Pichu 25/99 · Arceus

Arceus is a set in the Platinum series. It was released on November 4, 2009. The printed size is 99. This checklist is longer, at 111 cards. Pichu is 25/99, in position 25 of 111 on this checklist. Before it is 24 Pelipper, and after it is 26 Porygon-Z G. The listed rarity is Rare.

Pichu is a Basic Lightning Pokémon with 50 HP. The card lists level 9. In the Pokédex this is Pichu (#172), generation 2 (Johto). The card lists Pikachu, Pikachu (#025) under evolves to.

Kanako Eo illustrated this card. The same name is on 99 other cards in the catalog.

Pichu (#172) has 14 other cards in the catalog. Those other cards are in 13 sets. The other printings with a release date run from 1999 to 2025. The earliest other card is Pichu 35/53 in Wizards Black Star Promos (1999). That card lists 30 HP, and this one lists 50 HP. The rarity there is Promo, and here it is Rare. Ken Sugimori illustrated that card, and Kanako Eo illustrated this one. 11 other cards of Pichu list a different HP.

Baby Evolution is listed as Poké-Power. Once during your turn (before your attack), you may put Pikachu from your hand onto Pichu (this counts as evolving Pichu) and remove all damage counters from Pichu. The attack Baby Steps lists no damage number. Look at the top 5 cards of your deck, choose 1 of them, and put it into your hand. Shuffle the other cards back into your deck. Weakness is Fighting +10. Resistance is Metal -20. Retreat cost is 1. The flavor text reads "The electric sacs in its cheeks are small. If even a little electricity leaks, it becomes shocked."

I keep a set binder for Arceus, meant to hold every card of that set. This card is one slot in the Arceus set binder. A generation binder holds one card of each species. Pichu can fill a slot in Generation 2 binder (Johto). Themed lists that include this exact card are Baby Pokémon. I still need this card.