Eevee and its many delightful Evolutions are the stars of the latest Pokémon Trading Card Game expansion, Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions, but they’re hardly the only gems to be discovered in this exciting collection. There are over 175 cards to be found, which means there are plenty of awesome new illustrations to enjoy. Let’s look at some of the standout pieces that you might encounter.
Art by Tetsuo Hara
ATATATATATATATA! Looking at this ferocious Palafin ex card, you can practically hear that battle cry over the Hero Pokémon’s flurry of strikes. You truly get a sense of the attack’s speed not only from the illusion of multiple flying fists but also by the fact that the fists are drawn with a series of tiny strokes. There’s a good reason this illustration screams strength—it’s drawn by Tetsuo Hara, the noted artist who co-created the iconic manga series Fist of the North Star. The series follows a warrior who battles his way through a post-apocalyptic wasteland, so Mr. Hara just might be the perfect choice to depict a Pokémon in the midst of a furious attack. Like in Fist of the North Star, when you play this card, your opponent will get the feeling that they are already Knocked Out.
The Prismatic Evolutions
We can’t look at the artwork of Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions without checking out Eevee and at least some of its Evolutions in their glorious Tera forms. Specifically, we wanted to share some of their special illustration rare cards. Eevee ex (illus. tono) is looking demure and divine as it rocks its Tera Jewel crown before a vast background of pretty, pale flowers. As sweet as Eevee ex looks in its current state, it’s ready to evolve into a variety of Pokémon ex Evolutions thanks to its Rainbow DNA Ability. One such Pokémon ex is Vaporeon ex (illus. Narano), which arrives in a stunning art nouveau-like style with lines and colors reminiscent of stained glass. Umbreon ex (illus. YASHIRO Nanaco) looks positively magnificent as the star of its colorful illustration. We love the way Umbreon ex is framed by the glow bursting through its chaotic surroundings. Of course, there are plenty of other amazing Eevee Evolution cards to find as well, but we don’t want to spoil the surprise for all of them.
Dots Amazing
Ever since Georges Seurat’s Neo-Impressionism movement in the late 1800s, artists have been using dots to add color and texture to their works. The movement’s distinctive pointillism technique shows up in a few cards in this expansion. Just look at Iron Hands ex (illus. Kazumasa Yasukuni), which features dots of various sizes (a process known as halftoning) to create a shading effect that accentuates the Paradox Pokémon’s curved body. A similar effect is used in this Gholdengo ex (illus. Shigenori Negishi) card, with the glowing dots in the sky suggesting stylized sunbeams shining down from above. The use of more consistently sized and shaped dots seen on this Amarys (illus. Tomowaka) card brings to mind Roy Lichtenstein’s comic strip-inspired pop art in the 1960s. See if you can spot this style used in other cards!
Into the Woods
After a busy day of Pokémon battles, it can be nice to get away from all the hustle and bustle and reconnect with nature. It certainly isn’t surprising to see Grass-type Pokémon like Exeggutor (illus. Dsuke) relaxing among the foliage. With cooling water lapping at its legs and sun shining down through the tree canopy, we can understand that serene look on Exeggutor’s faces. The wooded area that Duskull (illus. IKEDA Saki is exploring doesn’t look quite as peaceful thanks to its spooky nighttime setting and—quite frankly—creepy holey leaves. Hoothoot Nakamura Ippan) invites us into a more tranquil scene. The little Owl Pokémon looks so comfortable perched on a tree branch, hidden within the beautifully detailed leaves and bright flowers. The perfect getaway!
Lost in Their Own World
Speaking of a getaway, we also noticed some cards featuring Pokémon (and people) that appear to be taking a mental vacation of sorts. Like Slowpoke (illus. Natsumi Yoshida) here, who can’t seem to decide if it wants to relax on the beach or chill out in the water. It appears to have settled on “why not both?” All in all, the Dopey Pokémon looks blissfully content with its decision. On the opposite end of the relaxation spectrum, we have Scream Tail (illus. Ryota Murayama), who is barreling through a forest and, we can only assume, yelling at top volume. This Paradox Pokémon doesn’t appear to be engaged in a battle: maybe it just loves to let out its Roaring Scream attack at any given opportunity, never mind who may (or may not) be listening. Then there’s Drayton (illus. Tomowaka). This notoriously laid-back bro tends to seem somewhat detached from the world around him, and judging by his yawn-and-stretch pose and that pile of empty snack wrappers around him, Drayton is in the middle of another slack session. We can’t be mad, though—Drayton’s just too cool of a dude.
This is just a small sample of the over 175 cards that can be found in the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions expansion. As you open your new booster packs, take a closer look at the artwork you discover. You’re bound to find some awesome illustrations that connect with you!
