Electrode

Numbered 21 of 102 in Base Set, released in January 1999, Electrode is a Rare, a Stage 1 Lightning-type carrying 80 HP.

It evolves from Voltorb, so Electrode is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.

Illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi. Kinebuchi contributed a smaller body of Wizards-era cards but is responsible for several memorable holos, with a warm, heavily textured style.

Electrode carries this Pokédex flavor text: "It stores electrical energy under very high pressure. It often explodes with little or no provocation."

The fully evolved Voltorb. Inverted color scheme. Jungle holo Electrode has thin demand outside set completionists.

Based on recent eBay sales, raw copies trade from $6.78 to $44 depending on the print and a PSA 10 runs from $325 to $2,000. The 1st Edition print is the most valuable, with a PSA 10 near $2,000. The table on this page breaks the price down by print and grade, updated 2026-05-17.

Base Set produced three print waves that collectors track separately: 1st Edition (the launch print, with an Edition 1 stamp under the artwork), Shadowless (no stamp and no drop shadow on the right of the frame), and Unlimited (the long-running print with the drop shadow restored). On Electrode, the price gap between these prints can run 10x or more, so confirm the variant before any purchase.

Electrode grades on centering and edges more than surface. The card was played and traded more freely than the holos, so a clean, well-centered Electrode is worth more than collectors assume.

For Electrode, check centering by eye, edge whitening on all four sides, and surface under angled light. Non-holo Rares from this era are cheap enough that a PSA 10 submission on a clean Electrode can make sense.