It wouldn't be outrageous 💜to say that one of the reasons that Pokemon is as popular and successful as it is relates to the range of fantastic monster designs that it boasts. Some Pokemon will appeal to those seeking something cute, some to those seeking something tough, something cool, something scary, and so on. There is a💧 Pokemon for everyone out there.
Unsurprisingly though, a lot of the Pokemon merchandise focuses on the cuter monsters more than anything else. After all, cute is important; cute sells. Cute stretches into anything that Pokemon touches and the incredibly popular trading card game ♔is no exception. Dozens of talented illustrators have worked on thousands of cards and a good portion of them are teeth-meltingly cute.
10 🅷 𒆙 Bouffalant (With Guest Star Natu)
Sometimes, the illustrators will take what fans expect from a card ꩲand completely turn it on its head. Take Legendary Treasures's Bouffalant, for example. One would expect the card to show off the tough buffalo Pokémon fighting or charging something, but no. Instead, we have one of the most tender pieces in the entire card game, showing two Natu using Bouffalant's afro to keep warm.
Natu even has its own card in the set which shows just how cold they were prior to encoun🅰tering Bouffalant! Cards that show Pokémon interacting with each other like this really add depth to the series and o📖ften happen to be totally adorable while doing so.
9 🌸 Raichu Having A Lie Down ⛄
Unfortunately usually overshadowed by its pre-evolution Pikachu, Raichu is not given the spotlight as often as it should be. Raichu often fills the role of the rival in the anime and, up until receiving an 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Alolan form, it seemed that the Pokemon company wanted nothing to do with the big rat. That said, where it really shone brightly was the trading card game. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Perhaps not competitively, but in terms of the artwork.
The illustrators working on the cards seemingly had a soft spot for Raichu as it is otherwise hard to explain how much beautiful art this thing has. Midori Harada's piece in the Fire Red and Leaf Green set is particularly lovely. The squishy-looking face and vacant yet content expression are very difficult not to at least grin at. Don't you just൲ want to sq🤡uish those cheeks or give him a snuggle?
8 ꦚ Espurr Does Not Want To Be Groomed, Thanks ಌ
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Whether Espurr is cute or not is definitely something that could be a point of 🐼contention for fans. Some may describe it𒅌s vacant, unblinking stare as creepy or deeply disturbing. But some may believe Espurr is an absolutely beautiful small angel cat that needs to be pampered. Kanako Eo certainly believes the latter; just look at that living stuffed animal princess.
This piece is part of the Generations set, originating from the Japanese PokéKyun set which exclusively contained absolutely adorable illustrations of absolutely adorable Pokemon. The combination of Espurr's blank stare with the sparkles and tiaꦜras creates a hilarious yet fantastic contrast that just makes you want to hug it.
7 Latias & ✨Latios GX
How can you not totally love this...they're making a heart! It's as if the card was made for this list. The tag-team style cards beginning in the Teaꦆm Up set have really made for some interesting art. Many of the secret Full Art cards, like this one, show the paired-up Pokrmon interacting in a cute or comical way -- often with a very striking color scheme.
This piece, in particular, has become extremely desirable in recent months with collectors paying upwards of $100 for the card - and how can you blame them? It's not often that a card can double as a cute 168ℱ澳洲幸运5开奖网:Valentine's gift for the Pokemon faꦇn in your life.
6 Flareon EX🌠 And The Eeveelution Gang
It's not the first Generations/Pokékyun card on the list and it won't be the last. This card is certainly striking in terms of its art and design. It's as though the illustrator, kirisAki, was told to make 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the cutest Flareon ꧃card they possibly could. Big shiny eyes, a tilted head, and curly head flame ꦇall add up to adorable.
Furthermore, what better way to make a member of the already super popular Eeveelutions more appealing than to add more of them? However, making ꦦa card of each Eeveelution in this style was deꩵfinitely a missed opportunity by the Pokemon company.
5 Ursaring Momma Being The Best M𒀰omma
Similar to Bouffalant, one expects a trading card of Ursaring to display it roaring or mid-battle. Just get a load of those razor-sharp claws! Instead, we are treated to a subversion of Ursaring's usual card art (Ursaring Prime is p🌳articularly threatening). What's shown is a tender moment between it and its pre-evolution, T♐eddiursa.
Ursaring looks at Teddiursa in the loving way that a parent may look at 🌺their child and Teddiursa, itself, looks extremely content. It's a touching piece an🧸d the gentle colors only add to the serenity. Definite Jungle Book vibes from this one, no?
4 Shaymin EX Lounging In Contentment 𝄹
The Pokemon company used this cute promo card to promote one of the cutest sets known as Generations and, in Japan, as Pokékyun. Shaymin makes a fantastic ambassador for the set as a seven-inch-tall hedgehog with swee♋t-smelling flowers on its head and all. Those with a sharp eye will have noticed that each Pokékyun card so far has included several charms on the left side of the artwork - each with a m♛eaning.
The clover, for example, is used to represent purity. This is an apt choice as the Pokedex describes Shaymin as being able to "dissolve toxins൲ in the air." Coloring these charms to match Shaymin's color scheme and covering the card's border with flowers makes this card astonishingly endearing.
3 🐼 Light Jolteon Guard𝔍ing Slumbering Pokemon
Whilst many of the cards named "Dark ____" have illustrations showing Pokemon looking aggressive or fighting, t🍌he Neo Destiny exclusive "L𒀰ight ___" cards hold more peaceful imagery. Just think of Light Machoke's art being the polar opposite of Dark Machoke's.
Many of the cards show Pokemon relaxing or smiling and nꦅone represent this tranquility better than Light Jolteon. The card shows the usually-electrified, on edge Jolteon looking after Togepi and what is possibly the cutest Rattata in the world. The whole situation just looks incredibly comfy and, seeing Jolteon protect these smaller Pokemon, makes any viewer go "aww".
2 🦋 Emboar, The Family Pokemon
What seems like an unusual family photo becomes one of the sweetest cards ever printed once presented alongside the Tepig and Pignite cards from the same set known as Legendary Treasures. Tep𒁏ig's card shows it in the arms of a small boy with smiling parents onlooking. Now evolved, Pignite's card shows the child, a lot older now, grinning alongside it with a newly-introduced little sister.
Lastly, the final card in the series shows Emboar sat between the original child. He is now very much an adult alongisde his now-greying parents and people who, one can assume, are his partner and child. The card shows ﷺus a boy growing up with his Pokemon during various stages of his life. Is your heart melting? I'm havi🅷ng a melting problem.
1 Easter's Pikachu Com𒊎plete With A Flower Crownꦚ
Painful though it may be, Pikachu takes the top spot. Previously available as a Japan-exclusive Easter promo card, it's hard to overstate just how pleased Pikachu looks in this image. As though she's (chec🌠k the tail) just been given all of thos♋e eggs and is absolutely delighted.
The illust🥂rators even gave it a flower crown! But it gets even better: its first attack is "Happy Easter". This Pikachu looks like it's having the best day ever and it's very difficult not to share in that elation when viewing the card. Happy Easter, Pikachu, no matter the time of year.