Giovanni’s Magikarp comes from a single documented Japanese print — a 1999 old-back single that carries a numbering convention most collectors never learn to read correctly. That makes it a useful card to walk through in detail: one print, one set, and a numbering system that looks like a set position but isn’t.
The card is Giovanni’s Magikarp, our listing’s card number No.129, from the Japanese expansion Gym Expansion Volume 2, “Challenge from the Darkness” — the set Bulbapedia’s English-language records list as Gym Challenge, Japan’s 6th TCG expansion, released 25 June 1999. It carries the original 1996–2001 “old back” card design, predating the July 2001 card-back redesign introduced with Pokemon VS. We currently list a PSA 10 graded copy of this print, and this guide covers what the card is, how its number actually works, how the Japanese print compares to its English counterpart, and where it sits alongside the other Gym-leader singles we list from the same set.
Giovanni’s Magikarp Old Back No.129 is a PSA 10, currently listed at ¥159,064 (~$1,000). It comes from Gym Expansion Volume 2 (JP release 25 June 1999, 98 total Japanese cards), and the “No.129” on the card is a National Pokedex-based numbering convention, not a set position. No additional Japanese print of this exact card is documented. From the same set, we also list a PSA 10 Blaine’s Charmeleon Old Back [PMCG-G2 No.005] currently listed at ¥100,300 (~$631).
Prices below are current samuraiswordtokyo.com listings, converted at ¥159/USD (September 2026).
The Card: Giovanni’s Magikarp Old Back No.129
Giovanni’s Magikarp is a Basic, Water-type Pokemon with 30 HP. It carries two attacks: “Ancestral Memory,” a coin-flip attack for 40 damage, and “Flail Around,” a three-coin-flip attack with variable damage depending on how many flips land heads. The English print credits Ken Sugimori as illustrator; the Japanese-language print’s illustrator credit was not independently re-verified for this guide, but it is very likely the same artist.
Our own graded copy of this print is currently listed at ¥159,064 (~$1,000), PSA 10. The card number printed on the slab — No.129 — is not the card’s sequential position within a print run. It reflects the numbering convention used across old-back-era Japanese sets: cards are ordered by type first, then by ascending rarity, then by National Pokedex number within each group. Magikarp’s own National Pokedex number is 129, which is exactly what shows up on this print. It’s a structural rule that applies to old-back Japanese sets generally, not something unique to this particular card. For more on reading Japanese card numbering conventions, see our guide to reading Japanese Pokemon cards.
Print History and Set Siblings
No separate Japanese reprint of this exact Giovanni’s Magikarp card has turned up in our research. Only one Japanese print is documented, and it carries the original 1996–2001 “old back” card-back design — the design used before the July 2001 redesign that introduced the newer card back with Pokemon VS. Our site has two general explainers on the old-back design itself: the Japanese old-back Pokemon cards guide and the Japanese Pokemon card-back design guide — both cover the general old-back category in more depth than this single-card page does.
What we can show alongside it is where Giovanni’s Magikarp sits among the other Gym Expansion Volume 2 singles we list. All four are PSA 10 graded, from the same set, and numbered under the same National-Pokedex-based convention:
| Card | No. | Set | JP Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giovanni’s Magikarp | 129 | Gym Expansion Volume 2 | 25 Jun 1999 |
| Blaine’s Charmeleon | 005 | Gym Expansion Volume 2 | 25 Jun 1999 |
| Sabrina’s Gengar Lv.39 R | 094 | Gym Expansion Volume 2 | 25 Jun 1999 |
| Sabrina’s Psyduck | 054 | Gym Expansion Volume 2 | 25 Jun 1999 |
Each is a different Pokemon, not a different print of Magikarp, but the shared release date and shared numbering convention make them useful side-by-side reference points for how Gym Expansion Volume 2 assigns its card numbers.
Blaine’s Charmeleon — No.005
Blaine’s Charmeleon carries No.005, which lines up with Charmeleon’s own National Pokedex position early in the type/rarity ordering used across the set. Our PSA 10 copy is currently listed at ¥100,300 (~$631).
Sabrina’s Gengar Lv.39 R — No.094
Sabrina’s Gengar Lv.39 R sits at No.094 in the same numbering system, matching Gengar’s own Pokedex position. Our PSA 10 copy is currently listed at ¥1,528,100 (~$9,610).
Sabrina’s Psyduck — No.054
Sabrina’s Psyduck carries No.054, again reflecting Psyduck’s own Pokedex position. Our PSA 10 copy is currently listed at ¥233,640 (~$1,469). We cover this card in its own dedicated Sabrina’s Psyduck Old Back card guide.
The Set: Gym Expansion Volume 2
Gym Expansion Volume 2, “Challenge from the Darkness” — the set Bulbapedia’s English-language records catalogue as Gym Challenge — is Japan’s 6th TCG expansion, released 25 June 1999, with 98 total Japanese cards. It belongs to the Gym series (1996–1999), the block of old-back-era sets that introduced Gym Leader-owned Pokemon — cards like Giovanni’s Magikarp, Blaine’s Charmeleon, Sabrina’s Gengar, and Sabrina’s Psyduck, each named for the Gym Leader who “owns” that Pokemon in the games.
For a broader look at how the Gym series sets fit together, see our Pokemon Center Gym Sets guide. There is no modern booster box product tied to this 1999 vintage single — Gym Expansion Volume 2 is a vintage-era set with no current sealed release, so any box-style buying route runs through the general old-back guides linked above rather than a specific sealed product listing.
Where This Print Sits Among Japanese Old-Back Singles
Giovanni’s Magikarp sits within the old-back design category alongside vintage singles from other Gym-series and Team Rocket-era sets. The “old back” design itself — the card-back artwork used from 1996 until the July 2001 redesign — spans multiple sets and multiple years, not just Gym Expansion Volume 2. Two examples from our own catalogue show the range of that broader category:
Ancient Mew is a separate promo release, and the Charizard PMCG4 No.006 print comes from a different Team Rocket-era old-back set entirely — both are useful visual reference points for what “old back” means as a design category, distinct from Gym Expansion Volume 2’s own numbering. Within Gym Expansion Volume 2 specifically, Giovanni’s Magikarp is a Common-tier single on the English side, positioned early in the set’s type-and-Pokedex-based ordering on the Japanese side.
One thing worth separating clearly: this vintage Giovanni’s Magikarp is not related to Boss’s Orders (Giovanni), the modern Supporter/Trainer card built around a completely different game mechanic and printed decades later. Same Gym Leader name, two unrelated cards from two unrelated eras — we cover that modern card separately in our Boss’s Orders (Giovanni) Supporter card guide.
Where to Buy Giovanni’s Magikarp from Tokyo
Our graded copy of PSA 10 Giovanni’s Magikarp Old Back [PMCG-G2 No.129] is currently listed at ¥159,064 (~$1,000), shipped from Tokyo with tracked delivery. From the same Gym Expansion Volume 2 set, we also list the sibling PSA 10 singles covered above: Blaine’s Charmeleon Old Back No.005 at ¥100,300 (~$631), Sabrina’s Gengar Lv.39 R Old Back No.094 at ¥1,528,100 (~$9,610), and Sabrina’s Psyduck Old Back No.054 at ¥233,640 (~$1,469), which we cover in its own dedicated guide.
For the wider PSA 10 range, browse our PSA 10 graded card collection. For sourcing requests on other Gym-series or old-back singles not listed above, our Quick Order page is the fastest way to build a mixed order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Giovanni’s Magikarp Old Back No.129?
It’s the Japanese old-back print of Giovanni’s Magikarp from Gym Expansion Volume 2, “Challenge from the Darkness” (Japan’s 6th TCG expansion, released 25 June 1999). We list a PSA 10 graded copy, currently listed at ¥159,064 (~$1,000).
What does the “No.129” on this card mean?
It isn’t the card’s set position. Old-back-era Japanese sets order cards by type first, then by ascending rarity, then by National Pokedex number within each group. Magikarp’s own National Pokedex number is 129, which is exactly what appears on this print.
Is there an English version of Giovanni’s Magikarp?
Yes — Gym Challenge (2000), card #73/132, Common rarity. The Japanese Gym Expansion Volume 2 print released about a year earlier, on 25 June 1999, and uses an unrelated numbering system.
Is this the same card as Boss’s Orders (Giovanni)?
No. Boss’s Orders (Giovanni) is a modern Supporter/Trainer card from a different era and mechanic. Giovanni’s Magikarp is a 1999 vintage Basic Pokemon card from the old-back Gym series — different card types entirely, despite sharing the Giovanni name.
Are there other Japanese prints of Giovanni’s Magikarp?
No additional Japanese reprint of this exact card has been documented in our research. Any claim of further Japanese prints should be treated as unverified.
Where can I buy a PSA 10 Giovanni’s Magikarp from Tokyo?
Our graded copy is currently listed at ¥159,064 (~$1,000), shipped from Tokyo with tracked delivery. Sibling Gym-leader singles from the same set are also listed, and our Quick Order page covers sourcing requests for anything not currently listed.
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