Persian
Quick take
- One of 15 Pokemon Illustration Rares in the special set Shrouded Fable, and a required slot for a master set
- Calm night-city art scene that reads well in a binder and draws collectors who do not main Persian
- First-gen Persian pedigree gives it appeal beyond its rarity
- A collector and art card, not a competitive or flip target
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Shrouded Fable
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 78/64 · $75.45 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyWhy this Persian IR matters
Shrouded Fable is a special set, smaller than a main expansion, with 15 Pokemon Illustration Rares on its checklist. Persian number 78 is one of them. It is not the headline card of the set. The Loyal Three and Pecharunt take that spot. But it is the kind of art IR that quietly earns a place in master-set binders.
“One of 15 Pokemon Illustration Rares in the special set Shrouded Fable, and a required slot for a master set”
The appeal is the scene. Persian sits at a tall window looking out over a city lit up at night, seen mostly from behind. Soft light, deep blue sky, a still and contemplative mood. That mood-card style has done well across the Scarlet and Violet era, and Persian fits the pattern.
For master-set builders it is a required pull. Every IR in the set has to land in the binder, and the night-city framing makes this one of the more pleasant ones to look at while you do it.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Persian sits in the mid pack of Shrouded Fable Illustration Rares. It is well below the set's Special Illustration Rares and the chase Pecharunt, and it trades in the same neighborhood as the other character-art IRs. Graded Gem Mint copies carry a clear premium over raw.
Prices settled after the August 2024 release rush, as is normal once a special set has been on shelves a while. As a non-meta art card it tracks collector demand more than tournament hype, so movement tends to be gradual rather than spiky.
Treat this as a collector card, not a flip. It is an art IR with steady, modest demand. Upside comes from the set being special with a shorter shelf life, not from any competitive use. Clean copies of well-liked IRs from these mini sets tend to hold up over time.
PSA 10 and CGC 10 copies command a real step up over raw near-mint, which is typical for IRs where centering and surface on the full-art frame matter. Population is still building, so low-pop early gem grades have drawn extra attention.
In Scarlet and Violet sets you hit an Illustration Rare of some kind roughly once every 12 packs. That is the rate for any IR, not this one specifically. With 15 different IRs sharing that slot, pulling this exact Persian runs much longer, easily into many tens of packs on average. For comparison, any Double Rare lands about 1 in 5 packs, any Ultra Rare about 1 in 15, any Special Illustration Rare about 1 in 90, and Hyper Rares anywhere from roughly 1 in 300 to 1 in 700. The odds for one specific top-end card run even longer, often into the hundreds of packs. Most master-set builders end up filling specific IRs through singles rather than chasing them in packs.
An IR is rarer than a Double Rare but far more common than a Special Illustration Rare or Hyper Rare. Within Shrouded Fable, Persian sits in the broad middle of the rarity ladder, harder to pull than the bulk holos, well short of the set's top SIRs and gold etched cards.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Whisker is the illustrator credited on this card in our database and across listing sites for the print. The signature shows on the card face. Beyond this credit we are not adding biographical claims we cannot verify.
Persian sits at a large window high in a building, looking out over a city at night, seen mostly from behind. The sky is deep blue, the city below glows with scattered lights, and warm interior light frames the figure. It is a calm, intimate scene rather than an action pose, with soft, painterly handling and a quiet sense of looking out at the world.
Full-art Illustration Rare layout, so the artwork runs edge to edge with no standard card border and a holo treatment across the print. The night setting means a lot of dark, even surface, which makes scratches and print lines easier to spot under light. Centering on the borderless frame is the usual thing to check before grading.
Most Persian cards are straightforward portraits. This one gives the character a moment and a setting, the high window over a sleeping city. That storytelling angle is exactly what the Illustration Rare slot was created for, and it is why this Persian gets picked up by people who do not otherwise care about the Pokemon.
BackgroundAbout Persian
Persian is the evolved form of Meowth, both first-generation Pokemon from the original 151. It is the sleek, jewel-foreheaded cat, long associated with Team Rocket boss Giovanni in the games and with a polished, high-society look. Decades of recognition give it a built-in audience well beyond TCG specialists.
- ›First-generation Pokemon with strong nostalgia value
- ›Tied to Meowth, one of the franchise's most recognizable mascots
- ›Long association with Giovanni and a refined, classy image
- ›Cat-Pokemon appeal, a consistent favorite among collectors
- ›Member of the original Kanto 151
- ›Frequently linked to Team Rocket leader Giovanni in the games
Persian is not a competitive card. This Illustration Rare is a collector and art piece, and Shrouded Fable's tournament interest sat with other cards in the set. Buy it for the binder, not the battle box.
Own it wellCollector guide
The dark night-sky background is unforgiving. Surface scratches, print lines, and any whitening on the borderless edges show up fast under light. Check the corners and the edge wear closely, since full-art IRs have no border to hide nicks. Inspect from multiple angles before you commit, especially for a graded purchase.
Worth grading only if the copy is genuinely clean and well centered, given where this card sits in value. For a mid-value IR, a 9 versus a 10 makes a real difference to whether grading pays off. If you want a high grade, buy already-slabbed rather than gambling on a raw copy. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve in a penny sleeve plus a toploader or one-touch right away. Keep it out of direct light and away from humidity. For a master set, a binder with side-loading, acid-free pages protects the borderless edges better than top-loading pages that can scuff the corners. See the storage guide →
Singles are the sensible route for a specific IR like this. Buy from sellers with clear, well-lit photos of the actual card, and check centering on the borderless frame. If you want a gem copy, a graded slab from a reputable grader removes the condition guesswork. Watch for the usual marketplace photo tricks that hide surface wear. See the singles buying guide →
Modern SV-era cards are far less faked than vintage holos, but on a borderless full-art still confirm the texture and holo behavior match a genuine IR. Check the card number 078/064 and the Whisker signature, and verify the back swirl and print quality. If anything about the foil or feel seems off, compare against a known-genuine copy.
Protect your card
Low Chase Score — basic protection is plenty. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Collectors generally like this one. It gets grouped with the calmer, mood-driven IRs from the era, the kind people single out as binder favorites even when the Pokemon is not a personal main. Persian's first-gen pedigree helps it land with a wider crowd than its rarity alone would suggest.
It is not a viral chase card, and that suits it. Discussion tends to be steady appreciation of the night-city scene rather than hype spikes. It shows up in master-set checklists and best-art-of-Shrouded-Fable roundups more than in flip or investment chatter.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
Keep collectingRelated cards
Plan your Scarlet & Violet Shrouded Fable master set
Track every card, see what you're missing, and lay out your binder page by page.
