The final specimen in this batch is a true piece of history, taking us back to the very birth of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. This is a Geodude from the original, groundbreaking 1996 Japanese Base Set, the set that started it all.
Card Details
- Pokémon Name: Geodude (イシツブテ)
- Set: Expansion Pack (Japanese Base Set)
- Year: 1996
- Card Number: No. 074
- Rarity/Edition: Common
- Artist: A. Kunhoro
- National Pokédex No.: 074
Card Text & Attacks
- Type: Fighting
- HP: 50
- Attack 1: Body Slam (たいあたり)
- Cost: [Colourless]
- Damage: 10
- Attack 2: Harden (かたまる)
- Cost: [Fighting][Colourless]
- Effect: During your opponent’s next turn, reduce any damage done to this Pokémon by attacks by 30.
- Weakness: Grass
- Resistance: None
- Retreat Cost: [Colourless][Colourless]
- Flavour Text:
- Japanese: 石ころに 似ているので、気がつかずに 踏んだり、つまずいたり してしまう。
- Romaji: Ishikoro ni nite iru node, kigatsukazu ni fundari, tsumazuitari shite shimau.
- English: Because it resembles a boulder, people step on it or trip over it without noticing.
Collector’s Notes
This card is a true historical artefact. As a specimen from the original 1996 Japanese “Expansion Pack,” it represents the very beginning of the Pokémon TCG. The card features the original “Pocket Monsters Card Game” back, a design that is iconic to Japanese collectors and distinct from the blue design used internationally. The simple, clean layout and bold artwork are hallmarks of this foundational era.
This Geodude is a cornerstone Geological Pokémon. It is the original “living rock,” a being of pure stone that has been a part of the franchise from day one. In the TCG, its Rock/Ground nature from the video games is represented by the consolidated Fighting type. The charmingly simple artwork by A. Kunhoro and the humorous flavour text, which notes that people often trip over the unassuming creature, make this a perfect and nostalgic representation of one of the most iconic geological Pokémon ever created.
