In the world of Pokémon, many species evolve only after meeting specific conditions. Some of those conditions include leveling up, getting introduced to special stones, or even through the power of love and friendship. Another group of Pokémon can only evolve by getting traded to someone else. Flashback to the 1990s when Gameboy players needed a friend with another copy of the same Pokémon game and a link cable to trade. Haunter served as one of those tradable Pokémon and would evolve into the fan-favorite Ghost-type troublemaker, Gengar.
Pokémon took this concept to a new level with the 1999 Masaki Promo. To obtain this card, collectors had to mail in any copy of the previous evolution—in this case, a Haunter—along with a copy of Bill’s PC during the campaign period. The name Masaki Promo came from Bill’s Japanese name since he invented the in-game PC and trade system. After the promotional period ended, collectors received the evolved Gengar promo in an envelope that held the card in place with a few corner locks and a letter about the promotional campaign.
Because of this, many Masaki Promos have corner damage or indentations, making high-grade Masaki cards extremely rare. Considered one of the holy grail Gengar chase cards, Pristine CGC 10 is a pop 1.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 09/18/2025.
