Piplup
Quick take
- Generation IV Water-type starter in Mega Evolution era IR treatment
- Day-one English market around $11, entry tier of Phantasmal Flames IRs
- Jiro Sasumo soft watercolour-style composition
- 313 monthly GSC impressions, disproportionately high traffic for the price tier
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Phantasmal Flames
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 98/94 · $12.26 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyThe Anime-Driven Sinnoh Starter at Entry-Tier Pricing
Piplup occupies a unique position in the Generation IV starter trio. Turtwig and Chimchar are the type-coverage picks (Grass and Fire). Piplup is the anime co-star. Dawn's Piplup featured across the Diamond/Pearl/Platinum anime arcs as a perpetually-defiant starter that refused to evolve into Prinplup. The character became one of the most-recognised non-mascot Pokemon of the late 2000s anime era.
“Generation IV Water-type starter in Mega Evolution era IR treatment”
The Phantasmal Flames IR by Jiro Sasumo gives Piplup a modern art moment. The soft watercolour-style composition is consistent with the Mega Evolution era's broader IR aesthetic, restrained, character-portrait-oriented, palette-driven rather than action-driven. Piplup's signature blue-and-white colouring reads cleanly in the composition.
Pricing at $11 places the card in the entry tier of Phantasmal Flames IRs. Not a chase card by price, but a meaningful entry for Piplup-specific collectors and Phantasmal Flames master set completionists. The 313 monthly GSC impressions tell the story, search interest is broader than the price suggests because Piplup's anime fanbase finds this card regularly even without major chase positioning.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Around $11 raw on TCGPlayer at last sync. Entry tier of Phantasmal Flames IRs. Below the headline IR slots in the set but at a price point accessible to broad collector audiences.
Has held the $8-13 range since release. Entry-tier IRs tend to show low volatility, narrow collector pool but stable demand from set completionists. Piplup specifically gets a small tailwind from anime fan crossover, which keeps the floor firmer than purely TCG-focused cards.
Stable but limited upside. Piplup's character durability is solid (anime fame, Gen IV starter status) but the entry-tier pricing caps appreciation potential. Best for collectors who want the card itself, not as a speculative play.
PSA 10 economics are tight at this price point. Premium is 1.3-1.6x raw, which works to $14-18 on an $11 raw, narrow margin after fees and shipping. Only worth grading for personal-display copies or as part of larger batched submissions.
Roughly 1 in 18 packs across all Illustration Rare slots in Phantasmal Flames. Per-specific-card rate roughly 1 in 180+ packs.
Entry tier of Phantasmal Flames IRs. Below the headline IR slots in the set. Comparable to other Generation IV starter IRs across recent sets.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Jiro Sasumo is a contemporary Japanese illustrator with TCG credits across the Mega Evolution era. The Sasumo style favours soft watercolour-influenced compositions with palette-driven atmosphere. Piplup IR is a representative example.
Piplup in a soft watercolour-style portrait. The Pokemon's blue-and-white colouring dominates against a paler blue background. Composition is character-portrait oriented rather than action-based, Piplup stands or sits in a calm pose with implied environment rather than rendered landscape. The watercolour aesthetic gives the card a gentle, illustrated-storybook feel.
Illustration Rare with full-bleed textured holofoil. Texture follows Piplup's body contours and the watercolour-style background gradient. The blue palette interacts with the holofoil subtly without overwhelming the soft aesthetic.
Most Piplup cards across the modern TCG era commit to cute-pose compositions designed to appeal to anime-fan demographics. Sasumo's IR commits to a quieter approach, Piplup as a character study rather than a marketing-ready pose. The watercolour-style execution gives the card a distinct visual identity within Piplup's broader card catalog.
BackgroundAbout Piplup
Piplup debuted in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl (2007) as the Water-type starter of the Generation IV starter trio (Piplup, Turtwig, Chimchar). National Pokedex #393. Evolves into Prinplup and then Empoleon. Dawn's Piplup is one of the most-recognised anime Pokemon of the late 2000s, the starter that refused to evolve across the entire Diamond/Pearl/Platinum anime run, becoming a signature character in its own right.
- ›Dawn's Piplup in the DP anime, refused-to-evolve storyline became iconic
- ›Generation IV starter status
- ›Anime fanbase crossover into TCG collecting
- ›Cute-Pokemon aesthetic with broad demographic appeal
- ›Empoleon line includes a Mega Evolution in the current ME-era TCG set
- ›Generation IV starter in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (2007)
- ›Dawn's Piplup in the Diamond/Pearl/Platinum anime (2006-2010)
- ›Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky (playable partner option)
- ›Pokemon GO release in 2018
- ›Pokemon BDSP remakes (2021)
Piplup itself has minimal competitive presence (LC Little Cup play notwithstanding). Prinplup and Empoleon inherit competitive utility. Empoleon has held niche competitive presence across multiple generations via Defiant and Roar / Stealth Rock utility. The Phantasmal Flames TCG IR has playable stats for the standard format but is a display piece.
Own it wellCollector guide
The soft watercolour-style palette is forgiving on centering. Surface marks on the foiled blue palette are the main inspection point. Centering drift on the vertical axis is the most common Phantasmal Flames print issue.
Submission economics are tight at $11 raw. PSA 10 premium is 1.3-1.6x raw, which works to $14-18, narrow margin. Only worth grading for personal-display copies or as part of larger batched submissions with higher-priced cards. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve on pull, top loader or magnetic case for raw. Climate-controlled storage is sufficient. See the storage guide →
TCGPlayer Direct for raw, eBay for graded. Piplup IR is the right pickup for Generation IV starter collectors or Dawn's-Piplup-anime fans. Affordable enough to add to most collections without strategic price-watching. See the singles buying guide →
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Steadily positive. Anime fans specifically appreciate the soft watercolour composition for Dawn's Piplup. Broader TCG collectors treat the card as a Phantasmal Flames completion piece.
- ›Recent TCGPlayer market around $11 raw
- ›Limited PSA 10 graded comps given the price point
Higher than typical for entry-tier IRs. The 313 monthly GSC impressions indicate Piplup's anime-fan crossover keeps search interest active. Dawn's-Piplup references in collector content keep the card visible.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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