Lt. Surge's Raticate

Lt. Surge's Raticate is card 53 of 132 in Gym Challenge, released in October 2000, an Uncommon. It is a Stage 1 Colorless-type with 60 HP.

As a Stage 1, it evolves from Lt. Surge's Rattata, which places Lt. Surge's Raticate deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.

Lt. Surge is the Electric-type Gym Leader of Vermilion City, a former soldier nicknamed the Lightning American. Lt. Surge's Raticate 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.

The fully evolved Rattata. Larger, more aggressive, with a famous unverified internet rumor about its anime fate. Base Set Raticate has steady raw demand. Holo Raticate does not exist in Wizards-era prints.

Lt. Surge's Raticate 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.

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 Raticate carries the Edition 1 stamp and a premium over Unlimited in matching grade.

Lt. Surge's Raticate 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.

Raw copies of Lt. Surge's Raticate are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Lt. Surge's Raticate is the practical move.