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So really... what is Expedition? Here are the facts:
Set Size: 128 in Japan, 165 in the US
Set Order: 14th set in Japan, 13th set in the US
A set gap was created by Wizards deciding against printing both VS and *Web. Good.
Release Date: December 1st, 2001 in Japan, September 15th, 2002 in the US.
This set could have been released back in May 2002, however it was pushed back to August because Nintendo wanted to release the E-Reader FIRST before the set. But the Screw-Up Fairy strikes back, and Wizards isn't able to produce cards by August, so the release date was pushed back to September 15th. Unfortunatly though, shipping confusion forced many buyers to have to wait until Late September to get their packs. Worse for European players, as the European release of Expedition was decided to be APRIL 2003, around the same time of the E-Reader's release in Europe. This obvious made a ton of players upset, to say the least. But fortunatly I hear this got changed, so score.
Other Goodies:
• This is another first in the world of Pokémon; the first Card-E based set. For those who don't know, Card-E cards have all sorts of information
stored within a "Dot Code" bar found on the left and bottom sides of the card. The bottom bar stores 1 kilobyte of information, while the left bar stores 2 kilobytes. ... By using the Nintendo-brand E-Reader (for the Game Boy Advance), you are able to view information about the Pokémon, play a mini-game, fiddle with a Melody Box, or activate a special attack for that Pokémon. The special attack function is not a favorite of many TCG players, since a number of them don't think it's fair for the game to play favors with people who
happen to shell out a lot of money. Fortunatly though, THAT feature is not DCI sanctioned.
• Because of the Card-E features, most Expedition cards lack the data on the Pokémon (Length/Weight). Which might come to something of a problem for players who play with Blaine's Quiz #1. (FYI, you're simply not allowed to play it using one of those card.)
• The ID business on each Card-E card is for your GBA E-Reader device. Since the name "Pikachu" might mean almost ANY Pikachu card from the Card-E sets, Wizards/Nintendo slaps on a unique ID on each card just so that you know what you need to scan. So say when you scan one part of a game or something into your E-Reader, it'll also say "Please Scan In.... Pikachu D-15-#". So you'd search through all your Pikachus until you find the one with "D-15-#" and then scan it in. Simple, no?
• Expedition also splits the "Pokémon Power" classification into two; "PokéPower" and "PokéBody". PokéPowers are activated abilities as PokéBodies are "always on" abilities. It's a ridiculous idea.
• This set was once known as New Demension. But since its initials are ND (much like Neo Destiny and Neo Discovery), and due to whatever reason, the name was axed.
• Expedition also used Reverse Holos, but are more "official" looking than the ones found in Legendary Collection.
• Another change from previous sets are pack sizes and rarities. Because of the EXTRA licensing fees Wizards has to pay to use Dot-Code technology, the pack size was reduced from 11 to 9. On top of that, collectors can now find one nonholo rare in EVERY pack, with holo-rares still being 1 in 3 (which replaces a common card). So, each pack contains:
5 Commons
1 Reverse Holo Card
1 Nonholo Rare
2 Uncommons
(With 1 common removed from the pack in order for a holo-rare to be added in.)
• Expedition was the first set Wizards produced that didn't have a 1st Edition printing of it (as in no cards from Expedition and on had a 1st Edition stamp on it).
• Even though the box toppers in this set are numbered XX/12, only 4 appear in this set. The other 8 will be released in Aquapolis and Skyridge (5-8 in Aquapolis and 9-12 in Skyridge).
Symbol:
The symbol for Expedition is the Card-E logo, as well as a lowercase e with a dot in it.
 
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