Completing the Pokédex is one of the most iconic aspects of the Pokémon games. Catching all the Pokémon from every generation and discovering their uniqueness is priceless.
The Pokémon Blog was honored to talk with the masterminds behind “Pokédex Ilustrada,” an art book that has reunited 196 artists in its first two editions to fill the Pokédex of Kanto and Johto.
Ilustradoras Unidas is a three-year-old Chilean organization formed during the pandemic to give artists a platform to share and spread their art.
Their Discord Community has more than 300 members, but they are only three artists behind the administration: Constanza (C.a.cosas), Camilla (Kitara), and Norma (Noroky Ilustrada).
“Pokédex Ilustrada” isn’t the first project from the organization, but it has been a meaningful journey for them since the beginning stages of its conception in March.
“When we were discussing future collaborations, we noticed that within our Discord Community, there were a lot of fans of Pokémon. That’s when the idea of completing the first generation Pokédex arose. Little did we know that we would be organizing to complete the third right now.”
The Community of Ilustradoras Unidas considers Pokémon “a big part of our childhoods” and an inspiration to create art. It’s like “a meeting point for artists of different ages and a challenge to get out of your comfort zone.”
Constanza said Pokémon is a game she remembers with so much fondness because of her eagerness to play Pokémon Emerald and explore Hoenn after arriving from school.
“In the beginning, Pokémon was only a game with a great and pretty design that was easy to understand for the whole family. But, little by little, it became something more exciting to do with my friends and my partner to the point of doing Lockes,” Camila shared.
Norma still remembers the first time she watched Pokémon on her TV screen and how much she cried during the first movie. “I’ve never been good at playing, but I still tried the first games. I loved catching my Pokémon and scribbling their names in the Pokédex gifted to me.”
Constanza, Camila, and Norma were responsible for the layout of Pokédex Ilustrada alongside four other artists (radiozoa, chibichubi_, tia__ryu, and sheiklei).
“Pokédex Ilustrada is a project that requires so much time and effort, but the artists have proven to us that when it’s about Pokémon, they give their 100%. Some of them even dared to show a new part of themselves, and we’ve seen a new part of the community we didn’t know since the least popular Pokémon has received so much love with its illustration.”
According to the admins of Ilustradoras Unidas, the project had its challenging moments, especially when the artists disappeared or didn’t respect the deadline, and they had to look for more artists to complete the Pokédex.
For them, the most rewarding thing about “Pokédex Ilustrada” is seeing the result and the reception from the people.
“We’re so happy with the project and that our work has given people nostalgia or reminded them about how much they loved Pokémon.”
You can see the entirety of the two generations of “Pokédex Ilustrada” here:
Pokédex Ilustrada 1 Gen (Kanto)
Pokédex Ilustrada 2 Gen (Johto)
Don’t forget you can follow Ilustradoras Unidas on their Social Media Accounts:
Let’s see more of the artworks featured on “Pokédex Ilustrada” below:
Source: Pokemon
