Giovanni's Persian

Numbered 8 of 132 in Gym Challenge, released in October 2000, Giovanni's Persian is a Rare Holo, a Stage 1 Colorless-type carrying 60 HP.

It evolves from Giovanni's Meowth, so Giovanni's Persian is a later-stage card that set-builders usually slot into a full evolution run rather than buy alone.

Giovanni is the Ground-type Gym Leader of Viridian City and the secret boss of Team Rocket. Giovanni's Persian is part of that themed lineup.

Illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of Pokémon itself, so his card art carries the tight, on-model look that defined how the creatures appear in the games.

The fully evolved Meowth. Larger feline silhouette, prominent gold charm. Jungle Persian is a Rare with thin standalone demand.

Giovanni's Persian is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Gym Challenge's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Gym Challenge holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to Blaine's Charizard at the top; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.

Gym Challenge shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The trainer-prefix naming runs across the set, and the 1st Edition Giovanni's Persian carries the Edition 1 stamp and a premium over Unlimited in matching grade.

Grading Giovanni's Persian comes down to the holo surface and the borders. The era's foil scratches easily, so even a pack-fresh Giovanni's Persian can drop from a 10 to a 9 on a single hairline. Inspect the window at an angle and the corners against the frame.

For Giovanni's Persian, variant comes before condition. A 1st Edition and an Unlimited Giovanni's Persian are different markets for the same art, so settle the print before you negotiate. Demand a clear photo of the Giovanni's Persian holo for any raw purchase.