Carmine
Quick take
- Special Illustration Rare number 217 in Twilight Masquerade
- Art by fan-favorite illustrator En Morikura
- Depicts Carmine at the Kitakami Festival of Masks
- Sits near the top of the set among trainer cards
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Twilight Masquerade
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 217/167 · $50.32 — 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 trainer SIR that anchors Twilight Masquerade
Twilight Masquerade is a Scarlet & Violet set built around the Kitakami region and the Teal Mask DLC, and Carmine is one of its signature faces. The Special Illustration Rare, number 217, is the version collectors chase. It puts Carmine in the middle of the Festival of Masks, the in-game celebration tied to her story arc.
“Special Illustration Rare number 217 in Twilight Masquerade”
Master set builders treat this card as a must-have. It is a Special Illustration Rare, one of the rarest pull tiers in modern Scarlet & Violet sets, and it is drawn by En Morikura, an artist with a deep following for soft, character-focused full arts. Those two facts together push it past most other trainer cards in the set.
For anyone building the full Twilight Masquerade master set, this is a centerpiece slot. The trainer SIRs in this era tend to carry the print, and Carmine is the one people picture when they think of the set.
By the numbersMarket analysis
This is a strong modern trainer SIR. It lives in mid-to-upper three figures graded and holds a clear premium over the set's commons and lower rares. It is one of the higher-value cards in Twilight Masquerade, though it sits below the marquee Pokemon hyper rares.
Carmine settled into a stable collector price after the set's launch hype cooled. Demand has stayed steady rather than spiking, which is typical for a popular trainer SIR with broad appeal.
Reasonable hold for a master set or an En Morikura collection. The artist premium tends to be sticky, and trainer SIRs from popular sets age well. Treat it as a collectible with a solid floor rather than a flip, and buy the condition you actually want to keep.
Gem mint copies command a meaningful step up over raw, since SIR surfaces and edges show wear easily. The jump from a near-mint raw card to a top grade is the main lever on this one.
In Scarlet & Violet sets, any Double Rare lands around 1 in 5 packs, any Illustration Rare around 1 in 12, any Ultra Rare around 1 in 15, any Special Illustration Rare around 1 in 90, and Hyper Rares anywhere from 1 in 300 to 1 in 700. Those odds cover hitting any card of that tier. Pulling this specific Carmine SIR runs much longer, since a set has many SIRs spread across the print. In practice you are looking at hundreds of packs for this exact card, which is why most collectors just buy the single.
As an SIR, Carmine is rarer than the set's Double Rares and Illustration Rares but more attainable than the Hyper Rare slot. Among trainer cards specifically, it is one of the standouts in Twilight Masquerade.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
En Morikura built a fast reputation among Pokemon TCG collectors for soft, warm, character-driven full arts. People know her for a candid snapshot style that catches trainers in quiet, in-between moments rather than action poses. Her cards reliably carry an artist premium, and she is one of the names master set builders specifically hunt for.
The card places Carmine at the Festival of Masks, the Kitakami celebration tied to her story. The framing feels like a caught moment at the festival rather than a posed portrait, which is the hallmark of Morikura's work. Soft color and warm light do the heavy lifting.
Special Illustration Rare finish with extended full-art framing that breaks past the usual card borders. The texture and holo treatment on SIRs in this era are part of the appeal, and they also make surface condition easy to read under light.
You get the rarity of an SIR, a beloved DLC character, and a sought-after artist in one card. Morikura's festival scene gives it a softness most trainer cards do not have, and that is what keeps it in demand beyond pure scarcity.
BackgroundAbout Carmine
Carmine is a rival introduced in The Teal Mask, the first part of the Scarlet & Violet expansion The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero. She lives in the Kitakami region and is the older sister of Kieran. Her story runs through the player's time in Kitakami and the events around Ogerpon, which gave her a fanbase well before the card released.
- ›Memorable rival role in the Teal Mask DLC
- ›Sibling dynamic with Kieran that fans latched onto
- ›Ties to the Ogerpon storyline
- ›Distinct design that reads well in card art
- ›The Teal Mask DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- ›Twilight Masquerade, the TCG set themed around Kitakami
Carmine is a Supporter whose effect lets you discard your hand and draw five on the first turn going first. That hand-refresh sees some constructed play, but the SIR is collected for the art rather than for tournament use. Players run cheaper copies on the table.
Own it wellCollector guide
SIRs show whitening on edges and corners fast, and the textured surface picks up scratches and print lines under raking light. Inspect the four corners and the holo surface before you buy. Centering varies on these, so check the borders front and back.
Worth grading if your copy is clean. The gap between a near-mint raw card and a gem mint slab is real on this one, so only send copies with sharp corners, good centering, and a clean surface. Pre-screen carefully before paying grading fees. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve it in a penny sleeve inside a top loader or a one-touch the moment you get it. Keep it out of direct light and away from humidity. For a master set binder, use snug side-loading pages so the textured surface does not rub. See the storage guide →
For real money, buy graded or buy in person where you can inspect the surface. If you want it for a binder set, a clean near-mint raw copy saves you the grading premium. Compare the live price on this page against recent sold listings in the same condition before pulling the trigger. See the singles buying guide →
Modern SIRs are far less faked than vintage cards, but still buy from reputable sellers. Check the texture pattern, the holo behavior under light, and crisp print quality on the text. For high-value purchases, a graded slab from a major company removes most of the risk.
Protect your card
High Chase Score — protect and consider grading. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
The card landed well with collectors. En Morikura art on a popular DLC rival made it an easy favorite, and it is regularly cited as one of the trainer cards to own from Twilight Masquerade.
Morikura's name draws attention on its own, and her festival scene for Carmine got the usual praise for soft color and candid framing that her cards tend to attract. Carmine fans from the Teal Mask DLC added to the interest.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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