Dark Slowbro · Team Rocket, what to know.
About the Dark Slowbro card
Numbered 12 of 83 in Team Rocket, released in April 2000, Dark Slowbro is a Rare Holo, a Stage 1 Psychic-type carrying 60 HP.
It evolves from Slowpoke, so Dark Slowbro is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.
Team Rocket darkened Slowbro 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.
Printed on the card, the Slowbro Pokédex entry reads: "It loves nothing better than to be left alone, and so sometimes ends up being manipulated by unscrupulous people."
About Slowbro in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved Slowpoke when a Shellder bites its tail. One of the most unusual evolution methods in the original Pokédex. Fossil Rare with niche demand.
What is Dark Slowbro worth?
Dark Slowbro 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 Slowbro 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 Slowbro, 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 Slowbro
For Dark Slowbro, variant comes before condition. A 1st Edition and an Unlimited Dark Slowbro are different markets for the same art, so settle the print before you negotiate. Demand a clear photo of the Dark Slowbro holo for any raw purchase.
Three prints, three markets.
Edition 1 stamp under the artwork. Trades above Unlimited in matching grade.
No stamp. The standard, more affordable print.
