Raichu has been in the Pokemon TCG since the very first English set, and it keeps getting new Japanese printings without ever picking up a VMAX card of its own.
That gap is part of what makes Raichu collectible: instead of chasing an ever-expanding tier of mechanics, you’re tracking a shorter, more deliberate list — a tag-team GX, a V, an Art Rare, and a handful of set inclusions across more than two decades. As the evolved form of Pikachu, Raichu also shows up whenever a set gives the Pikachu line a spotlight moment, which means its notable prints cluster around a handful of high-profile Japanese sets rather than being spread thin across every release.
This guide walks through the notable Japanese printings we can verify, with card numbers, set details, and images pulled directly from the cards themselves. We’re not going to speculate on print runs, population reports, or resale trends we can’t source — every fact below traces back to Bulbapedia or Limitless TCG, and every price is a live listing rather than a market estimate.
We ship Japanese sealed product and singles out of Tokyo, and the current in-stock Raichu anchor — a PSA10-graded Raichu & Alolan Raichu GX — comes straight from our own listings.
Raichu has no VMAX card — the line stops at Raichu V (S9 Star Birth). The Tag Team-era Raichu & Alolan Raichu GX (SM10a GG End) is the current in-stock anchor, with a PSA10 copy of the 008/054 RR currently listed at ¥29,103 (~$183). Raichu also appears in the Art Rare tier of Clay Burst (SV2D) and in the base set of Pokemon Card 151 (SV2a).
Prices are converted at ¥159/USD (August 2026). Product prices reflect our current listings; card facts are sourced from Bulbapedia and Limitless TCG as cited.
Every Notable Raichu Printing
Raichu’s Japanese print history spans from the very first expansion pack through 2023’s Pokemon Card 151. Here are the notable printings we can verify, in roughly chronological order:
| Kartu | Set | Number | Rarity | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raichu | Expansion Pack (JP) / Base Set (EN) | 14/102 (EN) | Rare Holo | Earliest print (year unconfirmed) |
| Shining Raichu | Into the Dark, and to the Light (JP) / Neo Destiny (EN) | 111/105 (EN) | Secret (Shining) | Neo era |
| Raichu & Alolan Raichu GX | GG End (SM10a) | 008/054 | RR | 2019-04-05 |
| Raichu & Alolan Raichu GX | GG End (SM10a) | 057/054 | Secret Rare | 2019-04-05 |
| Raichu V | Star Birth (S9) | 034/100 | RR | 2022-01-14 |
| Raichu | Clay Burst (SV2D) | 074/071 | Art Rare | 2023-04-14 |
| Raichu | Pokemon Card 151 (SV2a) | 026/165 | R | 2023-06-16 |
The first Raichu card, per Bulbapedia, debuted in English as Base Set 14/102 (Rare Holo, illustrated by Ken Sugimori), with a corresponding Japanese printing in the original Expansion Pack — the site does not give an exact release year for that Japanese card, so we leave the date unconfirmed rather than guess.
A quick note on the rarity shorthand used throughout this guide, since Japanese sets stack multiple tiers into a single set list: RR marks a standard double-rare slot, SR or “Secret Rare” cards are numbered past the set’s printed total, and AR (“Art Rare”) is the Scarlet & Violet-era full-illustration tier that sits between a standard rare and a secret rare in most modern sets. None of these tiers replace each other — a set can (and usually does) carry several at once, which is why Raichu shows up at different rarity levels across different releases rather than following one fixed track.
The sections below go deeper on the printings we have verified images for, then close with the two early cards for context.
The Tag Team Era: Raichu & Alolan Raichu GX
GG End (SM10a), released 2019-04-05, gave Raichu a Tag Team GX pairing standard Raichu with its Alolan form. Tag Team GX cards were a Sun & Moon-era mechanic that put two Pokemon on a single card sharing a combined attack list and a single Pokemon-GX attack. Raichu & Alolan Raichu GX is one of those cards, and the set produced two versions of it.
The 008/054 RR is the standard full-art GX print, and it’s the version we currently have graded stock of — a PSA10 Raichu & Alolan Raichu GX 008/054 RR is currently listed at ¥29,103 (~$183). PSA independently determines authenticity and grade, so a PSA10 slab confirms the card’s condition and legitimacy at the top of the grading scale.
The 057/054 Secret Rare is the same GX in a rainbow/secret treatment, numbered past the set’s base count of 54 — the standard signal for a secret-rare slot in a Japanese set. English collectors know this card as Unified Minds 54/236. Because both prints share the same artwork and text, the difference between them comes down entirely to the foil treatment and the card border, so it’s worth checking the corner number on any copy you’re evaluating before assuming which version you have.
The full GG End set is covered card-by-card in our GG End best-cards breakdown, and boxes are still available — the SM10A GG End Booster Box is currently listed at ¥105,000 (~$660).
Raichu V in Star Birth
Star Birth (S9), released 2022-01-14, gave Raichu its V-tier upgrade at 034/100, RR. English collectors will recognize this card as Brilliant Stars 45/172. The V mechanic was the Sword & Shield-era successor to GX — a single-Pokemon rule-box card rather than a paired Tag Team.
Notably, there is no Raichu VMAX — Bulbapedia’s card list for Raichu confirms the line stops at V. That’s worth knowing before you go looking for a VMAX version that doesn’t exist: some evolution lines got the full V/VMAX/VSTAR treatment across multiple sets, and Raichu simply isn’t one of them based on the verified card list.
Star Birth boxes remain available: the S9 Star Birth Booster Box is currently listed at ¥22,890 (~$144). For the rest of the set’s chase cards, see our Star Birth best-cards guide.
The Art Rare: Raichu in Clay Burst
Clay Burst (SV2D), released 2023-04-14, placed Raichu in the Art Rare tier at 074/071 — a full-art illustration slot numbered just past the set’s base count. Art Rares sit in the same collector-oriented category as Storm Emeralda’s chase cards we cover elsewhere on the blog: full-bleed artwork, no standard attack-text layout, and typically one of the more sought-after non-secret slots in a Scarlet & Violet-era Japanese set precisely because the card prioritizes illustration over playability.
Boxes are available at a couple of price points: the SV2D Clay Burst Booster Box is currently listed at ¥10,400–¥11,832 (~$65–$74). See the full set in our Clay Burst best-cards guide.
Raichu Returns: Pokemon Card 151
Pokemon Card 151 (SV2a), released 2023-06-16, brought Raichu back into a mainline Kanto-focused set at 026/165, R — a standard rare rather than a secret or art-tier print, which makes it the most accessible modern Raichu on this list for anyone building a set run instead of chasing a single chase card. It’s also the version most likely to show up in a straightforward booster pull rather than requiring a graded-single purchase, since it sits at the standard-rare tier rather than one of the set’s headline slots.
Our standard SV2A Pokemon 151 box isn’t currently listed, but a SV2A Pokemon 151 Booster Box (Damaged Box) is currently listed at ¥55,620 (~$350) for buyers who don’t need mint packaging. For everything else in the set, see our Pokemon 151 best-cards guide.
Where It Started: Base Set and Shining Raichu
Two earlier Raichu cards are worth knowing even though we don’t have verified images or current stock to anchor them:
- Raichu, Base Set 14/102 (EN) / Expansion Pack (JP). The character’s first Pokemon TCG printing, Rare Holo, illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Bulbapedia doesn’t give a confirmed release year for the Japanese Expansion Pack version, so we’re not going to invent one.
- Shining Raichu, Neo Destiny 111/105 (EN secret) / Into the Dark, and to the Light (JP). Part of the original “Shining” mechanic — a secret-rare treatment distinct from later Shiny variants like the Amazing Rares or the recent VSTAR-era Special Art Rares.
Between those two early cards and the modern GX, V, AR, and 151 prints above, there’s a multi-decade gap — this guide focuses on the notable printings we could verify with a source URL, rather than every card Raichu has ever appeared on.
Both cards are collector-market pieces from the earliest years of the TCG rather than current listings, so if you’re specifically hunting either one, the fastest way to check current availability is through our Quick Order page, where you can request a quote for singles we don’t have listed as standard products.
How to Collect Raichu Cards
Because Raichu’s notable print list is short and spread across five different eras, there are two practical ways to build a collection:
- Buy the graded single directly. The PSA10 Raichu & Alolan Raichu GX 008/054 RR is the clearest entry point right now — a single verified card rather than a box gamble.
- Open sealed product from the source set. GG End, Star Birth, and Clay Burst boxes are all currently listed, and each one contains the Raichu print discussed above alongside the rest of that set’s cards. The 25th Anniversary Golden Box, which spans multiple sets and eras, is also available for collectors chasing a broader vintage-adjacent mix — it’s currently listed at ¥288,400 (~$1,814).
Broken down by current listings, here’s roughly where each option sits:
- Around $65–$74 — SV2D Clay Burst Booster Box, the cheapest way into a sealed box that contains the Raichu Art Rare.
- Around $144 — S9 Star Birth Booster Box, for the Raichu V print plus the rest of that set.
- Around $183 — the PSA10 Raichu & Alolan Raichu GX 008/054 RR single, quantity 1.
- Around $350 — SV2A Pokemon 151 Booster Box (Damaged Box), for buyers chasing the 026/165 print who don’t need mint outer packaging.
- Around $660 — SM10A GG End Booster Box, for opening your own copies of the Tag Team GX chase card.
- Around $1,814 — the 25th Anniversary Golden Box, for collectors building a broader multi-set vintage-adjacent pull rather than targeting Raichu specifically.
Quantities on graded singles are limited — the PSA10 GX copy above is listed at quantity 1. If it’s sold by the time you check, request a quote via our Quick Order page for restock or a comparable Raichu single.
For the wider PSA-graded lineup across our catalog, browse the PSA10 card list hub. And since Raichu is a Pikachu-line evolution, our best Pikachu cards guide and Surfing and Flying Pikachu guide are useful next stops if you’re building out the whole electric-type family.
Where to Buy Raichu Cards from Japan
We ship Japanese sealed product and singles worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. Between the PSA10 graded single, three currently listed booster boxes (GG End, Star Birth, Clay Burst), the 25th Anniversary Golden Box, and the Pokemon 151 damaged box, there’s a Raichu entry point at most budget levels right now.
Because Raichu’s print history is short but spread across five different eras — from the original Expansion Pack through the 2023 Pokemon Card 151 set — the fastest way to check what’s actually available on any given day is to compare the products linked throughout this guide against your target print. Card number and set name are the two details that matter most; rarity abbreviations like RR, AR, and Secret Rare tell you which tier of a given set the card sits in, but they don’t tell you which set on their own.
For anything not currently listed as a standard product — including the early Base Set and Shining Raichu prints — request a quote via our Quick Order page.
Pertanyaan yang Sering Diajukan
What is the current top Raichu card available?
A PSA10-graded Raichu & Alolan Raichu GX 008/054 RR from GG End (SM10a), currently listed at ¥29,103 (~$183), quantity 1.
Is there a Raichu VMAX?
No. Per Bulbapedia’s Raichu card list, the line goes up to Raichu V (Star Birth, S9 034/100, released 2022-01-14) with no VMAX version.
What modern Japanese sets contain Raichu?
Clay Burst (SV2D) has Raichu as an Art Rare at 074/071, and Pokemon Card 151 (SV2a) includes a standard rare at 026/165. GG End (SM10a) and Star Birth (S9) each have a higher-tier Raichu print (GX and V respectively).
What was the first Raichu card?
English Base Set 14/102, Rare Holo, illustrated by Ken Sugimori, with a corresponding Japanese Expansion Pack printing. Bulbapedia does not give a confirmed release year for the Japanese version.
What is Shining Raichu?
A secret-rare “Shining” printing from Neo Destiny (111/105 in English), with a Japanese counterpart in Into the Dark, and to the Light — part of the original “Shining” mechanic, distinct from later Shiny variants like the Amazing Rares.
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