Raikou-EX 105/108 · Dark Explorers

Raikou is Pokédex #243, generation 2 (Johto). Raikou-EX is a Basic EX Lightning Pokémon with 170 HP.

Raikou-EX sits at 105/108 in Dark Explorers, position 105 of 111. Before it is 104 Kyogre-EX, and after it is 106 Groudon-EX. The set belongs to the Black & White series. It was released on 9 May 2012. The printed size is 108. This checklist is longer, at 111 cards. The listed rarity is Rare Ultra.

The attack Thunder Fang lists 30 damage. The cost is Lightning, Colorless. Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed. Volt Bolt is another attack lists no damage number. The cost is Lightning, Lightning, Colorless. Discard all Lightning Energy attached to this Pokémon. This attack does 100 damage to 1 of your opponent's Pokémon. (Don't apply Weakness or Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) Weakness is Fighting ×2. Retreat cost is 1. The card text says: Pokémon-EX rule: When a Pokémon-EX has been Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.

Raikou (#243) has 26 other cards in the catalog. Those other cards are in 20 sets. The other printings with a release date run from 2001 to 2026. The earliest other card is Raikou 13/64 in Neo Revelation (2001). That card is named Raikou, while this one is Raikou-EX. That card lists 80 HP, and this one lists 170 HP. The rarity there is Rare Holo, and here it is Rare Ultra. Ken Sugimori illustrated that card, and 5ban Graphics illustrated this one. 24 other cards of Raikou list a different HP.

The illustrator line reads 5ban Graphics. I count 1,629 other cards in the catalog with that illustrator.

Dark Explorers set binder is where a full Dark Explorers set goes. This card fills one slot there. A generation binder holds one card of each species. Raikou can fill a slot in Generation 2 binder (Johto). Themed lists that include this exact card are Legendary beasts. I still need this card.