Digital Vault Wiki

Electrike card from EX trainer Kit (Latios) set, Lightning Basic with holo variant

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Electrike is a basic Lightning-type Pokémon card that appears in the EX trainer Kit (Latios) set. Designated at 50 Hit Points, it represents an entry point into the Pokémon Trading Card Game for new players while also serving as a collectible for seasoned players who assemble variants across multiple printings. The card’s rarity is listed as None in the official catalog, reflecting its role within a trainer kit rather than a traditional expansion push. The set structure for this kit includes multiple printable variants—normal, reverse holo, and holo—accommodating both gameplay practicality and collector interest. As a basic Pokémon, Electrike provides players with a straightforward, if modest, offensive option and contributes to the foundational learning experience that trainer kits were designed to deliver.

The EX trainer Kit (Latios) bears significance in its own right as a kit-focused release, often used to introduce players to core mechanics, energy accounting, typing, and stage progression. Within that context, Electrike functions as a compact, easy-to-understand example of a Lightning-type Basic Pokémon, reinforcing the basic principles of energy costs, attack damage, and tactical considerations when facing common weaknesses and resistances of the era. Although not a centerpiece of modern competitive decks, Electrike’s presence in this kit provides historical insight into how early trainer-focused products integrated simple solos with a broader learning narrative.

Card Information

Category: Pokémon
Name: Electrike
HP: 50
Type: Lightning
Stage: Basic
Rarity: None
Set: EX trainer Kit (Latios) — card count official 10 of 10
Dex number: 309
Illustrator: Ken Sugimori
Evolution: Evolves to Manectric
Attacks: Headbutt — Cost: Colorless; Damage: 10
Weaknesses: Fighting ×2
Resistances: Metal −30
Retreat Cost: 1
Legal formats: Standard: Not legal; Expanded: Not legal
Illustrator: Ken Sugimori
Pricing (TCGPlayer data): Normal low: $0.07, mid: $0.25, high: $4.72; Market: $0.25 (updated 2025-10-31)

Gameplay and Strategy

Electrike presents a minimal, early-game option in the context of its release era. With 50 HP and a single, low-damage attack, the card is fundamentally a learning tool rather than a primary attacker. The Headbutt attack, requiring a single Colorless energy, showcases how even simple attacks are activated by generic energy costs, illustrating basic energy management for new players. The modest damage output means Electrike is unlikely to be a centerpiece of a modern competitive deck; instead, it serves as a teaching aid in understanding how Basic Pokémon function, how to assess matchups against opponents with weaknesses, and how resistances alter the effective damage taken from certain attacks.

From a strategic standpoint, Electrike’s most notable mechanical context is its weakness to Fighting-type attacks and its resistance to Metal, which reflects common type dynamics in the Pokémon TCG’s history. A Fighting-type opponent can quickly threaten Electrike, particularly when additional damage modifiers or buffs are in play. The Metal resistance helps mitigate damage from certain metallic or steel-focused strategies that were prevalent in older formats, shaping early-deck construction considerations. The retreat cost of 1 means Electrike can be recalled with a modest energy investment, enabling flexible management of the active Pokémon during a turn, though its overall role is typically as a supplementary piece in broader Lightning-type lineups or in trainer-kit demonstration games.

In practical terms, Electrike’s role in gameplay is educational. It demonstrates how a basic Pokémon can contribute to early-game tempo, how energy costs influence deck pacing, and how trainers interpret HP, weaknesses, and resistances in predicting outcomes of simple confrontations. In a kit-based environment, Electrike would often be paired with other entries that illustrate evolutions or more impactful attacks, giving players a tangible sense of how evolution lines—Electrike evolving into Manectric—alter a deck’s offensive potential and energy requirements over time.

Collector and Market Information

Rarity is listed as None for this Electrike card, which can affect perceptions of value in collector circles. However, the EX trainer Kit (Latios) set includes print variants such as Normal, Reverse Holo, and Holo, introducing a spectrum of collectibility within a single card species. The presence of a holo variant typically increases a card’s appeal to collectors, especially when it is part of a trainer kit with a dedicated theme. Printed across multiple variants, Electrike can appeal to both players seeking a functional, inexpensive card and collectors pursuing holo or reverse-holo completions within the kit’s limited print run.

Pricing data from TCGPlayer (as of the latest update) shows a broad range reflecting variant and condition influences. Normal printings tend to sit at the lower end (low around $0.07, mid around $0.25), while higher-end or holo versions can fetch significantly more, with a high price listed near $4.72 in certain listings. Market price sits around $0.25, providing a practical baseline for casual acquisitions. Price updates were recorded on 2025-10-31, indicating ongoing activity in the market for older kit cards and the enduring interest of collectors who assemble complete sets from trainer kit releases. Collectors should consider variant status, card condition, and printing type when assessing overall value, especially for holo copies that historically command greater attention in collections.

Art and Lore

Ken Sugimori, the illustrator credited for Electrike, is a central figure in the Pokémon franchise’s visual identity. Sugimori’s work on early and classic Pokémon cards contributed to the enduring look of many species in the trading card game. Electrike’s design—an agile, electric-type Pokémon with a canine-inspired silhouette—aligns with Sugimori’s characteristic style, emphasizing sleek lines and bold color contrasts that highlight speed and electric energy. The EX trainer Kit (Latios) release context situates Electrike within a broader artistry-driven approach that accompanied trainer-focused products, where artwork often reinforced a cohesive theme around the Latios designation while maintaining the familiar charm of the individual Pokémon’s representation.

The kit’s packaging and printing choices, including holo and reverse holo variants, underscore a commitment to providing visually distinct cards that appeal to both players and collectors. While the card’s gameplay impact is modest, the artwork remains part of the larger tapestry of the Pokémon TCG’s evolution in art direction, reflecting the franchise’s enduring emphasis on character identity and expressive illustration.

Trivia

The card is part of the EX trainer Kit (Latios) set, which contained a total of 10 official cards.
Electrike is a Basic Pokémon with a single, small-damage attack, representative of introductory cards used to teach new players core mechanics.
The card exists in multiple print variants within the kit’s release—Normal, Reverse Holo, and Holo—affording collectors more than one printing path.
Although Electrike’s rarity is listed as None, holo variants and kit reproductions can influence collector interest and perceived value among enthusiasts.
In modern competitive contexts, Electrike is not legal in Standard or Expanded formats; its historical role is primarily educational and collectible within trainer-kit ecosystems.

📘 Electrike — Pokémon TCG