Chinchou

Chinchou is card 42 of 66 in Neo Revelation, released in September 2001, a Common. It is a Basic Lightning-type with 50 HP.

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

Illustrated by Atsuko Nishida. Nishida is the original designer of Pikachu and many Gen 1 Pokémon, and her card work has a soft, rounded warmth that suits the friendlier creatures.

The card's flavor text gives Chinchou a line of lore: "On the dark ocean floor, its only means of communication is its constantly flashing lights."

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

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