1998 English Demo Pack - Shadowless Pikachu order?

General
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When I made my Protostoise timeline article and was adding information about the first English Pokémon TCG releases, I came across a video for the 24-card Demo Pack opening:

This 24-card Demo Pack was the first English Pokémon TCG product officially brought out. This pack was first distributed in December 1998 to select retailers, and also at some MTG trading card shows. Some remaining demo packs were given at the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) event on May 13-15, 1999 (source).

When I saw that video of the demo pack opening, I was wondering two things:

  1. Why are these cards non-1st Shadowless instead of 1st edition?
  2. Why does Pikachu have yellow cheeks instead of red?

In addition, it does make me thing about the order of the Pikachu card releases in general (only looking at 1st edition and Shadowless releases):

  1. Why are there both red and yellow cheeks 1st edition cards?
  2. Why are there both red and yellow cheeks Shadowless cards?
  3. Why are there only red cheeks E3 stamped cards (again, we ignore the unlimited edition E3 stamped version)?
  4. Why are there only yellow cheeks Pikachu cards with Ghost/Phantom stamps, from the Shadowless ZAP! theme deck?
  5. Why are there only yellow cheeks Pikachu cards with 3D stamps?
  6. Why are there only 1st edition red cheeks Pikachu cards with back stamps?
  7. Why are there only yellow cheeks Pikachu cards with grey stamps?
    (For newer member who might now know what I’m talking about with Ghost/Phantom, 3D, back, and grey stamp: take a look at my 1st edition variations article.)

I have the feeling WotC had already printed all Shadowless cards before even releasing the first Demo Pack product in December 1998, and only after that went to apply 1st edition stamps, which evolved over time: 2D thick at first; then ghost/phantom (by accident); then 3D thick; then thin (for Holofoil Rares and any set after that). Although it’s still weird that E3 Pikachus are either red cheeks Shadowless or unlimited edition (yellow cheeks). And it’s also weird both red and yellow cheeks Shadowless Pikachu cards were released both with and without 1st edition stamp.

Does anyone have any theories or additional information on what might have been the order of all these releases, and why some are so obscure and limited to a single cheeks color?

Greetz,
Quuador

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