Before the Booster: a home for the whole story
The book, the catalog, the reverses, and the research behind 1996 Pocket Monsters Carddass, together in one place.
Read the storySATOSHI FINDS / FOLLOW THE CURIOSITY
Rare finds.
Real history.
I’m satoshi. I collect the things that make me stop and ask: what’s the story behind that?
Sometimes it starts with a card. Sometimes a forgotten toy, an old advertisement, or something nobody thought to save. This is where I follow those questions and document what I find.
Look closely.Follow the evidence.Keep the story.
FROM THE RESEARCH DESKLOOK CLOSER ↗
THE FIND IS ONLY THE START.s.
NO SINGLE CATEGORYTrading cards✳Video games✳Toys & figures✳Pop culture✳The unexpected
PICK A RABBIT HOLE
The research starts here.
THE PIKACHU ARCHIVEOne character.
One character.
A history in cards.
Follow the timeline through Japanese and English cards, promotions, and print variants. Flip the scans, open an individual record, and explore the evidence behind each entry.
Explore the Pikachu timeline1996 POCKET MONSTERS CARDDASSBefore
Before
the Booster.
Explore Part 1 and Part 2 through the illustrated book, individual card records, photographed reverses, English interpretations, and complete set views.
Enter the Carddass archiveCOLLECTIBLES, IN CONTEXT
Every find has a home.
A single object can lead to an entire report. A promotion can become an archive of its own. Explore the collections and investigations taking shape.
FROM THE ARCHIVE / 1998 KFC
Open the KFC report THE STORIES & REPORTSA different kind of Pokémon meal.
Explore the promotion, its seven card designs, and the collectibles that brought Pokémon to the dinner table.
There’s always another rabbit hole.
Research reports, collection notes, and the next discovery. Pokémon, One Piece, SpongeBob, or something completely unexpected. If there’s a story worth documenting, it belongs here.
Explore the storiesLATEST FROM THE RESEARCH DESK
Stories worth keeping.
Inside the Pikachu archive
How to read the scans, variant notes, and dating qualifications in the first research edition, and where the archive goes next.
Read the storyLook beyond the label
A research checklist for understanding an unfamiliar collectible before turning a good question into a confident claim.
Read the storyWHAT GOES INTO THE WORK
The small details matter.
Look at the whole object.
The front gets the attention. The back, packaging, fine print, and distribution can tell a different part of the story.
Make the evidence visible.
Scans, original materials, and linked sources let you follow the research. Uncertain dates and shared image references should be easy to recognize.
Leave room to learn more.
A clearer photograph or a newly found source can change the record. These archives are built to grow as the evidence improves.
THE NEXT GOOD FIND
Stay curious.
Stay in the loop.
New research, overlooked details, and the occasional rabbit hole. Follow along as the archive grows.