DALLAS, TX .- A copy of the extraordinarily rare Prerelease Raichu — the sole example so far to be authenticated and encapsulated by PSA — sold for $555,000, including Buyer's Premium, on September 19 at Heritage's Sept. 19-20 Trading Card Games Signature® Auction, setting the world record price for a single English-language Pokémon Trading Card Game card and leading Heritage to a $1,358,685 auction total. "It was an honor to be able to offer this extraordinary card, which had been shrouded in mystery for so long," says Jesus Garcia, Consignment Director of Trading Card Games at Heritage Auctions. Four official prerelease promo cards — Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket and Gym Heroes — were given as prizes at these events. Apparently during production of one of the prize prerelease cards, a handful of Base Set Raichu cards were also marked "Prerelease" by mistake, though the error was never publicly acknowledged and dismissed as rumor for years. "These cards were once considered a child's game, and now they're a full-fledged collectible market."