2000 Pokemon Trading Card Game Team Rocket Set

2000 Pokemon Team Rocket – History

Team Rocket, released in April 2000, is the 5th set of cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The title refers to a criminal organization from the video games Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, and also features the trio of Rockets known as Jessie, James, and Meowth. Its symbol is the R, which is the Team Rocket organization’s symbol and can be seen on practically everything that comes from them.

This set introduced the Dark Pokémon, Pokémon corrupted and controlled by the Team Rocket organization. After the release of this set, Dark Pokémon would not show a strong presence until the set’s sequel released four years later, Team Rocket Returns.

As part of a promotion, an American-only Dark Raichu can be found in this set, though it is the rarest card, as a “secret” card that numbered above the regular set number: “83/82”

2000 Pokemon Team Rocket Set – Interest and Popularity

The Team Rocket set “took off” towards the top of many Pokémon collectors’ desire list. 

Team Rocket introduced what some consider to be the evil Pokémon or the Dark Pokémon. A lot of people were drawn to that. It added diversity. 

The Dark Pokémon in this series look more angry and aggressive than others in the series, and they need to be so in order to fend off Team Rocket, a criminal organization whose main objective is to secure rare and strong Pokémon to assist them in taking over the world. 

Manufactured by Wizards of the Coast (WOTC), the 2000 Team Rocket 1st Edition set was released in April 2000 and consists of 83 cards. The cards are numbered to 82, but the 83rd card is a secret rare Dark Raichu holographic single (numbered 83/82) that was inserted on a limited basis into booster packs. 

Team Rocket 1st Edition cards were only available in 11-card booster packs, with each pack containing seven common cards, three uncommon cards, and one rare single. The rare card was a holographic card in one in approximately every three packs. 

But while these 1st Edition cards are getting tougher to track down, it should be noted that another unlimited version of these cards was produced in much higher quantities and is far less valuable. A 1st Edition card can be distinguished from an unlimited card by the small black-and-white stamp that says “Edition 1” on the left below the character box on the card front. 

 The cards in this series boast yellow borders with the Pokémon’s name and HP at the top above the artwork. The 1st Edition stamp (“Edition 1″) and the Pokémon’s vitals (type, length, weight) ensue, followed by the trading card game information. A sentence describing the Pokémon’s special abilities can be found on the lower portion above the copyright information.

These cards can be differentiated from other 2000 Pokémon sets by the capital letter “R” (which stands for “Rocket”) under the right part of the artwork (on the opposite side of the “Edition 1″ stamp). The card backs flaunt the Pokémon name and branding and the blue borders. 

This set offers four different levels of cards that are sequenced (with a few exceptions) in descending order by rarity.

The first 17 cards (#1 to #17) and the last card (#83) – which is the secret Dark Raichu card – are holographic cards and are in the most demand. In fact, many collectors solely pursue the holographic cards from this issue. These cards boast a holographic background behind the artwork and, as noted earlier, these were inserted at the approximate rate of one in every three booster packs. 

One of the most common condition flaws in the Pokemon Team Rocket Set series, is the chipping of the blue borders on the back. Also, the holo material on the holographic cards is often found scratched or “silvered.”

“Silvered” (or “silvering”) refers to the silver of the holographic layer showing through on the front border. “It’s basically the exact same issue as chipping on the back of cards, but on the front, it is considered ‘silvering’ because of its color.

2000 Pokemon Trading Card Game Team Rocket Set – My Story

I was hooked. I had to continue to collect my sets. I went to my favorite card shops and ordered my boxes. I think it took four boxes to acquire my set. As stated, the hardest card to find was the “secret card” Dark Raichu. But, I prevailed and captured this elusive card. My binder was filling up with awesome cards.