Metapod

Metapod sits at #54 in Legendary Collection, the twelfth of the Wizards of the Coast print runs. Illustration by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of the Pokémon franchise itself. His TCG illustrations carry a tighter, more on-model feel because they are by the same hand that defined how the Pokémon look in the games. In the games, Metapod evolves from Caterpie, which makes it a late-stage card in the line.

The flavor text on the card reads: "It is vulnerable to attack because its shell is soft, exposing its weak and tender body." 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.

Caterpie evolved into a hardened green chrysalis. Famous in the anime for the Ash vs Ash episode where Metapods battled by hardening. Cheap entry-level vintage card. Used by new collectors to learn the difference between Unlimited and Shadowless prints.

Legendary Collection shipped in Standard and Reverse Holo prints. The Reverse Holo treatment was new with this set: foil applied to the card background rather than the artwork window. There is no 1st Edition, since Wizards retired the stamp by this point in the production timeline.

Uncommons grade more forgivingly than Rare Holos but the same centering and edge requirements apply. Raw copies in pack-fresh condition are easy to find. A PSA 10 submission on a clean Uncommon is a low-cost way to learn how the grading process scores Wizards-era cardstock.

Raw copies of this card are inexpensive enough that the grading math rarely justifies submission unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completionists, picking up a clean raw copy and sleeving it is the practical move.