Dark Charizard

Dark Charizard sits at #4 in Team Rocket, the fifth of the Wizards of the Coast print runs. Illustration by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of the Pokémon franchise itself. His TCG illustrations carry a tighter, more on-model feel because they are by the same hand that defined how the Pokémon look in the games. In the games, Dark Charizard evolves from Dark Charmeleon, which makes it a late-stage card in the line.

The flavor text on the card reads: "Seemingly possessed, it spews fire like a volcano, trying to burn all it sees." Pokédex entries from this era are short and often quirky, written by the original Japanese localization team for a specific stat-block layout that no longer exists in modern cards.

Team Rocket shipped in 1st Edition (stamped) and Unlimited prints. The set is famous for Dark Raichu, card #83, the first Secret Rare ever printed. The Secret Rare slot exists outside the standard 82-card numbering and was an unannounced pull from the printer.

For graded buyers, the holo window is where most grade points are won or lost. Surface scratches and print misregistration on the foil are common, and centering on Wizards-era holos was inconsistent enough that PSA 10s remain genuinely scarce a quarter century later. The PSA 9 to PSA 10 price gap on this kind of card is wide enough that pre-grading inspection under a loupe is well worth the time.

If you are buying this card, the order of operations is variant first, then condition. Verify the print variant (1st Edition stamp visible, drop shadow on the right edge if Unlimited) before you negotiate on price. For raw purchases above $500, insist on photo or video showing the holo surface under direct light from a 45-degree angle so you can spot hairlines. The "live market price" on this page tracks recent eBay sales, but the actual transaction price will vary by variant, grade, and how recently a comparable sale closed.