Skarmory 53/106 · Great Encounters

Skarmory is Pokédex #227, generation 2 (Johto). Skarmory is a Basic Metal Pokémon with 70 HP. The card lists level 31.

Skarmory sits at 53/106 in Great Encounters, position 53 of 106. Before it is 52 Seviper, and after it is 54 Slowbro. The set belongs to the Diamond & Pearl series. It was released on February 1, 2008. The printed size is 106, and the checklist is the same length. The listed rarity is Uncommon.

The attack Air Crash lists 20 damage. The cost is Metal. Flip a coin. If heads, discard an Energy attached to the Defending Pokémon. Steel Wing is another attack lists 40 damage. The cost is Metal, Colorless, Colorless. During your opponent's next turn, any damage done to Skarmory by attacks is reduced by 20 (after applying Weakness and Resistance). Weakness is Fire +20. Resistance is Psychic -20. Retreat cost is 1. The flavor text reads "Despite being clad entirely in iron-hard armor, it flies at speeds over 180 mph."

Skarmory (#227) has 33 other cards in the catalog. Those other cards are in 27 sets. The other printings with a release date run from 2000 to 2026. The earliest other card is Skarmory 13/111 in Neo Genesis (2000). That card lists 60 HP, and this one lists 70 HP. The rarity there is Rare Holo, and here it is Uncommon. Ken Sugimori illustrated that card, and Mitsuhiro Arita illustrated this one. Retreat cost there is 2, and here it is 1. 30 other cards of Skarmory list a different HP.

The illustrator line reads Mitsuhiro Arita. I count 721 other cards in the catalog with that illustrator.

Great Encounters set binder is where a full Great Encounters set goes. This card fills one slot there. A generation binder holds one card of each species. Skarmory can fill a slot in Generation 2 binder (Johto). Themed lists that include this exact card are Mitsuhiro Arita cards. I still need this card.