In other words, whats the first Pokemon card? Is a different question than whats the first card with a Pokemon on it? If we are going to value a first appearance then honestly the video game is more of a correct answer First physical product to mention/depict Pocket Monsters
Although King Ghidorah's design has remained largely consistent throughout its appearances (an armless, bipedal, golden-scaled, bat-winged dragon with three heads and two tails), its origin story has varied from being an extraterrestrial planet-killing dragon, a genetically engineered monster from the future, a guardian monster of ancient Japan or a god from another dimension
Magicthegathering.com
Nonetheless, some games have successfully navigated the transition to the digital era, illustrating the potential for adaptation within the industry
Of course, it's tricky with serialized cards, because there's always the chance certain versions basically never get opened
You might only have three or four lands total but feel that tempo is more important and therefore cycle your land on turn one to increase your odds of getting a two drop