Persian is a large, quadruped, feline Pokémon. Its fur is pale tan with the exception of its black-rimmed ears. It has a short muzzle with a small, black nose, red eyes with slit pupils, rounded ears, a pair of pointed teeth in its upper jaw, and three whiskers on either side of its face. Its thick whiskers are very sensitive to changes in air movements, enabling it to detect its prey by movement alone. In the center of its forehead is a red jewel. Its long tail has a distinctive curl at the end. Persian communicates with body language and holds its tail upright to signal its intention to pounce. It has long legs and three-toed paws with retractable claws. Persian's lithe muscles also enable it to walk without making a sound.
Persian normally lives in towns and cities. Although popular for its elegance, it is extremely difficult to raise as a pet due to its fickle and temperamental personality. It will scratch anyone, including its Trainer, with little or no provocation, and has been observed ripping its prey apart for no discernible reason. However, when Persian is yanked by its whiskers, it becomes temporarily docile for unknown reasons. It is popular among rich people and is targeted by hunters for its jewel. In the past, Pay Day was its signature move.
Alolan Persian has a body that is similar to its regular counterpart, but it has blue-gray fur. Its face has a different shape, being larger and more rounded with noticeable jowls. This distinctive face, along with its high-class softer-than-velvet fur coat, is admired by the people of Alola. Its eyes are usually in a half-closed state, and instead of a red forehead jewel, it has a blue jewel. The jewel, though different in appearance, is made of mostly the same material the one on a regular Persian. In behavior, it is described as highly intelligent and having an even higher opinion of itself. It prefers to use underhanded tactics in battle, but its haughty personality causes it to underestimate opponents.
Giovanni has a Persian that is his primary Pokémon. It first appeared in Battle Aboard the St. Anne, which also marked the species' debut. While it is almost always seen at his side, it was only seen battling once, though it proved itself to be an extremely powerful opponent. Meowth seems to be its "rival" as Giovanni's "top cat".
An Alolan Persian appeared in Guiding an Awakening!, under the ownership of Nanu. It was used in Nanu's grand trial against Ash, where it was defeated by Lycanroc's Accelerock after it countered its Z-Move.
Minor appearances
A Persian appeared in The Problem with Paras. Lacy found it sleeping in the backyard and decided that it should be Cassandra's company mascot, not Meowth.
Persian, the Classy Cat Pokémon and the evolved form of Meowth. Persian can walk silently thanks to its nimble muscles. It pounces on its prey at lightning speed.
In Purrrr-sian, Super Nerd Miles is seen using a Persian to attack Yellow. It scratches the walls of buildings to create dissonance to disorient Yellow.
Sird has a Persian as one of her main team members that first appeared in A Beastly Cold Reception. While it was probably well-trained and helped Sird obtain her position in Team Rocket, it lost to Lorelei's Slowking, forcing her to pursue other means to win the battle.
Persian has six bold whiskers that give it a look of toughness. The whiskers sense air movements to determine what is in the Pokémon's surrounding vicinity. It becomes docile if grabbed by the whiskers.
Persian has six bold whiskers that give it a look of toughness. The whiskers sense air movements to determine what is in the Pokémon's surrounding vicinity. It becomes docile if grabbed by the whiskers.
Its appearance is arguably more similar to Siamese cats than Persian cats, and its species in Japanese is シャムネコ or "shamuneko" meaning "Siamese Cat". It is also similar to large wild cats such as Pumas. The gem on its head makes it resemble a Carbuncle, a Latin-American mythological beast which had a jewel on its forehead.
Unlike the normal Persian, Alolan Persian appears to be based more on domestic cats that underwent selective breeding, specifically those owned by royalty. In particular, its appearance greatly resembles a British Shorthair, an imported breed known well for its large and rounded head, which developed as a consequence of inbreeding due to isolation from other cats. Its jewel color may be a visual pun on the "British Blue" variant. Due to its large head and mannerisms, it may also be visual pun on the term of being "big headed".
Name origin
Persian refers to Persian cats. It could also be related to purr, the onomatopoeia for the noise a cat makes when content.
Quick Claw (5%)
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For other sprites and images, please see Persian images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
