Vending Machine cards (TCG)

Unlike regular expansions, where a player would receive a number of cards from a booster pack, these cards were only obtainable on randomized sheets from a Vending Machine from which the cards were peeled. It is due to this that the fan name Vending Machine Series was coined by collectors, and should not be considered the proper name for the set.

Series 1 (Blue) and 2 (Red) feature eighteen sheets with three cards per-sheet along with cardboard damage counters and coins. Series 3 (Green) features eighteen sheets with three cards plus one special card which had a non-standard back, most of which are gag-cards or special cards featuring extra game rules or theme deck ideas.

The reverse of the sheet in each series features Pokémon from 6 different locations in the Kanto region. The Pokémon cards on the sheets are representative of the location indicated. Series 1 and 2 sheets include gameplay tips and advertisements for other expansions. Series 3 sheets detail the "Evolution by Mail Campaign" (see below). Each sheet is also numbered in the bottom right corner and each always contain the same cards. For example, Series 1 sheet 12 will always have Chansey, Nidoran♀, and Nidoran♂. Collecting all numbered sheets 1-18 will yield the entire set with some single duplicates of the common cards.

• The cards are printed on glossy card stock, unlike the regular matte card stock. Glossy card stock became quite popular through the time of 1998 until about 2001 for promos from magazines such as CoroCoro.
• A special preview expansion sheet was available at the 7th Next Generation World Hobby Fair held in December 1997, featuring Pikachu, Mewtwo, and Mew. Officially Unnumbered Promotional cards, they are often regarded as additions to the Vending Machine collection and dubbed "Series 00".
• With the release of Series 3 the "Evolution by Mail Campaign" was launched, inspired by trade evolution in the Pokémon games. In order to acquire the fully evolved versions of Kadabra, Machoke, Graveler, Haunter, and Omanyte, people had to send one of these cards along with the Pass Card Bill's PC to MediaFactory before April 1999. In return they received the evolved version of the card they sent, each of them a holographic promotional card. These cards are often sought after by collectors due to the method in which the cards were originally distributed. Similarly to the WHF preview sheet, they are also often regarded as unofficial additions to the Vending Machine collection.
• The winning entries in the CoroCoro Pokémon Illustration Contest, which ran from late 1997 to early 1998, had their illustrations printed on cards across the three series. A total of four finalists had their artwork featured on cards, with all finalists receiving the much sought-after Pokémon Illustrator card.
  • In a similar manner, Wizards of the Coast also ran an illustration contest in 2002. The winning entry was featured on the English version of Snorlax, the Japanese version of which was one of the winning CoroCoro Pokémon Illustration Contest entries.
• Due to the likely monetary restrictions of distributing the cards in a similar manner, many of these cards were not released outside of Japan. Of those that were, all of them were printed as Wizards Black Star Promos and distributed via the Pokémon League throughout the 2001-2002 season.

Vending Machine cards Series 1 (Blue)

Series 1 (Blue) No. Image Card name Type Rarity Promotion — Bulbasaur — Caterpie — Metapod — Weedle — Kakuna — Nidoran♀ — Nidoran♂ — Zubat — Golbat — Paras — Parasect — Pinsir — Charmander — Rapidash — Squirtle — Poliwag — Poliwhirl — Poliwrath — Pikachu — Abra — Mr. Mime — Mewtwo — Geodude — Pidgey — Rattata — Clefairy — Wigglytuff — Doduo — Dodrio — Lickitung — Chansey — Eevee — Porygon — Snorlax — Moon Stone T — — Fossil Excavation T —

Series 1 sheet breakdown Area 1 - Professor Oak's Laboratory Sheet 1 Rattata Squirtle Poliwag Sheet 2 Pidgey Charmander Poliwag Sheet 3 Rattata Bulbasaur Pidgey Area 2 - Viridian Forest Sheet 4 Caterpie Metapod Kakuna Sheet 5 Weedle Mr. Mime Kakuna Sheet 6 Weedle Pikachu Caterpie Area 3 - Mt. Moon Sheet 7 Geodude Clefairy Zubat Sheet 8 Geodude Fossil Excavation Paras Sheet 9 Zubat Moon Stone Paras Area 4 - Safari Zone #1 Sheet 10 Pinsir Doduo Nidoran♂ Sheet 11 Nidoran♀ Doduo Lickitung Sheet 12 Chansey Nidoran♀ Nidoran♂ Area 5 - Cerulean Cave #1 Sheet 13 Rapidash Golbat Dodrio Sheet 14 Parasect Golbat Wigglytuff Sheet 15 Parasect Mewtwo Dodrio Area 6 - Celadon City Sheet 16 Snorlax Abra Eevee Sheet 17 Abra Porygon Poliwhirl Sheet 18 Eevee Poliwrath Porygon

Vending Machine cards Series 2 (Red)

Series 2 (Red) No. Image Card name Type Rarity Promotion — Venomoth — Grimer — Koffing — Tangela — Moltres — Seel — Dewgong — Shellder — Krabby — Lapras — Omanyte — Articuno — Raichu — Magnemite — Magneton — Voltorb — Electabuzz — Zapdos — Jynx — Sandshrew — Machop — Machoke — Graveler — Onix — Marowak — Hitmonlee — Hitmonchan — Kabuto — Aerodactyl — Spearow — Fearow — Ditto — Flash T — Master Ball T — Max Revive T — Guard Spec. T

Series 2 sheet breakdown Area 1 - Rock Tunnel Sheet 1 Onix Sandshrew Spearow Sheet 2 Spearow Machop Flash Sheet 3 Sandshrew Ditto Machop Area 2 - Power Plant Sheet 4 Magnemite Voltorb Magneton Sheet 5 Electabuzz Zapdos Magnemite Sheet 6 Raichu Voltorb Electabuzz Area 3 - Seafoam Islands #1 Sheet 7 Seel Dewgong Shellder Sheet 8 Jynx Shellder Krabby Sheet 9 Seel Articuno Krabby Area 4 - Victory Road Sheet 10 Graveler Venomoth Fearow Sheet 11 Fearow Marowak Machoke Sheet 12 Venomoth Machoke Moltres Area 5 - Saffron City Sheet 13 Guard Spec. Hitmonlee Lapras Sheet 14 Max Revive Lapras Hitmonchan Sheet 15 Master Ball Guard Spec. Max Revive Area 6 - Cinnabar Island #1 Sheet 16 Grimer Tangela Aerodactyl Sheet 17 Kabuto Grimer Koffing Sheet 18 Koffing Omanyte Tangela

Vending Machine cards Series 3 (Green)

Series 3 (Green) No. Image Card name Type Rarity Promotion — Arbok — Nidorina — Nidorino — Venonat — Bellsprout — Weepinbell — Weezing — Scyther — Vulpix — Growlithe — Ponyta — Magmar — Golduck — Kingler — Horsea — Seadra — Staryu — Omanyte — Kadabra — Kadabra — Slowbro — Gastly — Haunter — Haunter — Hypno — Mewtwo — Sandslash — Machoke — Graveler — Cubone — Rhydon — Pidgeotto — Kangaskhan — Tauros — Pokémon Retransfer T — Pokémon Tower T — 4 Prize Battle ER — — 20 Damage from Confusion ER — — 3 Deck Battle ER — — 3 vs 3 Dugtrio Team Battle ER — — Deck Exchange ER — — Ooyama's Pikachu — — Imakuni?'s PC PC — — Imakuni?'s Nasty Plot T — — Imakuni?'s Corner — — Lose? — — Pokémon Machine — — Bill's PC PC — — The Puzzle of Pokémon Tower? DL — — Ouch! At the Pokémon Mansion DL — — Violence in the Safari Zone! DL — — Horsea of the Seafoam Islands DL — — The Last Cave – Cerulean! DL —

Series 3 sheet breakdown Area 1 - Lavender Town Sheet 1 Cubone The Puzzle of Pokémon Tower? Pokémon Tower Bellsprout Sheet 2 Gastly Ooyama's Pikachu Weepinbell Cubone Sheet 3 Haunter 4 Prize Battle Bellsprout Gastly Area 2 - Cinnabar Island #2 Sheet 4 Growlithe Imakuni?'s Corner Ponyta Pidgeotto Sheet 5 Magmar 20 Damage from Confusion Vulpix Ponyta Sheet 6 Weezing Ouch! At the Pokémon Mansion Vulpix Growlithe Area 3 - Safari Zone #2 Sheet 7 Scyther 3 Deck Battle Kangaskhan Tauros Sheet 8 Venonat Violence in the Safari Zone! Kangaskhan Nidorina Sheet 9 Tauros Imakuni?'s Nasty Plot Nidorino Venonat Area 4 - Seafoam Islands #2 Sheet 10 Staryu Horsea of the Seafoam Islands Kingler Horsea Sheet 11 Golduck 3 vs 3 Dugtrio Team Battle Staryu Slowbro Sheet 12 Horsea Imakuni?'s PC Slowbro Seadra Area 5 - Cerulean Cave #2 Sheet 13 Mewtwo Deck Exchange Arbok Kadabra Sheet 14 Kadabra The Last Cave – Cerulean! Hypno Sandslash Sheet 15 Sandslash Pokémon Machine Rhydon Mewtwo Area 6 - Sea Cottage Sheet 16 Pokémon Retransfer Bill's PC Kadabra Machoke Sheet 17 Graveler Bill's PC Omanyte Pokémon Retransfer Sheet 18 Graveler Lose? Haunter Machoke

The three Vending Machines Series are exclusively released in Japanese. All cards are glossy and with rarities symbols.

This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.