Raichu
Raichu — Base Set #14/102
Lightning Rare Holo · Holofoil · Stage 1
Print variants & how to tell them apart
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.
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.
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).
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 | 2,937 | 89 | 511 | 582 | 476 | 1,227 | 43 | 9 |
| SGC | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Shadowless | ||||||||
| PSA | 3,614 | 26 | 336 | 687 | 768 | 1,726 | 68 | 3 |
| SGC | 45 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Unlimited | ||||||||
| PSA | 16,553 | 255 | 2,658 | 4,522 | 3,407 | 5,550 | 160 | 1 |
| SGC | 316 | 0 | 18 | 94 | 73 | 126 | 3 | 2 |
| 1999–2000 (4th Print) | ||||||||
| PSA | 143 | 0 | 35 | 39 | 22 | 46 | 1 | 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
HP
80
Evolves from
Pikachu
Weakness
Fighting ×2
Retreat
1
Artist
Ken Sugimori
Pokedex #
26
Attacks
20Agility [Lightning Colorless Colorless]
Flip a coin. If heads, during your opponent's next turn, prevent all effects of attacks, including damage, done to Raichu.
60Thunder [Lightning Lightning Lightning Colorless]
Flip a coin. If tails, Raichu does 30 damage to itself.
Its long tail serves as a ground to protect itself from its own high-voltage power.
Prices & where to buy
Unlimited market $72.83 via TCGplayer (holofoil)
| Variant | Market | TCGplayer | eBay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Edition | TCGplayer | eBay | |
| Shadowless | TCGplayer | eBay | |
| Unlimited | $72.83 | TCGplayer | eBay |
| 1999–2000 (4th Print) | — | eBay |
Market = the Unlimited printing, live from TCGplayer. As an eBay Partner & affiliate we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Notable variant / error
An extremely rare Prerelease Raichu (Edition 1 + 'PRERELEASE' stamp) exists; never sold to the public.
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.