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Electrode

Electrode — Base Set #21/102

Lightning Rare · Stage 1

The Electrode is card #21/102 in the 1999 Pokemon Game Base Set (Wizards of the Coast) — the set that launched the Pokemon Trading Card Game. It is a rare Lightning-type Stage 1 card, issued across four printings: 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited and the 1999-2000 (4th) print. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 3,641 copies have been graded, with only 620 earning a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) — a sense of how scarce top-grade examples are.

Print variants & how to tell them apart

Electrode 1st Edition — 1st Edition
The 'Edition 1' stamp — a black circle containing the number 1 — sits just left of the artwork, below the art box. Shadowless template (no drop shadow). Rarest / most valuable.

Electrode Shadowless — Shadowless
Same first-print template as 1st Edition but WITHOUT the stamp. No drop shadow behind the art box; brighter, more zoomed-in art. Key tell vs Unlimited: the extra '99' in the copyright line.

Electrode Unlimited — Unlimited
No stamp; a drop shadow appears behind the right edge of the art box (Pokémon only — Trainers never got the shadow). Bolder HP text, slightly zoomed-out art. Copyright omits the '99'. By far the most common (print runs 2–7).

Electrode 1999–2000 (4th Print) — 1999–2000 (4th Print)
Visually identical to Unlimited EXCEPT the copyright reads ©1999-2000. The eighth and final (smallest) English print run — collector shorthand calls it the '4th print'. Distributed mainly in the UK, also Australia and the USA.
Shown: the Unlimited scan -- the 1999-2000 print is identical except the (c)1999-2000 date. A true scan is coming.

Graded population (PSA & SGC)

Grader	Total	10	9	8	7	2–6	1	Auth
1st Edition
PSA	1,311	179	534	266	148	172	10	2
SGC	7	0	2	2	2	1	0	0
Shadowless
PSA	768	164	261	125	76	139	2	1
SGC	2	0	0	2	0	0	0	0
Unlimited
PSA	1,473	259	485	337	172	217	3	0
SGC	9	1	2	4	0	2	0	0
1999–2000 (4th Print)
PSA	71	17	27	14	6	7	0	0

PSA & SGC graded population by printing & grade. PSA Unlimited includes copies graded before PSA flagged the 1st Edition / Shadowless varieties; SGC does not separate the 1999-2000 print.

Card details

Type

Lightning

Stage

Stage 1

Evolves from

Voltorb

Weakness

Fighting ×2

Retreat

Artist

Keiji Kinebuchi

Pokedex #

101

Attacks

50Electric Shock [Lightning Lightning Lightning]

Flip a coin. If tails, Electrode does 10 damage to itself.

Pokémon Power: Buzzap

At any time during your turn (before your attack), you may Knock Out Electrode and attach it to 1 of your other Pokémon. If you do, choose a type of Energy. Electrode is now an Energy card (instead of a Pokémon) that provides 2 energy of that type. You can't use this power if Electrode is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.

It stores electrical energy under very high pressure. It often explodes with little or no provocation.

Prices & where to buy

Unlimited market $7.75 via TCGplayer

Variant	Market	TCGplayer	eBay
1st Edition	$74.62	TCGplayer	eBay
Shadowless	$28.17	TCGplayer	eBay
Unlimited	$7.75	TCGplayer	eBay
1999–2000 (4th Print)	—	—	eBay

Market values are live TCGplayer prices for each printing. A dash means TCGplayer has no separate or active listing for that variant (e.g. 1999-2000). As an eBay Partner & affiliate we may earn from qualifying purchases.

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About the print variants

Base Set cards come in four printings: 1st Edition (Edition-1 stamp), Shadowless (no stamp, no drop shadow, the extra '99' in the copyright), Unlimited (drop shadow, most common), and the 1999-2000 (4th print) (like Unlimited but the copyright reads (c)1999-2000). Machamp is the exception -- it is always 1st-Edition-stamped.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 1999 Pokemon Base Set Electrode card?

The Electrode is card #21/102 in the 1999 Pokemon Game Base Set by Wizards of the Coast, the first English Pokemon Trading Card Game set. It is a rare Lightning-type card and exists in four printings: 1st Edition, Shadowless, Unlimited and the 1999-2000 print.

How can I tell which printing of the Electrode I have?

Check three tells: a 1st Edition has the black 'Edition 1' stamp at the lower-left of the artwork; a Shadowless has no stamp AND no drop shadow on the right of the art box (plus an extra '99' in the copyright line); Unlimited has the drop shadow and is by far the most common; the 1999-2000 print looks like Unlimited but its copyright reads (c)1999-2000.

How rare is a graded Electrode?

Across PSA and SGC, roughly 3,641 copies of the Electrode have been graded, of which only 620 earned a PSA 10 (Gem Mint). Mid-grade copies are obtainable, but gem-mint examples are genuinely scarce.

Which printing of the Electrode is most valuable?

The 1st Edition is the most valuable printing - around $74.62 on TCGplayer versus about $7.75 for Unlimited, with Shadowless in between. Holofoil and condition push values higher still.

More Lightning-type Base Set cards

Sources: pokemontcg.io, PSA & SGC population reports, and live TCGplayer market data. Card data, variants & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-06-30.

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