Lt. Surge's Raichu · Gym Challenge, what to know.
About the Lt. Surge's Raichu card
Numbered 11 of 132 in Gym Challenge, released in October 2000, Lt. Surge's Raichu is a Rare Holo, a Stage 1 Lightning-type carrying 80 HP.
It evolves from Lt. Surge's Pikachu, so Lt. Surge's Raichu is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.
Lt. Surge is the Electric-type Gym Leader of Vermilion City, a former soldier nicknamed the Lightning American. Lt. Surge's Raichu is part of that themed lineup.
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.
About Raichu in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved Pikachu. Larger, orange-yellow body, with a long tail. Rare in the wild; usually requires a Thunder Stone evolution. Base Set holo Raichu is one of the famous "where is mine" cards. Its print run had inconsistent centering, and a famously rare prerelease variant exists.
What is Lt. Surge's Raichu worth?
Lt. Surge's Raichu is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Gym Challenge'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, Gym Challenge holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to Blaine's 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
Gym Challenge shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The trainer-prefix naming runs across the set, and the 1st Edition Lt. Surge's Raichu carries the Edition 1 stamp and a premium over Unlimited in matching grade.
Grading and condition
Lt. Surge's Raichu lives and dies on its holo surface in grading. The lightning foil catches light at angles that hide hairlines in a flat photo, so tilt it under a lamp, then measure the borders, where Wizards-era centering is the second-most-common grade cap.
If you are collecting Lt. Surge's Raichu
When you go to buy Lt. Surge's Raichu, settle three things in order: the print variant, the condition, and a comp for that exact combination. A blended average across variants will mislead you on Lt. Surge's Raichu, so price the specific copy in front of you.
Three prints, three markets.
Edition 1 stamp under the artwork. Trades above Unlimited in matching grade.
No stamp. The standard, more affordable print.
