Smeargle

Smeargle is card 11 of 75 in Neo Discovery, released in June 2001, a Rare Holo. It is a Basic Colorless-type with 50 HP.

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

Illustrated by Hironobu Yoshida.

The Pokédex entry printed on Smeargle reads: "A special fluid oozes from the tip of its tail. It paints the fluid everywhere to mark its territory."

Smeargle is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Neo Discovery'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 Discovery holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to the set's marquee chase; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.

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

Grading Smeargle comes down to the holo surface and the borders. The era's foil scratches easily, so even a pack-fresh Smeargle can drop from a 10 to a 9 on a single hairline. Inspect the window at an angle and the corners against the frame.

If you are buying Smeargle, work in order: confirm the print variant first, then the grade, then price against recent sales for that exact variant and grade. For a raw Smeargle above a few hundred dollars, insist on angled-light photos of the holo so you can spot hairlines.