Dark Raichu · Team Rocket, what to know.
About the Dark Raichu card
Numbered 83 of 83 in Team Rocket, released in April 2000, Dark Raichu is a Rare Secret, a Stage 1 Lightning-type carrying 70 HP.
It evolves from Pikachu, so Dark Raichu is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.
Team Rocket darkened Raichu under its control for the set's villain arc, a grittier repaint of the familiar Pokémon with an altered attack profile.
Illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita. Arita painted the Base Set Charizard and much of the early holo run, and his work has a painterly weight that set the visual tone of the Wizards era.
Dark Raichu carries this Pokédex flavor text: "Stores up electricity in its body, then suddenly releases it to surprise and shock everyone."
About Raichu in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved Pikachu. Larger, orange-yellow body, with a long tail. Rare in the wild; usually requires a Thunder Stone evolution. Base Set holo Raichu is one of the famous "where is mine" cards. Its print run had inconsistent centering, and a famously rare prerelease variant exists.
What is Dark Raichu worth?
Dark Raichu 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 Raichu 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
Expect the holo window to set the grade on Dark Raichu. Print misregistration and fine scratches in the lightning foil are the usual reasons a copy lands at a 9, and edge whitening against the frame is the next thing a grader notes.
If you are collecting Dark Raichu
When you go to buy Dark Raichu, 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 Raichu, 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.
