Pokémon Southern Islands – Complete Guide

Southern Islands is a unique promotional mini-set released in July 2001 in English. It consists of just 18 cards, but it stands out for its cohesive tropical theme, panoramic artwork, and release format. Each card features a colorful scene, and when placed side-by-side, the artwork from each island forms a continuous image.

Quick Facts

Release Date: July 31, 2001
Total Cards: 18
Notable Pokémon: Mew, Slowking, Lickitung, Onix, Vileplume
Set Symbol: Palm tree icon

How It Was Released

The Southern Islands set was available as a collector’s postcard binder, with two 9-card sets representing the Rainbow Island and Tropical Island. Each card corresponds to a scene and matches postcard artwork from the Japanese release.

Unique Features

Cards have panoramic background artwork that blends with others in the same set.
Each card has both English and Japanese writing on the border.
It was never sold in standard booster packs or boxes.

Chase Cards

There are no rarity symbols, but collectors especially seek:

Mew (1/18) – the most popular and valuable card in the set
Slowking (14/18) – known for its whimsical beach scene
Vileplume (17/18) – part of the Tropical Island panorama

Fun Facts

The artwork forms six two-card scenes across the 18 cards.
Southern Islands was originally a movie tie-in in Japan, related to "Pokémon the Movie 2000."
Despite its small size, the set has strong collector demand due to its beauty and rarity.

Browse the Full Southern Islands Set

View All Southern Islands Cards

FAQs About Southern Islands

❓ Is Southern Islands a real set or just a promo?

It’s officially considered a promotional mini-set, not a standard expansion, but the cards are fully legal and collectible. It was marketed as a special collector’s item.

❓ Why is the Mew card so popular?

Mew is a fan-favorite Pokémon, and the Southern Islands artwork features it flying above the sea in a beautiful tropical setting. It's the key card from the set and highly graded examples sell well.

❓ Can I still find sealed Southern Islands sets?

They’re rare, but occasionally appear on auction sites. Be prepared to pay a premium for mint condition sealed versions with the postcard binder included.