The last Shadowless Pokémon cards were printed during the initial Base Set run in 1999, before Wizards of the Coast transitioned to printing the more common Shadowed versions. Shadowless cards are a very specific subset of the Base Set cards, characterized by the absence of a shadow on the right side of the Pokémon image box, making them visually distinct and rarer than later prints. These Shadowless cards were produced only in the earliest print runs of the Base Set, roughly in the first half of 1999, before the printing process was adjusted to include the shadow effect on subsequent cards[3][4].
To clarify, the Shadowless cards belong exclusively to the Base Set released in 1999 by Wizards of the Coast. After this initial print run, the company introduced the Shadowed cards, which featured a drop shadow around the Pokémon image box, giving the cards a more three-dimensional look. This change was part of a broader effort to improve card durability and aesthetics. The Shadowless cards are often considered the “first edition” or “early print” cards, although not all Shadowless cards are first edition; there are unlimited Shadowless cards as well, but both are rarer than the Shadowed prints[3].
The printing of Shadowless cards ceased entirely before the release of the Jungle expansion in June 1999, which was the second expansion set and did not include Shadowless cards. The Base Set Shadowless cards are thus confined to a very narrow window in 1999, making them highly collectible and valuable today, especially iconic cards like the Shadowless Charizard[3][4][5].
Regarding the transition in publishers, Wizards of the Coast managed the Pokémon Trading Card Game until mid-2003. After that, The Pokémon Company took over publishing, starting with the EX Ruby and Sapphire set. By this time, the Shadowless style was long discontinued, and the card design had evolved significantly with new expansions and mechanics[3].
In summary, the last Shadowless cards were printed only during the earliest Base Set print runs in 1999, before the introduction of the Shadowed cards later that year. No Shadowless cards were printed after the Base Set, making them exclusive to that initial 1999 release period.
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