Dark Vileplume 30/82 Pokémon Base Set Team Rocket Raw

Character: Vileplume

Set: Base Set

Series: Team Rocket

Card Number: 30

Rarity: R

Condition: N/A

Grade: Raw

Year: 1999

Illustrator: Ken Sugimori

The Dark Vileplume 30/82 is a Rare Grass-type Stage 2 Pokémon card from the Team Rocket expansion, released on April 24, 2000 by Wizards of the Coast and illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno, the celebrated Japanese artist known for his dark, atmospheric watercolor style that defined much of the original Pokémon TCG's "Dark" subset artwork. As a 60 HP Pokémon that evolves from Dark Gloom, it carries a Weakness to Fighting-type attacks (×2), no Resistance, and a Retreat Cost of two Colorless Energy. The Team Rocket set was the fifth English expansion of the Base era, introducing a roster of shadowy "Dark" variants of popular Pokémon that reimagined familiar species through a villainous lens, and this non-holo Rare printing sits alongside the Holo Rare Dark Vileplume (13/82) as one of two distinct treatments of the same species within the 82-card master set.

In terms of decks and strategy, Dark Vileplume's Pokémon Power Hay Fever is one of the most aggressive disruption effects in the entire Base era: while Dark Vileplume is Active and not Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed, no Trainer cards can be played by either player. This made it a devastating anchor in 2000-era competitive formats, as it effectively neutralized the opponent's entire Trainer support—no Professor Oak, no Bill, no Devolution Spray—forcing them to rely solely on raw Pokémon attacks and Energy attachment. Its sole attack, Petal Whirlwind, costs three Grass Energy and involves flipping three coins for 30 damage times the number of heads, with the additional risk that landing 2 or more heads Confuses Dark Vileplume itself after dealing damage. This self-inflicted risk created a fascinating strategic tension: the player had to weigh the potential 90-damage maximum against the likelihood of locking themselves out for a full turn. In modern Unlimited and Vintage formats, Dark Vileplume finds utility in Grass-type disruption decks as a board-control tool that punishes Trainer-heavy strategies, and its Hay Fever power remains one of the most thematically bold effects ever printed in the franchise.

Collectors love the Dark Vileplume for its unique position as one of the most mechanically aggressive "Dark" Pokémon ever produced, a card whose Hay Fever power represented a design philosophy of mutual destruction that would not be replicated in the same form for years to come. Kagemaru Himeno's illustration—depicting the twisted, thorn-covered flower in his signature moody, dark-palette watercolor style—gives the card a genuinely unsettling visual identity that sets it apart from the more conventional artwork of the set's standard Pokémon. As a member of the "Dark" subset, it appeals to collectors who specifically seek out the villainous reimaginings that defined Team Rocket's thematic identity, and its permanently fixed supply—combined with over 25 years of natural wear from the massive population of Team Rocket cards that were opened, played, and traded in the early 2000s—ensures that quality raw copies remain a steady target for both set completionists and players of Unlimited format tournaments who still appreciate the raw, rule-bending aggression of the Base era's most creative disruption tools.

Product Details

Card Number / Rarity:30/82 / Rare

Card Type / HP / Stage:Grass / 60 / Stage 2

Card Text:Pokémon Power: Hay Fever No Trainer cards can be played. This power stops working while Dark Vileplume is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.

Attack 1:[GGG] Petal Whirlwind (30x)
Flip 3 coins. This attack does 30 damage times the number of heads. If you get 2 or more heads, Dark Vileplume is now Confused (after dealing damage).

Weakness / Resistance / Retreat Cost:R / / 2

Stock Image Shown.

All Cards Come Sleeved & Toploaded