Character info
The character
Poliwrath, the Tadpole Pokémon, is the final evolution of Poliwag and Poliwhirl in the Pokémon franchise. It is known as an adept swimmer, outperforming even the best human athletes in the water. Its signature swirl-patterned belly is a recurring visual trait across the Poliwag evolutionary line.
This card
This is Poliwrath from the 1999 Base Set, numbered 13 out of 102, printed as a holofoil card in the first-edition-era shadowless and unlimited variant described here as Holo Shadowed. The artwork, illustrated by Ken Sugimori, shows Poliwrath in a glowing dark background with swirling moon-like motifs that echo its belly pattern. The card carries the Base Set copyright line and Wizards of the Coast 1999 print date.
How it plays
Poliwrath is a Stage 2 Water-type Pokémon with 90 HP, evolving from Poliwhirl. Its first attack, Water Gun, costs two Water Energy and one colorless Energy and deals 30 damage plus 10 more for each additional Water Energy attached beyond the two used, up to one extra. Its second attack, Whirlpool, costs two Water Energy and two colorless Energy, dealing 40 damage and letting the player discard one Energy card from the Defending Pokémon if any are attached. It has a weakness to Grass-type attacks and a retreat cost of three Energy.
Written with AI from the card and its catalogue entry, and checked by WinnTCG.
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An image of the graded card, sized for eBay and social posts. The grade, the certificate number and the verification link travel with it.
Card details confirmed
A card with this name and number exists in the public card catalogue, in Base Set, a set of 102 cards, rarity R. The details on this certificate match it.
Illustrated by Ken Sugimori and published 1999-01-09. Both come from the public catalogue, not from WinnTCG.
A catalogue match is not the authenticity check. It confirms the card is the card it claims to be. Whether it is genuine was checked separately, on the card itself; see Authenticity below.
About this card
#62 in the National Pokédex · a Generation I Pokémon · 105 different cards of it exist · it evolves from Poliwhirl.
An adept swimmer at both the front crawl and breaststroke. Easily overtakes the best human swimmers.
From the card and the public catalogue, not written by WinnTCG.
Authenticity
WinnTCG authenticated this card in hand, on the bench, against genuine Pokémon cards. It was checked four ways: light shone through it to check the core, its weight on a scale, its thickness measured, and its print pattern and surface texture under magnification.
How this card was graded
WinnTCG graded this card in hand, on the bench. The card was in our hands, and we sealed the case ourselves. We photographed it here under controlled light to show which card is in the case and where anything we marked sits on it.
If you are buying this slab: the grade is WinnTCG’s judgement of the card that was in front of us, and WinnTCG sealed this case. The photographs above are of that card. Compare them against what you can see through the case, because a case can be opened by anyone who has held it since.
The working behind this grade
Every grade here is published with its reasoning. The report states what each measurement returned, what the model proposed on each axis, where the grader disagreed with it, and every defect marked on the photographs above.