The latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift, is here, and with it comes lots of incredible new Pokémon artwork. Join us for a look at some of the illustrations that caught our eye in this expansion, including an artist spotlight and more!
Art by Cona Nitanda
Whether depicting Pokémon or human characters, artist Cona Nitanda is quite adept at injecting their subject with loads of personality. Just look at this Morpeko card. While exploring the woods at night, we’ve stumbled across the Two-Sided Pokémon while it’s in Hangry Mode, and it’s none too happy about the intrusion. The little Pokémon’s fierce red eyes and scowl as it looks over its shoulder perfectly capture that moment of surprise and anger. On the opposite end of that mood scale is Parasol Lady, who looks as happy as can be. Despite the weather, things look bright and cheerful, suggesting a gentle spring shower. Nitanda’s Parasol Lady gets a chance to shine even more on this ultra rare card. Once again, this Trainer is unfazed by the rainy weather thanks to her sunny smile (and, we suppose, her trademark parasol). The detail of the multicolored field of flowers she’s walking through makes the scene even more pleasant.
Wibbly Wobbly
It’s important to have a flexible strategy when battling in the world of Pokémon, but these Pokémon take that advice to the extreme by being extremely flexible themselves! Toedscool (illus. Tomokazu Komiya) is stepping out on its long tentacle-like legs that, quite frankly, hardly look capable of supporting the Pokémon’s 72.8 pounds. Given that they can, however, we wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of a kick from one of those limber limbs. Wiglett (illus. Shibuzoh.) shows off its pliable nature by turning its entire body into an arch. Seeing a group of these Pokémon amid similarly shaped underwater plants makes for a very charming scene.
Gloomy but Gorgeous
When admiring the artwork on Pokémon TCG cards, it’s natural to be immediately drawn to those cards featuring bright and colorful illustrations. This makes it extra important to take a closer look at some of the darker, more somber cards. You’ll often find that they’re teeming with delightfully dreary details. Just look at the dour setting in which Feebas (illus. Tetsu Kayama) lives. Areas engulfed in shadows, litter on the seafloor, and faded plants suggesting murky waters—the perfect place for the Pokémon that’s been referred to as “shabby and ugly.” (But we still love it!) Given the thick, brown fog surrounding Garbodor (illus. Aya Kusube), you likely wouldn’t want to be standing next to this Pokémon, but we’ll certainly admire it—and that crosshatch shading—from afar.
Truly Electrifying Art
There are many, many artists who create illustrations for the Pokémon TCG, and of course, they all bring their own vision to the game. Sometimes it’s fun to compare the artists’ individual takes to see how shockingly different they can be. Look at Blitzle (illus. Shinji Kanda) here. Longtime Pokémon TCG players can likely immediately identify a Kanda piece thanks to their distinct sketchy style and bold contrast of deep, dark blacks and loud, vibrant colors. That glow around Blitzle’s mane really gives the impression that it’s crackling with energy. In sharp contrast is this Joltik (illus. Kedamahadaitai Yawarakai). This relatively gentle scene shows the diminutive Attaching Pokémon nibbling on an Oran Berry, and it’s painted in such a way that you can see the thick brush strokes, lending a softer, more natural feel to the work. Two very different approaches to creating Pokémon TCG art, but they’re equally beautiful.
A Light in the Darkness
The use of light and shadow in an illustration can be used to create some very distinct moods. This technique is used effectively on the Gourgeist (illus. nisimono) card. The cool, muted colors of the background are shattered by the warm glow emanating from the jack-o’-lantern face on its belly. The chilling effect is doubled by the face’s reflection on the ground beneath the Pokémon’s feet. Lighting is also effectively used on the Minior (illus. OKUBO) card to show a stylized view of tall buildings in a city at night. The lights shine through the tight cluster of buildings that seem to travel downward into infinity, creating a claustrophobic view. The varying degree of light breaking through the shadows only intensifies this feeling. Keep flying upward, Minior… You’ll reach the open sky yet!
These are just a small sample of the over 180 cards that can be found in the Scarlet & Violet—Paradox Rift expansion. As you open your new booster packs, be sure to pay attention to the artwork you discover. You’re bound to find some awesome art that you connect with!
