Two Pokemon cards can share the exact same number, the exact same artwork, and sell more than three times apart. The only difference is which shape is etched into the foil.
The Master Ball mirror is a parallel treatment found on just two Japanese sets, and it’s easy to confuse with its much more common cousin, the Monster Ball mirror — especially since both patterns only reveal themselves when the card is tilted under light. This guide covers what a Master Ball mirror actually is, exactly where it exists, how to tell it apart from a Monster Ball mirror, and what our own PSA 10 stock is priced at right now.
Master Ball mirror is documented, as of writing, in just two JP sets — 151 (SV2a) and Terastal Fest ex (SV8a) — and only on C/U/R cards. Right now we have PSA 10 Espeon R Master Ball mirror [SV8a 062/187] listed at ¥20,023 (one-of-one stock) and PSA 10 Jolteon R Master Ball mirror [SV2a 135/165] at ¥14,502 (3 copies listed) — and on the exact same card number, our own list price for the Master Ball parallel ran roughly 3x the Monster Ball version (¥38,254 vs ¥12,525).
Prices below are our own PSA 10 stock listings in Tokyo, re-checked August 12, 2026. We don’t track outside market prices, so every figure here is a price we’ve actually listed.
What Is a Master Ball Mirror?
A Master Ball mirror (マスターボールミラー) is a rare parallel foil where the Master Ball shape — the rounder-eared silhouette with an “M” mark — is etched repeatedly into the card’s holo pattern. It’s a different animal from the Monster Ball mirror (モンスターボールミラー), the far more common parallel in the same sets that carries a plain Poke Ball outline instead.
Both are foil treatments, not separate print runs of the whole card — the base artwork, name, and card number stay identical between a Monster Ball mirror copy and its Master Ball mirror sibling. What changes is only the pattern etched into the foil, and that single difference is what separates a low-four-figure-yen card from one worth several times more.
One rule matters more than any other when you’re checking a card: the Master Ball mirror treatment only applies to C, U, and R rarity cards. SR and anything above it never gets a Master Ball mirror version, no matter how chase-worthy the card is. (Source: 攻略大百科.)
Where It Exists: Two Sets, Two Rates
As of this writing, Master Ball mirror is documented in exactly two Japanese sets:
| Set | Code | JP release | Master Ball mirror rate (community, unofficial) | Eligible pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ポケモンカード151 (151) | SV2a | 2023-06-16 | ~1 per box (initial print); later reprints trend toward ~1 per 2 boxes | ~150 species (community counts differ, 150–153) |
| テラスタルフェスex (Terastal Fest ex) | SV8a | 2024-12-06 | ~1 per 2 boxes | 101 species |
SV2a 151 was the set that started it — the first appearance of Master Ball mirror in a Japanese set, released June 16, 2023. SV8a Terastal Fest ex followed roughly eighteen months later with a tighter pull rate but a smaller eligible pool. In the same sets, the Monster Ball mirror is the volume parallel: Terastal Fest ex alone has 144 species eligible for it — community estimates put it at ~2–3 per box, and one 2,000-box opening survey reports ~3 mirror cards per box in total.
All of the above are community opening-data estimates, not official pull rates — nobody publishes verified odds for these parallels, and reprint waves can shift the numbers without notice. As of writing, Master Ball mirror is documented only in these two sets; sets from the current M-era (2025–26) haven’t been individually audited for it, so treat “only these two” as accurate today rather than a permanent rule.
Master Ball vs Monster Ball: How to Tell Them Apart
Both patterns are invisible under flat light and only appear when you tilt the card. The tell is the shape repeating across the foil: a rounder-eared silhouette with an “M” mark means Master Ball mirror; a plain Poke Ball outline, with no “M”, means Monster Ball mirror. Card number and artwork give you no clue on their own — two copies of the exact same card can carry either pattern.
Standard card scans — including the reference images below — show artwork only, not the foil pattern. The foil only reveals itself in hand, under a light source, tilted. Don’t judge a Master Ball mirror listing off a flat photo alone.
The five cards below are all listed as Master Ball mirror (or, for the Umbreon, its Monster Ball sibling) eligible prints currently in our stock — use them to confirm card identity, not foil pattern:
Worth noting: Espeon and Umbreon are Gen 2 evolutions, so they can’t appear in 151 (a Kanto-only set) — their Master Ball mirror prints exist only in Terastal Fest ex. The Gen 1 Eeveelutions — Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon — are the ones that can carry a 151 Master Ball mirror instead. If you’re trying to identify which set a mirror Eeveelution came from, which Pokemon it is answers that question before you even check the set code.
Our Stock, Priced: Master Ball Mirror Singles
All five cards below are graded PSA 10 and currently listed. Card number, parallel type, and price for each:
| Card | Set | Card # | Parallel | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espeon R | Terastal Fest ex (SV8a) | 062/187 | Master Ball mirror | ¥20,023 — one-of-one stock — when it sells, it’s gone |
| Flareon R (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) | 151 (SV2a) | 136/165 | Master Ball mirror | ¥16,047 — 3 copies currently listed |
| Jolteon R | 151 (SV2a) | 135/165 | Master Ball mirror | ¥14,502 — 3 copies currently listed |
| Vaporeon R | Terastal Fest ex (SV8a) | 030/187 | Master Ball mirror | ¥13,985 — one-of-one stock — when it sells, it’s gone |
| Umbreon R (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) | Terastal Fest ex (SV8a) | 092/187 | Monster Ball mirror | ¥12,525 — 3 copies currently listed |
Which Master Ball Mirror Fits Your Budget
Based on our current listings:
- Under ¥15,000 — Umbreon R Monster Ball mirror (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) (¥12,525), Vaporeon R Master Ball mirror (¥13,985), or Jolteon R Master Ball mirror (¥14,502). The Umbreon gets you the common parallel on a Gen 2 Eeveelution; the Vaporeon and Jolteon get you an actual Master Ball mirror at our lowest price points.
- ¥15,000–¥20,000 — Flareon R Master Ball mirror (update: currently sold out — restock requests via Quick Order) (¥16,047), from 151.
- ¥20,000+ — Espeon R Master Ball mirror (¥20,023), our highest-priced in-stock copy and a one-of-one listing.
- Reference only (sold out) — the Master Ball mirror Umbreon at ¥38,254 shows where this parallel tops out when paired against its Monster Ball sibling on the same card number.
Master Ball Mirror vs the English “Master Ball Pattern”
English collectors may recognize this concept from Prismatic Evolutions, released January 17, 2025, which features three parallel foil variants — regular, Poke Ball pattern, and Master Ball pattern — with C/U/R Pokemon eligible for all three and C/U Trainers getting regular and Poke Ball only. That set draws heavily from the JP Terastal Fest ex and Generations Start Decks card pool, which is why the naming and mechanic will look familiar if you’ve seen both. (Source: Bulbapedia.)
What we can’t confirm is whether Prismatic Evolutions was the first English set to use ball-pattern parallels, or whether the English 151 set (Mew) carries an equivalent Master Ball parallel at all — neither is documented in our sources, so we’re not claiming either way. If you’re buying specifically for the Japanese Master Ball mirror, the two JP sets above are the confirmed source; treat any English-set equivalence as a separate collecting lane rather than the same card in another language.
Where to Buy Master Ball Mirror Cards from Japan
We ship graded PSA 10 singles and sealed Japanese product worldwide from Tokyo with tracked delivery. All five in-stock Master Ball mirror (and Monster Ball mirror) singles above are graded and ready to ship. For box-opening odds on the sets these come from rather than singles pricing, our Terastal Fest ex pull rates guide covers the box-EV side in depth — this page focuses on identifying and pricing the singles themselves.
Browse the full graded lineup on our PSA 10 singles collection, or use our Quick Order page to build a mixed order with sealed product alongside singles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Master Ball mirror Pokemon card?
A rare parallel foil where the Master Ball shape — a rounder-eared silhouette with an “M” mark — is etched into the card’s holo pattern, visible when the card is tilted. It only appears on C, U, and R rarity cards; SR and above never get it.
What’s the difference between Master Ball mirror and Monster Ball mirror?
Both are foil parallels on the same card number and artwork. Master Ball mirror shows the Master Ball shape with an “M” mark; Monster Ball mirror shows a plain Poke Ball outline with no “M”. Monster Ball mirror is the far more common of the two.
Which sets have Master Ball mirror cards?
As of this writing, two Japanese sets: 151 (SV2a), released June 16, 2023, and Terastal Fest ex (SV8a), released December 6, 2024. Master Ball mirror first appeared with SV2a 151.
How rare is a Master Ball mirror pull?
Community opening-data estimates (not official) put it at roughly 1 per box for 151’s initial print, trending toward 1 per 2 boxes on later reprints, and roughly 1 per 2 boxes for Terastal Fest ex. These are unofficial community counts, not published odds.
Is the English Prismatic Evolutions “Master Ball pattern” the same as the Japanese Master Ball mirror?
They’re the same naming concept and Prismatic Evolutions draws largely from the Japanese Terastal Fest ex card pool, but whether it was the first English set with ball-pattern parallels, or whether English 151 has an equivalent, isn’t confirmed in our sources. Treat them as related but separate collecting lanes.
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