Fire Energy (TCG)

Fire Energy (Japanese: 炎エネルギー Fire Energy) is a TCG Basic Energy card which provides one TCG Fire Energy. This can be attached to Pokémon cards and used to power moves with Fire or TCG Colorless Energy requirements.

Release information
As one of the original Basic Energy cards, Fire Energy was released at the very beginning of the Trading Card Game in the TCG Expansion Pack in Japan and TCG Base Set internationally. International prints were numbered while the Japanese prints were unnumbered. The first numbered Japanese prints of the original card design were part of the Squirtle Deck of the TCG Intro Pack. Cards in the Intro Pack were reprints that retained their original numbering and expansion symbols but had an additional symbol and number to properly order the decks; six of these were Fire Energy. The TCG Base Set 2, TCG Gym Heroes, TCG Gym Challenge, and TCG Neo Genesis expansions all reprinted this card. In Japan, the TCG Intro Pack Neo included five reprints within the Chikorita Half Deck and had a similar numbering scheme as the Intro Pack.

For the Pokémon VS Era, the basic card layout was altered. The only releases using this layout was the Japanese TCG Leaders Pokémon Theater Limited Edition deck and the TCG Pokémon VS expansion. While it has no visible difference from the Japanese print, the TCG Tyranitar Half Deck included this card. The half deck was only given to participants in the Tropical Mega Battle and 2002 World Championships. The first unnumbered international print as well as first Holofoil print of Fire Energy was a participation reward during the February 2002 Energize Your Game TCG Pokémon League season.

With the invention of the e-Reader, the Trading Card Game adopted a new card layout to utilize the machine. Fire Energy was printed with this layout in the TCG Expedition Base Set, first released in the Japanese TCG Pokémon-e Starter Deck. A Holofoil version was released in the Japanese TCG McDonald's Pokémon-e Minimum Pack. Starting with the EX Series, Basic Energies dropped the e-Reader strips but retained the symbol in the bottom left corner. This card was printed in this style in the TCG EX Ruby & Sapphire expansion. The e-Reader symbol was later dropped starting with the reprint in the TCG EX Trainer Kit; this also affected the later EX Ruby & Sapphire prints included in EX FireRed & LeafGreen and EX Team Rocket Returns TCG Theme Decks.

In Japan, Fire Energy was reprinted with new artwork in the TCG Fire Quick Construction Pack. However, international sets would not adopt this artwork for several years, with the reprint in the TCG EX Trainer Kit 2 using the old artwork. The EX Ruby & Sapphire print had a variant with the TCG Professor Program logo stamped to the top left of the card that was given to Pokémon Professors during the 2004-2005 league cycle. In Japan, another print of Fire Energy with the new artwork was released as one of the TCG PCG-P Promotional cards. This card received new artwork in the TCG EX Emerald expansion.

In Japan, the Fire Quick Construction Pack print was reprinted in the Torchic Quarter Deck of the TCG Master Kit, the TCG Holon Research Tower Fire Quarter Deck, and the Mightyena Quarter Deck of the TCG Gift Box Mew • Lucario. Yet another reprint with new artwork was included in the TCG EX Holon Phantoms expansion. A Holofoil Fire Energy utilizing the EX Trainer Kit print's design was given out to participants of the 2006-2007 Pokémon League cycle. In Japan, the start of the DP Era brought with it another Energy card redesign, which saw its first use in the TCG Entry Pack. A variant was given out at Gym Challenge events in December 2006. This version has the Gym Challenge logo in the bottom right corner of the card. The artwork originally seen on the Fire Quick Construction Pack print was then finally released in English in the TCG EX Power Keepers expansion. This expansion inspired the release of the TCG World Champions Pack in Japan, which included this card.

With the international game entering the DP Series, the Entry Pack print was printed in English in the TCG Diamond & Pearl expansion. An unnumbered Crosshatch Holo print was a participation prize during the 2007-2008 Pokémon League cycle. This print features the TCG Pokémon Organized Play logo in the top left corner of the card. In Japan, Cosmos Holo reprints of this card were prizes at Gym Challenge events in 2009. Due to the card game changing Eras in the middle of the cycle, one print is a TCG DPt-P Promotional cards (DPt-P card) and the other is a TCG L-P Promotional cards (L-P card). In Japan, the TCG Movie Commemoration Random Pack included a reprint of Fire Energy with unique artwork never seen outside the pack. A Crosshatch Holo Fire Energy was again a prize in a Pokémon League cycle, though with the changeover from Organized Play to Play! Pokémon in 2009, the stamp was changed to match the logo and was placed in the bottom right corner.

With the transition to the HeartGold & Soulsilver Series, Basic Energies saw another redesign, though this time each type was given unique background art. These were first included in the TCG HeartGold & SoulSilver expansion, previously released in the Japanese TCG HeartGold & SoulSilver Collection. The Magmortar Battle Strength Deck of the TCG Battle Strength Decks included a print that removed the background art but retained the card layout redesign. The HGSS print was reprinted in the TCG Call of Legends as a Holofoil card.

Fire Energy was reprinted with new artwork in the Tepig Half Deck of the Japanese TCG Beginning Set, with multiple prints each bearing a different number to organize the half deck. This print was included in the TCG Black & White expansion, having been previously reprinted in the TCG Virizion Battle Strength Deck in Japan. It was reprinted as one of the TCG BW-P Promotional cards included in card packs given out during the February 2011 Gym Challenge. It has the Gym Challenge logo in the bottom right corner. It saw another reprint in the Victini Formation Deck of the TCG Battle Theme Deck: Victini and again as another BW-P card, this time as a winner prize at the Summer Carnival in July 2011. Like the previous promo, it has the logo for the event in the bottom right. In Japan, unnumbered reprints bearing their respective sets' expansion symbols were included in the TCG Beginning Set +, TCG Reshiram-EX Battle Strength Deck, TCG Beginning Set Pikachu Version, and Tornadus Half Deck of the TCG Battle Gift Set: Thundurus vs Tornadus. A Holo version of the Black & White print was the prize for the November 2011 Basic Season cycle of the Pokémon League. Like previous versions, the Play! Pokémon logo is in the bottom right corner. A Crosshatch Holo variant of the Call of Legends print was later a prize for the 2011-2012 Pokémon League cycle, bearing the Play! Pokémon logo in the bottom right corner.

This card was reprinted as another BW-P promo, this time available in card packs given out at the March 2012 and September 2012 Gym Challenges. Again, the Gym Challenge logo is stamped in the bottom right. Further unnumbered but symboled Japanese reprints were included in the TCG National Beginning Set, TCG White Kyurem-EX Battle Strength Deck, and TCG Everyone's Exciting Battle expansion before a final BW-P reprint with a stamp for the event was the participation prize for the Battle Carnival Spring 2013. The TCG XY Beginning Set saw new artwork for Fire Energy, which made its way into the English TCG XY expansion. But not before an unnumbered TCG XY-P Promotional cards (XY-P Promotional print) with a stamp was released in the  in December 2013. In Japan, this card was reprinted: in the TCG M Charizard-EX Mega Battle Deck; as unnumbered XY-P promos in May-July 2014 and February-March 2015 Pokémon Card Gym packs; as an unnumbered XY-P promo that was a prize for competing in 5 on 5 Battles at the Lizardon Mega Battle in May 2014, featuring the event's logo in the bottom right; as another unnumbered XY-P promo in Pokémon Center Crisis Battle packs in January 2015; and in the TCG M Rayquaza-EX Mega Battle Deck; in the Emboar-EX Half Deck of the TCG Emboar-EX vs Togekiss-EX Deck Kit; and in the TCG BREAK Starter Pack.

A reprint with new artwork was released as an unnumbered XY-P promo available in May-July 2015 Pokémon Card Gym packs and later was a participation prize for the Pokémon Card Gym from August to October 2016. This print was released in English in the TCG Generations expansion. The TCG Premium Champion Pack included a Mirror Reverse Holo reprint of Fire Energy with unique artwork. An unnumbered Holo version of the XY print was included in the TCG Battle Arena Decks: Rayquaza vs Keldeo. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Pokémon, Cosmos Holofoil Basic Energy cards bearing the original layout were given out as prizes for three straight wins at the 20th Anniversary Festa held in October 2016. This print was then included in the TCG Evolutions expansion.

The Sun & Moon Series brought with it another Energy card design. For the first time, Basic Energy cards in English sets were completely unnumbered and included in every expansion starting with TCG Sun & Moon, matching the unnumbered Energies being released in Japanese products such as the TCG Premium Trainer Box. A Mirror Reverse Holofoil reprint of this card was included in the Japanese TCG Strength Expansion Pack Sun & Moon. An unnumbered, Mirror Holo TCG SM-P Promotional cards (SM-P Promotional) reprint was one of the prizes available from the. Fire Energy was then released as a TCG Secret card for the first time, in the TCG Burning Shadows expansion, previously released in the TCG To Have Seen the Battle Rainbow expansion in Japan. This print features unique artwork.

This card was reprinted as a SM-P promo numbered 129/SM-P and was given out at as a Play Point prize at several events: at the Champion's League 2018 Yokohama for four points; at the Champion's League 2018 1st Certified Tournament for 12 points; and at the Champion's League 2018 Nagoya/Kyoto, Pokémon Japan Championsips 2018, Champion's League 2019 Tokyo, and Champion's League 2019 Certified Tournament for six points. It features the Champion's League 2018 logo in the bottom right corner of the card. The prints of Fire Energy included in TCG Shining Legends packs were Holofoil. Two more SM-P promos, 173/SM-P and 174/SM-P, were available from special packs given to customers of stores who bought five booster packs of TCG Ultra Sun or TCG Ultra Moon starting December 8, 2017. 174 is Holofoil while 173 is not, and both have the 7-Eleven logo stamped in the bottom right corner. A final SM-P promo was the participation prize for the Pokémon Card Station: Pokémon Card Game Classroom in 2017.

A new unnumbered print was included in the TCG Team Up expansion, first released in the Japanese TCG Flareon-GX Starter Set Fire.

Trivia

 * Prior to the TCG Expedition Base Set, all prints of this card credited Keiji Kinebuchi as its illustrator. The Expedition print, as well as all subsequent prints, did not list an illustrator credit.
 * The background for the HeartGold & SoulSilver variant has an outline of and the Bell Tower.

Origin
Feuer-Energie (TCG) Energía fuego (TCG) Énergie Feu (Set de Base 98) Energia Fuoco (GCC) 基本炎エネルギー 基本火能量（集换式卡片）