The Pokémon Trading Card Game is filled to the brim with beautiful artwork that explores the unique personalities of each Pokémon, and Trainers will once again have the opportunity to meet the artists who bring the cards to life at the 2025 Pokémon World Championships. Shimaris Yukichi, Saboteri, OKACHEKE, MINAMINAMI Take, OKUBO, and kantaro will be meeting fans and signing special prints featuring one of their Pokémon TCG illustrations at the event. To get Trainers excited for the prospect of meeting these amazing talented artists, we’re highlighting some of our favorite cards they’ve illustrated in recent years!
Earlier this year, Shimaris Yukichi was highlighted on Pokemon.com as one of ten artists who left a powerful first impression with their Pokémon TCG debut. They have a penchant for showcasing the cuter side of Pokémon, often illustrating simplified backgrounds with smooth lines. The Pokémon themselves have expressions that really up their adorable factor too! Just look at that illustration rare featuring Team Rocket’s Meowth—we’re putty in its paws. Shimaris Yukichi most recently illustrated the endearing full-art Dwebble for the Scarlet & Violet—Black Bolt expansion.
Like Shimaris Yukichi, Saboteri was also highlighted last year on Pokemon.com after making their Pokémon TCG artist debut! You’ll often see them illustrate Pokémon whimsically, capturing what feels like a relaxed moment in that Pokémon’s day. Squirtle and Phanpy both appear to be playing around in a way that really sells the current summer vibe. You’ll find their most recent illustrated cards, Shelmet and Swoobat, in the Scarlet & Violet—White Flare expansion.
Speaking of summer vibes, OKACHEKE’s illustration rare featuring Misty’s Psyduck couldn’t do a better job of capturing the feeling of wading through a body of water. OKACHEKE’s soft lines, painterly style, and mood lighting are constant throughout their work, and it can all be seen here. Their most recent illustrated card is none other than Oshawott from the Scarlet & Violet—White Flare expansion.
MINAMINAMI Take first delighted us with their almost-Impressionist rendition of Charmander—a promo card released as part of the Scarlet & Violet—Obsidian Flames Elite Trainer Box. We couldn’t help but highlight them as one of our favorite artists to debut in 2023, and they’ve continued to illustrate quaint stunners like the special illustration rare Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex. If you’re looking to add one of their cards to your collection, look no further than their full-art Crustle released in the Scarlet & Violet—Black Bolt expansion!
We love OKUBO’s polygon style—they make each of their illustrations continually compelling to look at as you unpack every individual shape and shadow alongside the Pokémon themselves. Take the framing in their illustration rare featuring Arbok, for example; the depth created by what appear to be vines, branches, and shadows against the moon draw your eye directly toward Arbok and the potentially unsuspecting Toucannon. A similarly vegetation-filled scene can be seen in their most recent artwork featuring Amoonguss in the Scarlet & Violet—Black Bolt expansion.
Have we talked enough about Pokémon TCG artists featured in one of our yearly artist debut reviews? Like MINAMINAMI Take, kantaro was highlighted as one of our favorite artist debuts in 2023, with their full-art Evolution chain of Fuecoco, Crocalor, and Skeledirge ex taking center stage. They’ve continued to shock us with beautiful artwork including their Jolteon ex special illustration rare from Scarlet & Violet—Prismatic Evolutions, as well as their latest (and suspense-inducing) full-art Genesect ex from the Scarlet & Violet—Black Bolt expansion.
We hope you enjoyed these artist highlights! If you’re attending Worlds this year and are interested in attending an artist autograph session, check out the Worlds website for more details.