The first pack of Pokémon cards I ever opened was from the original Base set, released in the UK during 1999. (You know the ones which now go for hundreds of pounds on eBay?) It was a gift from my Dad and fully defied my Mum's 'No Pokémon cards' rule. While she had accepted my new-found obsession with its yellow mouse, she believed the cards were a waste of money since there was no guarantee which ones I'd get, and completing my collection involved buying an awful lot of packs. Unfortunately for us both, she was right.