Poliwhirl

Poliwhirl is card 44 of 75 in Neo Discovery, released in June 2001, an Uncommon. It is a Stage 1 Water-type with 70 HP.

As a Stage 1, it evolves from Poliwag, which places Poliwhirl deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.

Illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno. Himeno is one of the most-recognized vintage illustrators, with a softer, more textured style that shows up across the Jungle and Neo runs.

The Pokédex entry printed on Poliwhirl reads: "The swirl on its belly undulates. Staring at it may gradually cause drowsiness."

The middle Poliwag stage. Now bipedal with arms but retained spiral belly. Notably the card on the cover of the original Game Boy Pokémon manual. Mid-stage demand.

Poliwhirl 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.

Neo Discovery produced 1st Edition, Unlimited prints. For Poliwhirl, the print variant can change the price several times over, so identify it before you buy.

Poliwhirl 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.

Raw copies of Poliwhirl are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Poliwhirl is the practical move.