owner's cards were illustrated by the same artist; Atsuko Nishida (Falkner), Kyoko Umemoto (Bugsy), Miki Tanaka (Whitney), Naoyo Kimura (Morty), Yukiko Baba (Jasmine), Masako Yamashita (Chuck), Mitsuhiro Arita (Pryce), Shin-ichi Yoshida (Clair), Etsuya Hattori (Lt. Surge), Asuka Iwashita (Sabrina), Satoshi Ohta (Misty), Motofumi Fujiwara (Erika), Tomokazu Komiya (Janine), Kimiya Masago (Blaine), Kagemaru Himeno (Will), Toshinao Aoki (Koga), Yuka Morii (Bruno), Hajime Kusajima (Karen), Hironobu Yoshida (Rocket), and Aya Kusube (Lance). "Big Mama" Tagawa illustrated all of the Technical Machine Trainer cards.