Special Illustration Rare
A Special Illustration Rare (SIR) is a Scarlet & Violet rarity marked with two gold stars — alternate-art versions of ex Pokémon and Supporter cards.
Special Illustration Rare sits near the top of the Scarlet & Violet rarity ladder, marked with two gold stars. SIRs are the alternate-art treatments of the set's ex Pokémon and key Supporters, with elaborate full-card illustrations and heavy texturing.
In most modern sets, the SIR of the headline Pokémon is the chase card — the single most sought-after pull. SIRs are significantly rarer than Illustration Rares, and pull rates of roughly one per handful of booster boxes for a specific SIR are common, which is why their prices dwarf the rest of the set. They are numbered above the printed set count, like all secret rarities.