Sunkern

Numbered 83 of 113 in Neo Destiny, released in February 2002, Sunkern is a Common, a Basic Grass-type carrying 40 HP.

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

Illustrated by Etsuya Hattori.

Printed on the card, the Sunkern Pokédex entry reads: "It is very small and powerless. If attacked, the best it can do is flap its leaves in an attempt to frighten away its enemies."

Sunkern is a Common, so raw copies trade for very little and most of the print run survives. The only real value is in pristine, high-grade copies, where even a Common can reach low triple digits in 1st Edition PSA 10. See the live price above for the current figure by grade.

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

Sunkern is the most forgiving tier to grade in the set. Centering on the framed border is the usual cap, and the soft Wizards-era cardstock picks up edge whitening easily, but high print runs keep clean copies affordable.

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