Houndoom · Neo Revelation, what to know.
About the Houndoom card
Houndoom sits at #8 in Neo Revelation, the tenth of the Wizards of the Coast print runs. Illustration by Mitsuhiro Arita. Arita was the original Pokémon TCG illustrator and the artist behind the Base Set Charizard. His vintage-era art has a painterly quality that distinguishes it from the cleaner reference-style work of the Sugimori cards. In the games, Houndoom evolves from Houndour, which makes it a late-stage card in the line.
The flavor text on the card reads: "Upon hearing its eerie howls, other Pokémon get the shivers and head straight back to their nests." Pokédex entries from this era are short and often quirky, written by the original Japanese localization team for a specific stat-block layout that no longer exists in modern cards.
About Houndoom in the Pokémon world
The fully evolved Houndour. Larger dog-demon silhouette. Phantasmal Flames Mega Houndoom ex revived collector interest. Vintage Neo Discovery holo Houndoom has appreciated alongside.
Print variants and how to spot them
Neo Revelation shipped in 1st Edition, Unlimited, and Shining prints. Shining cards are an entirely separate rarity tier above standard holo with an alternate-color holo pattern. Shining cards are pulled at significantly lower rates than standard holos and are a defining feature of the late Neo era.
Grading and condition
For graded buyers, the holo window is where most grade points are won or lost. Surface scratches and print misregistration on the foil are common, and centering on Wizards-era holos was inconsistent enough that PSA 10s remain genuinely scarce a quarter century later. The PSA 9 to PSA 10 price gap on this kind of card is wide enough that pre-grading inspection under a loupe is well worth the time.
If you are buying this card
If you are buying this card, the order of operations is variant first, then condition. Verify the print variant (1st Edition stamp visible, drop shadow on the right edge if Unlimited) before you negotiate on price. For raw purchases above $500, insist on photo or video showing the holo surface under direct light from a 45-degree angle so you can spot hairlines. The "live market price" on this page tracks recent eBay sales, but the actual transaction price will vary by variant, grade, and how recently a comparable sale closed.
