Metapod · Neo Discovery, what to know.
About the Metapod card
Metapod is card 42 of 75 in Neo Discovery, released in June 2001, an Uncommon. It is a Stage 1 Grass-type with 70 HP.
As a Stage 1, it evolves from Caterpie, which places Metapod deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.
Illustrated by Sumiyoshi Kizuki.
The Pokédex entry printed on Metapod reads: "Inside the shell, it is soft and weak as it prepares to evolve. It stays motionless in the shell."
About Metapod in the Pokémon world
Caterpie evolved into a hardened green chrysalis. Famous in the anime for the Ash vs Ash episode where Metapods battled by hardening. Cheap entry-level vintage card. Used by new collectors to learn the difference between Unlimited and Shadowless prints.
What is Metapod worth?
Metapod is an Uncommon, so raw copies are inexpensive and easy to find. The value is in condition: a genuine PSA 10, especially 1st Edition, can still reach a surprising figure for an otherwise common card. The live price above breaks it down by grade.
Print variants and how to spot them
Neo Discovery produced 1st Edition, Unlimited prints. For Metapod, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.
Grading and condition
Metapod grades forgivingly, but the same centering and edge standards apply. Pack-fresh raw copies are easy to find, which makes a clean PSA 10 submission a low-cost way to learn how the cardstock behaves under grading.
If you are collecting Metapod
Raw copies of Metapod are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Metapod is the practical move.
