Raichu · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Raichu card
Numbered 16 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, Raichu is a Rare Holo, a Stage 1 Lightning-type carrying 80 HP.
It evolves from Pikachu, so Raichu is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.
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.
Raichu carries this Pokédex flavor text: "Its long tail serves as a ground to protect itself from its own high-voltage power."
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 Raichu worth?
Raichu is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Base Set 2'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, Base Set 2 holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to the set's marquee chase; 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
Base Set 2 produced Unlimited prints. For Raichu, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Raichu lives and dies on its holo surface in grading. The lightning foil catches light at angles that hide hairlines in a flat photo, so tilt it under a lamp, then measure the borders, where Wizards-era centering is the second-most-common grade cap.
If you are collecting Raichu
When you go to buy 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 Raichu, so price the specific copy in front of you.
