Pikachu · Expedition Base Set, what to know.
About the Pikachu card
Numbered 124 of 165 in Expedition Base Set, released in September 2002, Pikachu is a Common, a Basic Lightning-type carrying 50 HP.
As a Basic Pokémon, Pikachu needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.
Illustrated by Atsuko Nishida. Nishida is the original designer of Pikachu and many Gen 1 Pokémon, and her card work has a soft, rounded warmth that suits the friendlier creatures.
About Pikachu in the Pokémon world
The franchise mascot. An Electric-type rodent with red cheeks, a lightning-bolt tail, and a vocabulary limited to its own name in the anime. The most-printed Pokémon card in history. The Base Set print has a famous yellow-cheeks variant that commands a premium over the standard red-cheeks 1st Edition.
What is Pikachu worth?
Pikachu is a Common, so raw copies trade for very little and most of the print run survives. The only real value is in pristine, high-grade copies, where even a Common can reach low triple digits in 1st Edition PSA 10. See the live price above for the current figure by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Confirm the print and finish on Pikachu before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
Pikachu is the most forgiving tier to grade in the set. Centering on the framed border is the usual cap, and the soft Wizards-era cardstock picks up edge whitening easily, but high print runs keep clean copies affordable.
If you are collecting Pikachu
Raw copies of Pikachu are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Pikachu is the practical move.
