Pokémon · Base
Raichu
Base Set · #14 · Rare Holo · 1999
Base Set holo; counterfeited primarily in 1st Edition.
Listings
No active listings
From
—
Market reference
$71.89
TCGPlayer
Current listings on The Game Traders
No active listings for this card right now.
Card facts
Quick reference for collectors and graders.
- Set position
- 14 / 102
- Release year
- 1999
- Rarity
- Rare Holo
- HP
- 80
- Subtype
- Stage 1
- Evolves from
- Pikachu
- Retreat cost
- 1 energy
- Illustrator
- Ken Sugimori
- Pokédex #
- 26
- Series
- Base
Card analysis
Computed from this card's stats and text — not a reposted price.
- Primary role
- Attacker
- Damage efficiency
- 60 damage
- 15 per Energy
- Prize liability
- 1 Prize given up
- Single-prize attacker — favourable prize trades
- Setup
- Stage 1
- One evolution step from a Basic
Strategy & play
How Raichu plays — derived from its stats and the rules of the game, not an opinion.
- Its main attack (Thunder) needs 4 Energy — a turn-4 swing on manual attachment — you’ll want Energy acceleration to power it up on time.
- Needs Lightning Energy to attack — your line must supply that color.
- Lightning type, weak to Fighting ×2 — a Fighting attacker doing ≥40 effectively one-shots it.
- A single-prize attacker — prize-trade-positive against ex / V decks that give up two at a time.
- A Stage 1 — one step up from Pikachu; doesn’t help your opening hand, but quick to set up.
How to beat Raichu
- Exploit its Fighting weakness — ≥40 damage one-shots it.
- Gust it before the evolution is set up.
Competitive performance
From real Standard tournament decks over the last 180 days.
- Meta inclusion
- 0% of decks
- 2 copies on average · 1 decks
Budget alternatives
Cheaper cards that fill a similar role in Standard decks. Reference prices — most-played option first.
More by Ken Sugimori
This card was illustrated by Ken Sugimori.
Building around Raichu?
Drop it into the deck builder for a live consistency score, synergy suggestions, and Standard legality checks.
About this card
"Its long tail serves as a ground to protect itself from its own high-voltage power."
LCCAgility — 20
Flip a coin. If heads, during your opponent's next turn, prevent all effects of attacks, including damage, done to Raichu.
LLLCThunder — 60
Flip a coin. If tails, Raichu does 30 damage to itself.
Weakness:F×2
Retreat cost:C
Tournament legality
Current legal status across competitive formats.
Pricing reference
Latest snapshot from the upstream catalog. Actual marketplace prices fluctuate by condition, edition, and grade — use this as a reference, not a quote.
TCGPlayer (USD)
Updated 2026/07/07| Variant | Low | Mid | High | Market | Direct Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holofoil | $25.08 | $60.00 | $999.99 | $71.89 | $51.57 |
Cardmarket (EUR)
Updated 2026/07/01| Variant | Price |
|---|---|
| 1-day average | €49.95 |
| 7-day average | €223.83 |
| 30-day average | €158.42 |
| Low | €38.69 |
| Trend price | €229.96 |
| Low (excellent+) | €150.00 |
| averageSellPrice | €260.46 |
Frequently asked
How can I tell if my Raichu is real?
Raichu is classified as medium counterfeit risk: Base Set holo; counterfeited primarily in 1st Edition. Check the back-light test (real cards have a black inner layer that blocks light; counterfeits glow through), the rosette dot pattern on the back under magnification, font weight and kerning on the card name, and the holofoil pattern if applicable. For high-value copies we recommend submitting to a professional grader (PSA, BGS, CGC) for tamper-evident authentication.
What is Raichu worth?
As of the latest data, the current market reference price for Raichu is $71.89; there are no active listings on The Game Traders right now. Actual value depends on condition, grading, edition and printing variant — graded high-condition copies (PSA 9–10) trade at a substantial premium over raw copies.
What set is Raichu from?
Raichu is from the Pokémon set "Base Set" in the Base series, released in 1999.
What rarity is Raichu?
Raichu is a Rare Holo card in the Base Set set.
Other Raichu printings
Same Pokémon card across other sets and rarities.
