# Empoleon #81/131 — Forbidden Light

## Summary

Empoleon carries real Sinnoh affection, as the final Piplup line and a Water/Steel emperor, so Gen IV loyalists keep its cards in demand. A plain Rare in Forbidden Light was a mid-tier pull, and nagimiso's illustration gives completionists a reason to want the regular version. A $0.99 modelled guide, down 2% over 30 days on 4 copies traded, says bulk, with 849 days of inventory on the board, and the economics stop there: a PSA 10 guides at $35, 35 times raw, but PSA does not split this card’s population by finish, so no gem rate can be read for it.

## Identity

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Set | Forbidden Light |
| Number | 81/131 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Era | SM |
| Illustrator | nagimiso |
| Release date | 2018-05-04 |
| Image | Unavailable |

## Card details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Card type | POKEMON |
| Stage | Stage2 |
| Evolves from | Prinplup |
| HP | 160 |
| Types | Metal |
| Attack: Total Command | cost Metal/Colorless — damage 20× — This attack does 20 damage for each Benched Pokémon (both yours and your opponent’s). |
| Attack: Whirlpool | cost Metal/Metal/Colorless — damage 90 — Discard an Energy from your opponent’s Active Pokémon. |
| Weakness | Fire ×2 |
| Resistance | Psychic -20 |
| Retreat | 2 |
| Legal | Standard no · Expanded yes |
| Pokédex entry | [Empoleon #395](https://cardboardalpha.com/pokemon/pokedex/empoleon) |
| Finishes | Holo, Reverse Holo |
| Languages | EN |

## Current stats

- Headline price: **$0.99** (ITEM_MEDIAN; modelled guide price) — as of 2026-10-25T23:15:38.598Z
- Headline basis: MODELLED_GUIDE — The venue’s published daily market guide, which the venue itself declares MODELLED. Nothing is confirmed to have traded at it, no copy is listed at it, and it is not our estimate — it is theirs.
- 24h change: n/a · 7d change: n/a — as of 2026-10-25T23:15:38.598Z
- Floor delivered ask: $1.74 — as of 2026-10-25T23:15:38.598Z
- Quant score: 28/100, regime ILLIQUID_UNKNOWN — as of 2026-10-25T23:15:38.598Z — 3 of 11 inputs · 29% weight · -35% confidence

## Provenance

- Catalog — observed 2018-05-04T00:00:00Z, confidence 98%
- Live ask — observed 2026-10-20T11:32:26.641Z, confidence 90%
- Guide price (modelled) — observed 2026-10-25T00:00:00.000Z, confidence 90%
- Price statistic — observed 2026-10-20T11:32:24.278Z, confidence 90%
- Confirmed sale — observed 2026-10-13T13:11:24.383Z, confidence 85%
- Inventory count — observed 2026-10-20T11:32:24.278Z, confidence 70%
- Population census — observed 2026-09-08T12:51:26.813Z, confidence 60%

## Links

- [View on Cardboard Alpha](https://cardboardalpha.com/pokemon/forbidden-light/empoleon-81)
- [JSON snapshot](https://cardboardalpha.com/api/terminal/raw~tcgdex%3Asm6-81%3AEN%3AHOLO~NM)