The e‑Card Era coincided with the Game Boy Advance’s e‑Reader accessory. Cards were printed with dot‑code strips that could be scanned for extra content. This era marked the end of Wizards of the Coast’s English distribution.
1) Expedition Base Set
- Japanese release: December 2001
- English release: September 2002
- Highlights:
- First set to feature e‑Reader dot codes on cards
- Major redesign of card template (larger art window, new fonts, more color)
- Iconic holo Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur
- Set symbol: Pokédex book
2) Aquapolis
- Japanese release: March 2002
- English release: January 2003
- Highlights:
- Extremely large set (186 cards in English)
- Continued e‑Reader support with extended data strips
- Introduced Crystal Pokémon (Crystal Lugia, Crystal Nidoking, Crystal Ho‑Oh)
- Set symbol: triple spire/structure
3) Skyridge
- Japanese release: July 2002
- English release: May 2003
- Highlights:
- Final Wizards of the Coast Pokémon TCG set in English
- Featured more Crystal Pokémon (Charizard, Celebi, Crobat)
- Distinctive panoramic artwork across some card series
- Highly collectible due to short print run
- Set symbol: mountain peak
Summary Timeline
- 2002 — Expedition Base Set (EN)
- 2003 — Aquapolis, Skyridge
The e‑Card Era ended with Skyridge, closing the WotC chapter. The franchise then transitioned fully to Nintendo’s EX Series, ushering in new mechanics and a fresh publishing era.