Shining Noctowl

Numbered 110 of 113 in Neo Destiny, released in February 2002, Shining Noctowl is a Rare Shining, a Basic Colorless-type carrying 60 HP.

As a Basic Pokémon, Noctowl needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.

Shining Noctowl is an alternate-color print from the late Neo era, a chase rarity pulled at a fraction of the standard holo rate.

Illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of Pokémon itself, so his card art carries the tight, on-model look that defined how the creatures appear in the games.

Shining Noctowl carries this Pokédex flavor text: "It speeds up its thought processes by turning its head around 180 degrees."

Shining Noctowl is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Neo Destiny's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Neo Destiny holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to Shining Charizard at the top; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.

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

Shining Noctowl lives and dies on its holo surface in grading. The colorless foil catches light at angles that hide hairlines in a flat photo, so tilt it under a lamp, then measure the borders, where Wizards-era centering is the second-most-common grade cap.

When you go to buy Shining Noctowl, settle three things in order: the print variant, the condition, and a comp for that exact combination. A blended average across variants will mislead you on Shining Noctowl, so price the specific copy in front of you.