The very first Pikachu card was **Pikachu #58 from the Base Set**, released on January 9, 1999.
 Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita, it was a Common-rarity card — nothing flashy on paper, yet it kicked off one of the most collected runs in the entire game.
TL;DR: The first Pikachu card was Base Set #58 (9 January 1999), a Common illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Since then, Pikachu has appeared on 176 cards across 88 sets — more prints than any other Pokémon. Figures as of June 2026.
A humble beginning
Being a Common meant Pikachu #58 was never hard to pull. You could find it in virtually any Base Set pack, which is part of why so many collectors have a soft spot for it: it was probably the first Pikachu most of us ever held. Arita's artwork — that cheerful, sparky pose — became the mental image of "Pikachu card" for a whole generation of players.
25+ years and counting
From that single 1999 print, the Pikachu card library has grown enormously. As of June 2026, there are 176 Pikachu cards across 88 different sets — a spread that covers everything from basic Commons to elaborate special illustration rares. No other Pokémon comes close to that kind of sustained presence across the game's history, which makes sense: Pikachu is the franchise's face, and the TCG has leaned into that at every opportunity.
Why collectors keep chasing every print
With 176 versions spread across 88 sets, a complete Pikachu collection is one of the hobby's great personal projects. Each era brings a different art style, a different card frame, and often a different take on the character — from retro Base Set charm to modern full-art treatments. If you want to see every print laid out in one place and start planning your own collection, you can build an "every Pikachu print" binder on NOMEKOP and work through them set by set. The Base Set page is a good place to get acquainted with where it all started.
Did you know? Pikachu #58 is a Common, yet near-mint graded copies of the first-edition Base Set print are among the most sought-after cards in the entire hobby.