Dratini · Base Set 2, what to know.
About the Dratini card
Dratini is card 38 of 130 in Base Set 2, released in February 2000, an Uncommon. It is a Basic Colorless-type with 40 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Dratini needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
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.
The Pokédex entry printed on Dratini reads: "Long considered a mythical Pokémon until recently, when a small colony was found living underwater."
About Dratini in the Pokémon world
A Dragon-type sea-serpent Pokémon. Famous for being the rarest Pokémon in the Safari Zone in Gen 1. Base Set Common Dratini has sentimental demand thanks to game rarity.
What is Dratini worth?
Dratini is an Uncommon, so raw copies are inexpensive and easy to find. The value is in condition: a genuine PSA 10, especially 1st Edition, can still reach a surprising figure for an otherwise common card. The live price above breaks it down by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Base Set 2 produced Unlimited prints. For Dratini, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Dratini grades forgivingly, but the same centering and edge standards apply. Pack-fresh raw copies are easy to find, which makes a clean PSA 10 submission a low-cost way to learn how the cardstock behaves under grading.
If you are collecting Dratini
Raw copies of Dratini are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Dratini is the practical move.
