A little help?

So I used to play AJPW all the time as a kid. I (17F) recently just logged in to play again and it’s been fun but also confusing. I just have a few questions.

When did raptors get introduced and why on earth are they worth so much??? Why does everyone want the corrupted token? And lastly, when did alpha get introduced?? Are alpha items just elite over every other kind of item?