Starmie

Starmie in the games: Staryu's Water Stone evolution

Starmie evolves from Staryu with a Water Stone, adding the Psychic type to Staryu's pure Water typing. Its regular abilities are Illuminate and Natural Cure, and its hidden ability, Analytic, powers up its move when it acts last in a turn. Pokémon Legends: Z-A gave it a Mega Evolution: holding a Starminite, it becomes Mega Starmie, which keeps the Water and Psychic typing and takes on a more humanlike, long-limbed shape.

Misty's signature Pokémon

In the games, Starmie is the one constant on Misty's teams: it has appeared on every team the Cerulean City Gym Leader has used to date, and it is her ace in Pokémon Red and Blue.

The anime used it more sparingly. Misty's Starmie fought in her Gym match against Ash in "The Water Flowers of Cerulean City", holding off Pidgeotto until Team Rocket broke up the battle and Ash left with the Cascade Badge anyway. After that, Misty mostly relied on Staryu for battles, and Starmie became her way of crossing water.

Starmie on cards: Base Set to Mega Starmie ex

Starmie's first card is Base Set #64 from January 1999, a common illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi, whose art returned in Base Set 2 and the 2016 Evolutions set. Gym Heroes (2000) printed Misty's Starmie, drawn by Ken Sugimori, and Skyridge (2003) carried three Starmie cards, including a holo in its H subset. Delta Species (2005) added two different Starmie δ cards, part of the EX-era mechanic that gave Pokémon types they do not normally have.

The special mechanics followed: Starmie BREAK in Evolutions, Starmie GX in Hidden Fates (2019), and Starmie V in Astral Radiance (2022), including a Trainer Gallery version by Akira Komayama. Paldean Fates (2024) gave it a shiny card, Destined Rivals (2025) brought back Misty's Starmie, and Perfect Order (2026) printed Mega Starmie ex, whose special illustration rare is by takuyoa. Keiji Kinebuchi and 5ban Graphics have the most Starmie credits in our catalog (3 each).

Why collectors follow Starmie

Starmie is one of the Kanto Gym Leader Pokémon that the card game keeps returning to. Its two Misty's Starmie cards, 25 years apart, bookend a run that takes in δ, BREAK, GX, V and Mega ex cards along the way.

Cards to know

• Starmie (Base Set #64)

  Starmie's first card, illustrated by Keiji Kinebuchi in January 1999.

• Starmie (Skyridge #H28)

  A holo from Skyridge's H subset, illustrated by Hajime Kusajima.

• Starmie δ (Delta Species #15)

  One of two Delta Species cards that print Starmie with a type it does not normally have.

• Starmie V (Astral Radiance Trainer Gallery #TG13)

  A Trainer Gallery card illustrated by Akira Komayama.

• Starmie (Paldean Fates #119)

  Starmie in its shiny coloring, illustrated by Shigenori Negishi.

• Mega Starmie ex (Perfect Order #118)

  A special illustration rare of Mega Starmie, illustrated by takuyoa.