Dark Vileplume · Team Rocket, what to know.
About the Dark Vileplume card
Numbered 13 of 83 in Team Rocket, released in April 2000, Dark Vileplume is a Rare Holo, a Stage 2 Grass-type carrying 60 HP.
It evolves from Dark Gloom, so Dark Vileplume is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.
Team Rocket darkened Vileplume under its control for the set's villain arc, a grittier repaint of the familiar Pokémon with an altered attack profile.
Illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno. Himeno is one of the most-recognized vintage illustrators, with a softer, more textured style that shows up across the Jungle and Neo runs.
Printed on the card, the Vileplume Pokédex entry reads: "Perhaps because of their strong-smelling pollen, other Pokémon do not approach areas where Vileplumes live."
About Vileplume in the Pokémon world
The Grass-Poison final form of the Oddish line via Leaf Stone. Large red flower top. Jungle holo Vileplume was a tournament staple in 1999. PSA 10 1st Edition copies are scarcer than the population reports suggest because of how heavily it was played.
What is Dark Vileplume worth?
Dark Vileplume 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 Vileplume 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
For graded buyers, the holo window on Dark Vileplume is where most points are won or lost. Surface scratches and foil misregistration are common on Wizards-era cards, and centering was inconsistent enough that clean PSA 10s stay scarce. Read the grass foil at a 45-degree angle under strong light before committing.
If you are collecting Dark Vileplume
For Dark Vileplume, variant comes before condition. A 1st Edition and an Unlimited Dark Vileplume are different markets for the same art, so settle the print before you negotiate. Demand a clear photo of the Dark Vileplume 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.
