Dark Alakazam · Team Rocket, what to know.
About the Dark Alakazam card
Numbered 1 of 83 in Team Rocket, released in April 2000, Dark Alakazam is a Rare Holo, a Stage 2 Psychic-type carrying 60 HP.
It evolves from Dark Kadabra, so Dark Alakazam is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.
Team Rocket darkened Alakazam under its control for the set's villain arc, a grittier repaint of the familiar Pokémon with an altered attack profile.
Illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of Pokémon itself, so his card art carries the tight, on-model look that defined how the creatures appear in the games.
Dark Alakazam carries this Pokédex flavor text: "Almost as if it were being controlled by something else, it never changes expressions, even in the middle of battle."
About Alakazam in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved Abra line. Two silver spoons, large mustache. Base Set holo Alakazam (#1 in the set) is the first card in the run. Sells for a premium over other Base holos because of position significance.
What is Dark Alakazam worth?
Dark Alakazam is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Team Rocket's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Team Rocket holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to Dark Charizard at the top; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Team Rocket shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The 1st Edition Dark Alakazam carries the Edition 1 stamp under the artwork and trades above the Unlimited copy in matching grade. The set is also home to Dark Raichu, the first Secret Rare ever printed.
Grading and condition
On a holo like Dark Alakazam, surface is the grade cap. The psychic foil shows hairlines under raking light, and the print reveals scratches that flat scans miss. Centering on the left and right borders is the second thing to check.
If you are collecting Dark Alakazam
When you go to buy Dark Alakazam, settle three things in order: the print variant, the condition, and a comp for that exact combination. A blended average across variants will mislead you on Dark Alakazam, so price the specific copy in front of you.
Three prints, three markets.
Edition 1 stamp under the artwork. Trades above Unlimited in matching grade.
No stamp. The standard, more affordable print.
