Pokémon Card Checklist by Pokédex Number: Tracking Your National Dex Collection

Most card checklists are organized by set. That makes sense if you are collecting an expansion, but it is awkward if your goal is one card for every Pokémon. A set list tells you what is in a set. It does not tell you whether you already own a Pikachu somewhere in your collection, or which Pokémon between #200 and #300 are still missing.

A checklist by Pokédex number turns the question around. The rows are Pokémon, not cards, and your job is to put one card next to each. This guide explains how the National Pokédex numbering works, how to set up a checklist and how to deal with the tricky cases.

What the National Pokédex number is#

Every Pokémon species has a number in the National Pokédex, starting with Bulbasaur at #1. The numbers are assigned in order of introduction, generation by generation. As of Generation 9 the list runs to 1,025, ending with Pecharunt.

The total is 1,025. If a future game adds Pokémon, the list will grow at the end. Existing numbers do not change, which is what makes the number a stable key for a checklist.

Cards print the Pokédex number in some places and not others, and some do not show it at all. In the modern era, the number you see at the bottom of a card is the card's number within its set, which is a different thing. Do not confuse the two. The set number tells you where the card sits in an expansion. The Pokédex number identifies the species.

What goes in each row#

A useful checklist has a few columns:

• Dex number. The primary key and the sort order.
• Pokémon name.
• Owned? A simple yes or no.
• Card you chose. Name of the set and the card number within it, for example "Set name, 025/165".
• Language. Helpful if you mix English and Japanese.
• Condition or notes. Whether it is a placeholder you plan to upgrade.
• Binder and page. Where it sits physically.

You can add a price column if you care about cost, but it is optional. Prices move constantly, so a price in a spreadsheet is stale almost immediately. Treat it as a record of what you paid, not what the card is worth.

The three-state trick#

Instead of owned or not owned, many collectors use three states:

1. Missing. No card for this Pokémon.
2. Placeholder. A card holds the slot, but you plan to upgrade.
3. Final. You are happy with this card.

This keeps the early game moving, because you fill gaps with whatever is cheap, and gives you a clear to-do list for later. It also stops the common stall where people refuse to buy a card they are not thrilled about and the pocket stays empty for a year.

Decide how to handle forms#

A checklist keyed by Pokédex number makes one thing easy: you get one row per species. But cards complicate the picture.

Regional forms. Alolan Vulpix, Galarian Zigzagoon and Hisuian Growlithe share the dex number of their base species. If you keep one row per number, either form can fill the slot, or you can create sub-rows such as 37a. Pick one convention and stay with it.

Mega, Gigantamax and other battle forms. Cards for these are usually tied to the base species too. Common practice is to treat them as alternates of the same number.

Pokémon with several forms in one number. Some species have many forms under one number. A single row is simplest.

Cards that show multiple Pokémon. For a card with two names, decide whether it can fill both. The conservative rule is that it fills the slot for the Pokémon named first or the one the card is clearly about.

Trainer cards and other non-Pokémon cards. These do not belong in a species checklist.

If you want a master collection with every form, build a second checklist. Mixing the two makes the numbers hard to read.

Build it in a spreadsheet#

A spreadsheet is the free option. To start:

1. Get the list of Pokémon with their National Dex numbers from a reliable source, such as a fan database or the official games. Verify the total is 1,025.
2. Put it in a sheet with the columns above.
3. Add a status column with a dropdown for the three states.
4. Use a count formula to show your progress, for example the number of rows marked Final divided by 1,025.
5. Add conditional formatting so rows turn green when final and yellow for placeholders.

Sorting by status gives you an instant shopping list. This works well at a desk. At a card show, a spreadsheet on a phone is clumsy, with tiny cells and no card images, so some people print the missing rows or export them to a notes app before an event.

Print it#

A printed checklist has real advantages. It does not need a battery or a connection, and you can mark it with a pen at the table. Make it compact: dex number, name and a box, with 40 or so rows per page. A full list would take about 26 pages at that density, or you can print one generation at a time and bring only the one you are working on. Tick boxes for owned, and a second box for final.

Use a tracker built for it#

If you would rather not maintain a sheet, a tracker organized by Pokémon can do it for you. DexBindr shows all 1,025 Pokémon as numbered slots and marks what you own, with a free browse mode and a free plan that tracks your first 10 Pokémon. You can look at a sample binder. Other apps also offer species-based progress views, and set-focused trackers remain the best choice if you are completing a specific expansion. Try what fits how you collect.

Whatever you choose, look for a few features:

• Search by name and by dex number.
• A view of what is missing, not just what you own.
• The ability to record several cards for one Pokémon, so you can note your current pick and your upgrade.
• Export, so your data is never trapped.

Keep the checklist honest#

A few habits keep a checklist useful:

• Update on purchase. Record a card the day you buy it, not later.
• Record the exact card. "Pikachu" is not enough. You will want to know which print you used.
• Mark placeholders as placeholders. Otherwise your progress number is flattering and misleading.
• Review by generation. Look at one generation at a time. 1,025 rows is overwhelming, while 72 (Generation 6) is a weekend goal.
• Back up. Keep a copy of your list somewhere other than the device you use daily.

Working through it#

Once the list exists, the strategy is simple. Sort by missing, pick a generation and look for cards at shows, in bulk bins or through trades. Fill the easy rows first. Hard rows get a placeholder or a standing note in your wishlist.

A dex-number checklist also changes how you shop. You stop asking "which cards are in this set?" and start asking "which Pokémon haven't I covered?" That shift tends to lead to cards you would never have looked at otherwise, which is half the fun of a National Dex collection.

Wrap-up#

The National Pokédex number is the cleanest way to organize a one-card-per-Pokémon project. Build your checklist around it, define how you handle forms, use a three-state status and keep it current. Whether it lives in a spreadsheet, on paper or in an app, the list is what turns a pile of cards into a collection with a finish line.