Pokemon TCG: Fossil Set

Fossil Set 化石の秘密 Trading Card Game Set 3
General information
Cards	English: 62 Japanese: 48
Series	Original Series
Primary Focus	Ancient Pokémon, Fossils
Previous Expansion	Jungle Set
Following Expansion	Team Rocket
Associated Decks	BodyGuard LockDown
Released	October 10th, 1999 (English) June 21st, 1997 (Japanese)

Quick menu: Overview & Information / Print Versions & Collector’s Info / Set List / For Collectors / Most Powerful / Trivia / Images & Videos

The Fossil set is the third expansion for the Pokemon Trading Card game and introduced 62 new English cards and 48 new Japanese cards as well as the BodyGuard and Lockdown theme decks to the Pokemon Trading Card Game. To date the Fossil set is the smallest English release set (in terms of number of cards).

In the United States Fossil had originally been planned for release in January, 2000 but due to the original schedules for Jungle being pushed forward Wizards also chose to push forward the release of Fossil, releasing around 3 months earlier than originally planned on October 10th, 1999.

As with Jungle, Fossil’s predecessor, Wizards once more opted to increase the size of the English fossil set release by having both holo and non holo versions of the sets rares. There was also originally planned to be a Mew card in the English release, just like there is in the Japanese set, but they removed it and decided instead to release it as a holo and non holo version Wizards Black Star Promo (WOTC BSP #8 non holo, #9 holo).The cover Pokémon for the English release boosters for the Fossil set feature Lapras, Zapdos and Aerodactyl respectively, with the latter also being the sole Pokémon to appear on the booster box.

Meanwhile in Japan their booster features a multitude of Pokemon including Kabutops, Zapdos and Golbat, and their booster box features the Legendary Birds Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres.The release of the Fossil Set also completed the release of the first 150 Pokémon into trading card format, in Japan of course they got Mew, so for them it was the first 151.

The first three sets totalled 158 actual Pokémon cards (Base Set, Jungle and Fossil) this covered all 150 Pokemon as mentioned, and of course means a couple were replicated, these were; Gastly, Haunter, Magmar, Magneton, Raichu and Zapdos who were all in both the Base Set and Fossil and of course Pikachu and Electrode who appear in both the Base and Jungle sets. Much like Jungle did before it, Fossil also introduced for the first time the final-evolved forms of basic Pokémon that had been released in previous sets for example Dragonite, Gengar, Hypno and Sandslash.

Print Versions & Collectors Info

• The PreRelease card print for this set was Aerodactyl.
• The unlimited Fossil Set release used red letters for the word “Pokémon” on booster boxes and packs in it’s Australian release (as opposed to yellow everywhere else in the international releases) to help prevent the sale of fake packs.

Fossil rounded out the original 1999 trio. The English release carried three booster arts — Aerodactyl, Lapras and Zapdos — while Japan issued it as Mystery of the Fossils with its own wrapper and box art.

English booster packs

Japanese release

Set List

Here is the complete set list of 62 cards for the original English release Fossil set including all cards sorted by their numerical card number along with rarity and types.

Card Image	No.	Card name	Rarity	Card type
	1/62	Aerodactyl
	Card text No more Evolution cards can be played. This power stops working while Aerodactyl is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	2/62	Articuno
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
	3/62	Ditto
	Card text If Ditto is your Active Pokémon, treat it as if it were the same card as the Defending Pokémon, including type, Hit Points, Weakness, and so on, except Ditto can’t evolve, always has this Pokémon Power, and you may treat any Energy attached to Ditto as Energy of any type. Ditto isn’t a copy of any other Pokémon while Ditto is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	4/62	Dragonite
	Card text Once during your turn (before your attack), if Dragonite is on your Bench, you may switch it with your Active Pokémon.
	5/62	Gengar
	Card text Once during your turn (before your attack), you may move 1 damage counter from 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon to another (even if it would Knock Out the other Pokémon). This power can’t be used if Gengar is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	6/62	Haunter
	Card text Whenever an attack does anything to Haunter, flip a coin. If heads, prevent all effects of that attack, including damage, done to Haunter. This power stops working while Haunter is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	7/62	Hitmonlee
	Card text If your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, choose 1 of them and this attack does 20 damage to it. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	8/62	Hypno
	Card text Look at up to 3 cards from the top of either player’s deck and rearrange them as you like.
	9/62	Kabutops
	Card text Remove a number of damage counters from Kabutops equal to half the damage done to the Defending Pokémon (after applying Weakness and Resistance) (rounded up to the nearest 10). If Kabutops has fewer damage counters than that, remove all of them.
	10/62	Lapras
	Card text Does 10 damage plus 10 more damage for each Water Energy attached to Lapras but not used to pay for this attack’s Energy cost. You can’t add more than 20 damage in this way.
	11/62	Magneton
	Card text Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for this attack. (Any other effects that would happen after applying Weakness and Resistance still happen.)
	12/62	Moltres
	Card text You may discard any number of Fire Energy cards attached to Moltres when you use this attack. If you do, discard that many cards from the top of your opponent’s deck.
	13/62	Muk
	Card text Ignore all Pokémon Powers other than Toxic Gases. This power stops working while Muk is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	14/62	Raichu
	Card text Choose 3 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon and this attack does 10 damage to each of them. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) If your opponent has fewer than 3 Benched Pokémon, do the damage to each of them.
	15/62	Zapdos
	Card text For each of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon, flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 20 damage to that Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) Then, Zapdos does 10 damage times the number of tails to itself.
	16/62	Aerodactyl
	Card text No more Evolution cards can be played. This power stops working while Aerodactyl is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	17/62	Articuno
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 damage to each of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. If tails, this attack does 10 damage to each of your own Benched Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	18/62	Ditto
	Card text If Ditto is your Active Pokémon, treat it as if it were the same card as the Defending Pokémon, including type, Hit Points, Weakness, and so on, except Ditto can’t evolve, always has this Pokémon Power, and you may treat any Energy attached to Ditto as Energy of any type. Ditto isn’t a copy of any other Pokémon while Ditto is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	19/62	Dragonite
	Card text Once during your turn (before your attack), if Dragonite is on your Bench, you may switch it with your Active Pokémon
	20/62	Gengar
	Card text Once during your turn (before your attack), you may move 1 damage counter from 1 of your opponent’s Pokémon to another (even if it would Knock Out the other Pokémon). This power can’t be used if Gengar is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	21/62	Haunter
	Card text Whenever an attack does anything to Haunter, flip a coin. If heads, prevent all effects of that attack, including damage, done to Haunter. This power stops working while Haunter is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	22/62	Hitmonlee
	Card text If your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, choose 1 of them and this attack does 20 damage to it. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	23/62	Hypno
	Card text Look at up to 3 cards from the top of either player’s deck and rearrange them as you like.
	24/62	Kabutops
	Card text Remove a number of damage counters from Kabutops equal to half the damage done to the Defending Pokémon (after applying Weakness and Resistance) (rounded up to the nearest 10). If Kabutops has fewer damage counters than that, remove all of them.
	25/62	Lapras
	Card text Does 10 damage plus 10 more damage for each Water Energy attached to Lapras but not used to pay for this attack’s Energy cost. You can’t add more than 20 damage in this way.
	26/62	Magneton
	Card text Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for this attack. (Any other effects that would happen after applying Weakness and Resistance still happen.)
	27/62	Moltres
	Card text You may discard any number of Fire Energy cards attached to Moltres when you use this attack. If you do, discard that many cards from the top of your opponent’s deck.
	28/62	Muk
	Card text Ignore all Pokémon Powers other than Toxic Gases. This power stops working while Muk is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	29/62	Raichu
	Card text Choose 3 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon and this attack does 10 damage to each of them. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) If your opponent has fewer than 3 Benched Pokémon, do the damage to each of them.
	30/62	Zapdos
	Card text For each of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon, flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 20 damage to that Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) Then, Zapdos does 10 damage times the number of tails to itself.
	31/62	Arbok
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads and if your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, he or she chooses 1 of them and switches it with the Defending Pokémon. (Do the damage before switching the Pokémon.)
	32/62	Cloyster
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed. If tails, this attack does nothing (not even damage).
	33/62	Gastly
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
	34/62	Golbat
	Card text Remove a number of damage counters from Golbat equal to the damage done to the Defending Pokémon (after applying Weakness and Resistance). If Golbat has fewer damage counters than that, remove all of them.
	35/62	Golduck
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
	36/62	Golem
	Card text Does 20 damage to each Pokémon on each player’s Bench. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) Golem does 100 damage to itself.
	37/62	Graveler
	Card text During your opponent’s next turn, whenever 30 or less damage is done to Graveler (after applying Weakness and Resistance), prevent that damage. (Any other effects of attacks still happen.)
	38/62	Kingler
	Card text Does 10 damage times the number of damage counters on Kingler.
	39/62	Magmar
	Card text If the Defending Pokémon tries to attack during your opponent’s next turn, your opponent flips a coin. If tails, that attack does nothing.
	40/62	Omastar
	Card text Does 20 damage plus 10 more damage for each Water Energy attached to Omastar but not used to pay for this attack’s Energy cost. You can’t add more than 20 damage in this way.
	41/62	Sandslash
	Card text Flip 3 coins. This attack does 20 damage times the number of heads.
	42/62	Seadra
	Card text Does 20 damage plus 10 more damage for each Water Energy attached to Seadra but not used to pay for this attack’s Energy cost. You can’t add more than 20 damage in this way.
	43/62	Slowbro
	Card text As often as you like during your turn (before your attack), you may move 1 damage counter from 1 of your Pokémon to Slowbro as long as you don’t Knock Out Slowbro. This power can’t be used if Slowbro is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	44/62	Tentacruel
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Confused.
	45/62	Weezing
	Card text Does 10 damage to each Pokémon on each player’s Bench. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) Weezing does 60 damage to itself.
	46/62	Ekans
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Poisoned.
	47/62	Geodude
	Card text Flip a coin until you get tails. This attack does 10 damage times the number of heads.
	48/62	Grimer
	Card text All damage done by attacks to Grimer during your opponent’s next turn is reduced by 20 (after applying Weakness and Resistance).
	49/62	Horsea
	Card text If the Defending Pokémon tries to attack during your opponent’s next turn, your opponent flips a coin. If tails, that attack does nothing.
	50/62	Kabuto
	Card text Whenever an attack (even your own) does damage to Kabuto (after applying Weakness and Resistance), that attack only does half the damage to Kabuto (rounded down to the nearest 10). (Any other effects of attacks still happen.) This power stops working while Kabuto is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	51/62	Krabby
	Card text Search your deck for a Basic Pokémon named Krabby and put it onto your Bench. Shuffle your deck afterward. (You can’t use this attack if your Bench is full.)
	52/62	Omanyte
	Card text Your opponent plays with his or her hand face up. This power stops working while Omanyte is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	53/62	Psyduck
	Card text Your opponent can’t play Trainer cards during his or her next turn.
	54/62	Shellder
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, prevent all damage done to Shellder during your opponent’s next turn. (Any other effects of attacks still happen.)
	55/62	Slowpoke
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, remove a damage counter from Slowpoke. This attack can’t be used if Slowpoke has no damage counters on it.
	56/62	Tentacool
	Card text At any time during your turn (before your attack), you may return Tentacool to your hand. (Discard all cards attached to Tentacool.) This power can’t be used the turn you put Tentacool into play or if Tentacool is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	57/62	Zubat
	Card text Remove a number of damage counters from Zubat equal to the damage done to the Defending Pokémon (after applying Weakness and Resistance). If Zubat has fewer damage counters than that, remove all of them.
	58/62	Mr. Fuji		T
	Card text Choose a Pokémon on your Bench. Shuffle it and any cards attached to it into your deck.
	59/62	Energy Search		T
	Card text Search your deck for a basic Energy card and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterwar
	60/62	Gambler		T
	Card text Shuffle your hand into your deck. Flip a coin. If heads, draw 8 cards. If tails, draw 1 card.
	61/62	Recycle		T
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, put a card in your discard pile on top of your deck.
	62/62	Mysterious Fossil		T
	Card text Play Mysterious Fossil as if it were a Basic Pokémon. While in play, Mysterious Fossil counts as a Pokémon (instead of a Trainer card). Mysterious Fossil has no attacks, can’t retreat, and can’t be Asleep, Confused, Paralyzed, or Poisoned. If Mysterious Fossil is Knocked Out, it doesn’t count as a Knocked Out Pokémon. (Discard it anyway.) At any time during your turn before your attack, you may discard Mysterious Fossil from play.

For Collectors: Most Valuable Cards

Fossil sits in an odd spot. It is the third expansion and the smallest of the Wizards-era originals, yet it holds two of the most valuable holos of the entire Base–Fossil era. It also carries a quirk of printing history: Fossil was the last set to use the galaxy-star holofoil pattern. Everything after it moved to Cosmos Holofoil, which makes Fossil the end of a visual era and gives its holos a distinct look collectors specifically hunt.

Dragonite (4/62)

One of the two headline cards. Dragonite’s standing as a fan-favourite pseudo-legendary has always outstripped its playability, and 1st Edition holos in high grade are among the most sought-after cards from any 1999 set outside Base Set Charizard.

Gengar (5/62)

The other headline card, and frequently the single most valuable card in the set. Keiji Kinebuchi’s artwork and Gengar’s enduring popularity keep demand high regardless of format relevance.

The Legendary Birds — Articuno (2/62), Moltres (12/62), Zapdos (15/62)

Fossil is the set that gave the TCG all three Kanto legendary birds, and collectors routinely chase them as a trio. Zapdos is the most variant-heavy card in the set — alongside the standard holo there are corrected and Cosmos Holofoil printings worth identifying before you value a copy.

Ditto (3/62)

Ditto’s TCG debut, and a genuinely clever piece of design: its Pokémon Power, Transform, translates the only move Ditto ever learns in the video games directly into the card game. It also carries some of the earliest computer-generated artwork used for a Pokémon in the TCG, which gives it a following independent of play value.

Aerodactyl (1/62) and the Prerelease stamp

The Prerelease Aerodactyl is Fossil’s marquee variant — distributed at prerelease events with a stamp that appears in both gold and brown. It is one of the more genuinely scarce Wizards-era cards, and the stamp colour materially affects value. Worth authenticating carefully.

Vintage prices move constantly. Treat any quoted figure as directional and check live sold comps before buying or selling.

Most Powerful Cards (Competitive Play)

Where Jungle broadened the format, Fossil disrupted it. Its most important card is not an attacker at all — it is a Pokémon Power that switched other Pokémon Powers off, and it forced every control deck in the format to rethink itself.

Muk (13/62)

The most format-warping card in the set. Toxic Gas shut down the Pokémon Powers of every Pokémon in play — including Blastoise’s Rain Dance, Dodrio’s Retreat Aid and Ditto’s Transform. A single Muk on the Bench could dismantle a Rain Dance deck’s entire engine. It is telling that Muk is one of the cheapest holos in the set today and was one of the most feared cards in 1999: collector value and competitive importance are not the same thing.

Aerodactyl (1/62)

Prehistoric Power stopped all evolution while Aerodactyl was in play. Against decks built on Stage 1 and Stage 2 lines — which was most of the format’s control decks — that was close to a lock. Like Muk, it won games by preventing the opponent from playing their deck rather than by attacking.

Ditto (3/62)

Transform copied the Active opposing Pokémon’s attacks, HP and Weakness. Powerful in theory, and genuinely useful against big attackers — but note the interaction with Muk above: in a format where Muk saw heavy play, Ditto was frequently a dead card. That tension is a good illustration of how the Base–Fossil metagame actually worked.

Moltres (12/62)

Wildfire discarded cards from the opponent’s deck, making Moltres a legitimate deck-out win condition in slower control shells — typically alongside Energy Removal and Super Energy Removal to keep the opponent from closing the game conventionally.

Hitmonlee (7/62)

Stretch Kick hit a Benched Pokémon for 20 with no Energy cost beyond Fighting, letting it pick off supporting Pokémon before they came into play. Strong, though it never displaced Base Set’s Hitmonchan as the Fighting attacker of choice.

Trivia & Pop Culture

• Fossil was the last English set to use the galaxy-star holofoil pattern. Every set from Base Set 2 onwards used Cosmos Holofoil, making Fossil the visual end of the original holo era.
• It is the smallest of the original Wizards expansions at 62 cards, sold in 11-card booster packs.
• The Japanese equivalent was released as Mystery of the Fossils (化石の秘密).
• Fossil marks the TCG debut of Ditto, whose Transform Pokémon Power is one of the most faithful video-game-to-card translations in the game’s history.
• All three Kanto legendary birds — Articuno, Moltres and Zapdos — appear in this set.
• Fossil continued the holo/non-holo doubling convention Jungle introduced: 15 holo rares at 1–15, the same 15 Pokémon again as non-holo rares at 16–30.
• The two most valuable cards in the set, Dragonite and Gengar, were both largely competitive non-factors — a reminder that in vintage Pokémon, character popularity drives price far more reliably than tournament results.

Images & Videos

A collection of media relating to the Fossil Set of the Pokemon TCG including English & Japanese booster pack art and booster box art as well as TV commercials and other videos. I wonder why Lapras and Zapdos got to be cover Pokémon on the English boosters over Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto and Kabutops? they were surely the obvious candidates!