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Pokemon Team Rocket was released in April 2000 as the fifth English-language expansion and introduced a bold thematic shift to the TCG. The set features 83 cards (82 numbered plus the secret rare Dark Raichu) built around the villainous Team Rocket organization, with "Dark" versions of popular Pokemon representing shadow-corrupted variants. The darker art style, featuring menacing poses and sinister backdrops, set it apart from every preceding release.
Dark Charizard is the undisputed chase card and one of the most sought-after holos in the entire WOTC era. The combination of the Charizard name, the striking dark artwork, and the relative scarcity of PSA 10 copies keeps prices elevated. Dark Blastoise and Dark Dragonite round out the top tier, while trainer cards like Rocket's Sneak Attack and Here Comes Team Rocket hold appeal for both collectors and competitive players.
Team Rocket occupies a unique position in the collecting landscape. It was the first set to explore alternate versions of existing Pokemon, a concept that would become a staple of the TCG. The set's darker aesthetic resonates with collectors who grew up with the anime and remember Team Rocket as iconic antagonists. For grading purposes, the set shares WOTC-era card stock characteristics but introduces some unique challenges related to its darker ink coverage.
Team Rocket holos are heavily submitted to PSA, with Dark Charizard leading submission counts. PSA 10 rates fall in the 4-7% range, slightly lower than Jungle and Fossil due to the heavier ink coverage revealing surface imperfections more readily. The gap between PSA 9 and PSA 10 on Dark Charizard can exceed $5,000, making careful pre-screening essential.
Team Rocket uses the same thick WOTC card stock as Base Set, Jungle, and Fossil, with the identical cosmos holo pattern. The set symbol is a bold capital "R" printed to the right of the card name. The darker artwork uses heavier ink coverage than previous sets, which can make surface imperfections more visible under grading conditions. Yellow borders and the standard blue Pokeball card back remain consistent with all WOTC-era releases. First Edition copies carry the "Edition 1" stamp.
Average 48x return for PSA 10 on holo rares
| Card | Ungraded | Grade 9 | PSA 10 | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Charizard Holo #4 | $82 | $265 | $4,500 | 54.9x |
| Dark Blastoise Holo #3 | $38 | $120 | $1,800 | 47.4x |
| Dark Dragonite Holo #5 | $35 | $110 | $1,650 | 47.1x |
| Dark Gyarados Holo #8 | $18 | $55 | $850 | 47.2x |
| Dark Alakazam Holo #1 | $20 | $62 | $950 | 47.5x |
| Dark Machamp Holo #10 | $14 | $42 | $680 | 48.6x |
| Dark Magneton Holo #11 | $11 | $34 | $550 | 50x |
| Dark Slowbro Holo #12 | $12 | $36 | $580 | 48.3x |
| Dark Hypno Holo #9 | $12 | $35 | $560 | 46.7x |
| Dark Vileplume Holo #13 | $11 | $33 | $530 | 48.2x |
| Dark Arbok Holo #2 | $13 | $38 | $600 | 46.2x |
| Dark Weezing Holo #14 | $10 | $30 | $500 | 50x |
| Dark Dugtrio Holo #6 | $11 | $32 | $520 | 47.3x |
| Rocket's Sneak Attack Holo #16 | $12 | $35 | $560 | 46.7x |
| Here Comes Team Rocket Holo #15 | $10 | $30 | $480 | 48x |
| Rainbow Energy Holo #17 | $10 | $28 | $450 | 45x |
Price data from PriceCharting as of February 15, 2026. Prices are approximate and may vary.
Set-specific tips for maximizing your grade on Pokemon Team Rocket cards.
Team Rocket holos feature darker, heavier ink coverage than previous WOTC sets. This means scratches, print lines, and surface debris are more visible against the dark backgrounds, especially on cards like Dark Charizard and Dark Gyarados. Inspect under bright LED at multiple angles — flaws that would be invisible on lighter-art holos will show clearly here.
Team Rocket shares the same WOTC print infrastructure as earlier sets, and centering remains inconsistent. Both left-right and top-bottom shifts occur. Measure yellow borders on all four sides — any visible asymmetry without a ruler likely exceeds the 60/40 PSA 10 threshold.
Factory edge whitening from the cutting process appears more pronounced on Team Rocket cards because the darker artwork creates higher contrast against white edge marks. Run your finger along all four edges and inspect under magnification for any white specks or nicks.
WOTC card stock develops micro-separation at the corners over time. Team Rocket cards from 2000 are now over 25 years old, and even well-stored copies can show corner fraying. Use 10x magnification on every corner — a single soft corner drops the grade to PSA 9 or lower.
The bold "R" set symbol should be crisp and well-defined. Some copies show a blurry or slightly doubled R, indicating print registration issues. While minor symbol defects alone may not drop a grade, they signal that the card came from a lower-quality print sheet.
Team Rocket cards frequently have different centering on the front and back. A perfectly centered front with a misaligned back will still lose points. Flip the card and measure the blue border on all four sides before committing to a submission.
Manufacturing defects and wear patterns specific to this set and era.
The cosmos holo pattern combined with Team Rocket's darker art makes surface scratches more prominent than on lighter-art sets. Pack-insertion marks from adjacent cards in sealed packs are the primary source, and they stand out starkly against Dark Charizard's fire background.
Team Rocket's April 2000 print run produced sheets with variable centering quality. Cards from the edges of print sheets tend to have worse centering than those from the center. Both horizontal and vertical shift occur with roughly equal frequency.
The heavier ink coverage required for Team Rocket's dark artwork occasionally resulted in ink smearing near the yellow border edges, particularly on the left and bottom sides. This appears as a subtle dark haze bleeding into the border area.
Small nicks or divots along the card edges from the cutting process appear on a meaningful percentage of Team Rocket cards. These are factory defects present on unhandled cards and are more noticeable due to the dark artwork creating high contrast with any white marks.
The layered WOTC card stock separates slightly at corner tips as it ages. After 25+ years, even sleeved and toploaded Team Rocket cards can show micro-whitening at the corners under magnification.
Dark Charizard is one of the best grading candidates in the WOTC era. An ungraded holo sells for around $82, while a PSA 9 fetches $265 and a PSA 10 commands $4,500. Even a PSA 8 ($120+) justifies grading costs. Pre-screen aggressively for surface scratches, as the dark artwork reveals flaws that would be hidden on lighter cards.
Team Rocket holos have a PSA 10 rate of approximately 4-7%, slightly lower than Jungle and Fossil. The darker ink coverage makes surface imperfections more detectable during grading. Cards pulled from freshly opened sealed product have the highest chance of achieving gem mint grades.
Dark Raichu is card #83 in a set numbered to 82, making it the first secret rare in Pokemon TCG history. It was not listed on the checklist and could only be found by opening packs. Ungraded Dark Raichu holos sell for $40-$60, with PSA 10 copies reaching $1,500+. It is a significant card for set completionists and TCG historians.
Yes, First Edition Team Rocket cards command 2-5x premiums over unlimited in equivalent grades. The "Edition 1" stamp appears on the left side of the card. First Edition Dark Charizard in PSA 10 can sell for $10,000-$15,000+.
Team Rocket cards have a bold capital "R" set symbol to the right of the card name. Most Pokemon in the set have "Dark" in their name (Dark Charizard, Dark Blastoise, etc.) and feature menacing artwork with darker color palettes compared to their standard versions.
The trainer holos are affordable raw ($10-$12) with PSA 10 values of $480-$560, offering solid ROI. They are less frequently submitted than the Dark Pokemon holos, meaning PSA 10 populations are lower. Grade them if you have clean copies, but prioritize the higher-value Dark Pokemon holos first.