Set Overview
Southern Islands is a special 18-card collection whose artwork connects: arrange each nine-card half and the borders join into two continuous tropical scenes. Originally a Japanese promotional set, it reached English collectors in 2001.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | 2001 (English) · originally a 1998 Japanese promotional set |
| Publisher | Wizards of the Coast |
| Total Cards | 18 cards (all Pokémon), sold as a boxed collection |
| Format | Two 9-card panoramic artworks |
| Key Chase Card | Mew 1/18 |
About the Set
Southern Islands was sold as a complete boxed set rather than in booster packs. Its defining feature is the connecting artwork: the eighteen cards form two nine-card panoramas, each a single tropical scene split across the card borders. All cards are Pokémon, and every one carries a soft holo-style finish.
How to identify it: the cards have no set symbol like a regular expansion; instead the collection is identified by its tropical panoramic art and the “Southern Islands” packaging. Each card’s border art lines up with its neighbours.
Complete Card Gallery
All 18 cards from Southern Islands. Click any card to view it full size — use the arrow keys (or swipe) to move through the set.
Key Cards
Every card is collectible as part of the two panoramas; Mew is the standout single.
| Card | Name | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
 |
Mew 1/18 Promotional | The most sought-after single in the set and the centrepiece of collectors’ interest. |
 |
Pidgeot 2/18 Promotional | A key piece of the first panoramic artwork. |
 |
Onix 3/18 Promotional | Part of the connecting tropical scene. |
 |
Primeape 18/18 Promotional | Closes out the second nine-card panorama. |
Collecting & Where to Buy
Southern Islands is a special set that trades only on the secondary market, often as a complete sealed collection. Sealed boxes and the Mew single carry the biggest premiums; loose singles are more affordable.
Collector tip: a complete, matched set — ideally still able to form both panoramas — is worth more than the sum of loose singles.
Note: external links are provided for reference only. Always confirm a card's condition and authenticity before purchasing.