The devolved form of Pikachu, Pichu has featured on 18 different cards since it appeared in the 2000 Neo Genesis expansion of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
In terms of the design process, Junichi Masuda noted that he and Ken Sugimori wanted to create the “next” Pikachu. They initially had a difficult time creating a design that they felt would be as appealing.
Instead, they decided to create a Pokémon that evolved into Pikachu as a form of compromise.
Pokémon cards are still a valuable commodity, especially if they happen to include a popular monster, or were included in one of the earlier sets.
Pichu easily fits the bill. We’ve come up with a guide including some of the best cards featuring the baby Pokémon, along with advice if you’re looking at one of the rarer options.
The Best Pichu Pokemon Cards
Our trio of the best Pichu cards all come from either 2000 or 2001. You’re unlikely to have a few copies lying around collecting dust.
3. 2001 Pokemon Promo Lucky Stadium N.Y Center #41 (eBay)
This alternate-art 2001 Pokémon Promo Lucky Stadium card was made available at the opening of the Pokémon Center in New York City in November 2001.
It’s a Trainer card rather than a normal Pichu. The Pokémon is pictured along with the famous duo of Charizard and Pikachu.
Given the age and the method of release, it’s one of the rarer cards to make the list, which is reflected in the average asking price.
2. 2001 Pokemon Promo Pichu #35 (eBay)
This version of Pichu was released as one of the Wizards Black Star Promos in 2001.
(Wizards of the Coast produced numerous exclusive cards for promotional events such as tournaments, with this being the 35th overall.)
It takes advantage of a reverse holo design to create an eye-catching option, although over 1,000 copies have now been graded by PSA.
As such, we’d stick with PSA 10 versions only. There’s a meagre 27 on the registry at the current time of writing.
1. 2000 Pokemon Neo Genesis 1st Edition Pichu #12 (eBay)
The 2000 Neo Genesis set was the first to feature Generation II Pokémon like Pichu. The baby Pokémon is given the holo treatment, with blue and orange making up the shiny background.
We’d stick with 1st Edition copies. They can be identified by a small stamp in the bottom left corner underneath the image of Pichu.
If you’re wondering what a 1st Edition Pichu is worth, it’ll depend on whether the copy has been graded, and the mark it has received. Expect to pay a large sum for pristine copies.
Pichu Cards: Buyers Guide
Here are our thoughts on the current state of the resale market for Pichu Pokémon cards.
Pichu isn’t the most expensive Pokémon card by any means, even when looking at graded versions. Collectors were wise to the potential of 1st Edition sets, and many have been well looked after for the past 20 years.
This means that you’ll be able to grab lower grades of the cards mentioned above at an affordable price. You could even look to different languages for cheaper options.
The best Pichu investment piece is probably going to be the 2001 Promo Trainer card, especially in terms of pure value. If you’d rather have a traditional Pichu card, we’d opt for the Wizards Black Star Promos card.
Pichu Cards: Buying/Selling Advice
Pichu might not be as popular as it’s evolved form. It’s still a Pokémon that attracts a fair number of bids when a pristine copy of a rare card comes up at auction.
It was meant to be a successor to Pikachu. Even if it failed in that respect, it still has a strong association with the franchise mascot.
As with the majority of older Pokémon cards, prices continue to rise each year, even if more attention is typically paid to the original 150. You could do far worse if you’re looking for outside the box investments.
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