Raichu · Expedition Base Set, what to know.
About the Raichu card
Raichu is card 25 of 165 in Expedition Base Set, released in September 2002, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 1 Lightning-type with 80 HP.
As a Stage 1, it evolves from Pikachu, which places Raichu deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
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 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 Raichu worth?
Raichu is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Expedition Base Set'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, Expedition Base Set holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to the set's marquee chase; 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
Confirm the print and finish on Raichu before pricing it, since variant and rarity set the market more than the card name alone.
Grading and condition
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 Raichu
Buying Raichu well means pricing the exact print and grade, not the card name. The 1st Edition Raichu trades above the Unlimited copy, so confirm the stamp before you agree a number. Always see the holo surface in good light first.
