Dark Magneton

Numbered 11 of 83 in Team Rocket, released in April 2000, Dark Magneton is a Rare Holo, a Stage 1 Lightning-type carrying 60 HP.

It evolves from Magnemite, so Dark Magneton is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.

Team Rocket darkened Magneton under its control for the set's villain arc, a grittier repaint of the familiar Pokémon with an altered attack profile.

Illustrated by Miki Tanaka.

Dark Magneton carries this Pokédex flavor text: "The number of incidents of hackers using Magnetons to damage computer systems is steadily increasing."

Three Magnemites linked together. Base Set holo Magneton is one of the original 16 holos. Steady graded demand.

Dark Magneton 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.

Team Rocket shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The 1st Edition Dark Magneton 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.

On a holo like Dark Magneton, surface is the grade cap. The lightning 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.

When you go to buy Dark Magneton, 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 Magneton, so price the specific copy in front of you.