Everything evolves in the Pokémon world, from skies filled
with powerful Flying- and Dragon-type Pokémon to Eevee evolving into eight
different forms. The artwork in the Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield—Evolving
Skies expansion captures the beauty of Pokémon Evolution, along with the
rich humor, personality, and color of the Pokémon world. Soar through some of
this expansion’s highlights, and pick out some of your favorite cards.
Click image to enlarge
The artist OKACHEKE excels at capturing fleeting, though
highly memorable, moments within the Pokémon world. The artist’s impressionist
style makes use of broad, distinctive brushstrokes and vivid, diverse colors to
create a blurred effect, creating a sense of poignancy. This moment—this
Pokémon—is ephemeral, and therefore worthy of notice. Flaaffy’s
stunning evening of stargazing is a perfect example of the sense of awe evoked
by OKACHEKE’s style. The Wool Pokémon is set against a dazzling display of
flowers and an equally beautiful, if fuzzy, night sky.
The epic quality of the natural scenery is paralleled in the
illustrator’s depiction of Flabébé in the foreground
of a rainbow of hazy blossoms. OKACHEKE’s thoughtful and realistic attention to
lighting and shading gives the Single Bloom Pokémon a rich, lifelike quality
that draws attention toward its face. The scarlet petals captured just before
they fall to the ground suggest a possible breeze.
There’s drama in OKACHEKE’s fleeting moments, as well. Take Slakoth dangling
precariously from a cliff. Despite the fact that the Slacker Pokémon finds
itself in a dangerous situation, it apparently can’t seem to summon the energy
to care beyond its casual expression and head tilt. With the art’s broad
brushstrokes and muted colors, Slakoth almost blends into the background that’s
riddled with rocky crags and sparse vegetation. What happens next is anyone’s
guess, but given that OKACHEKE’s style is grounded in capturing a distinctive
moment for all posterity, Slakoth’s future might not be a subject of too much
concern.
The Evolution Pokémon is a well-named category for Eevee, and
its eight possible Evolutions capture the unique strengths and qualities of
their respective types. Each of these eight Evolutions is on colorful, playful
display in the Sword & Shield—Evolving Skies expansion.
Kicking off the Eevee appreciation tour is illustrator You Iribi’s Leafeon V resting appropriately in a pile of autumn leaves.
The Verdant Pokémon’s expressive eyes match the tone of the leaves, and the
artist’s rich, warm color palette calls to mind brisk autumn weather while also
paying homage to Leafeon’s reputation for smelling like fallen leaves—a scent that
people from Galar love so much, they make perfumes to capture the delightful
aroma.
Narumi Sato’s Glaceon V echoes
Leafeon’s casual pose, chilling contentedly on a frozen bench with its head
propped on its paws. Whether the Fresh Snow Pokémon played a role in creating
the winter landscape or is merely enjoying its effect is unknown, but its mood
is undeniably catching. Much like Glaceon, Umbreon V appears
right at home, though in this case it’s within the narrow confines of a lit
alleyway. Illustrator Teeziro’s Moonlight Pokémon stands sentinel, prepared to
take on any challengers and fueled by the power of the moon as it delivers a Mean
Look.
However, some of Eevee’s Evolutions are captured in the
midst of equally enthralling indoor adventures. Illustrator sowsow’s Espeon V is living every introvert’s dream, perched in
an armchair and surrounded by colorful books flying in all directions under the
Sun Pokémon’s psychic powers. Espeon’s literary tastes apparently run to
subjects including the sun, moon, Ditto, and Eevee in an atmosphere so cozy,
it’s tempting to leap right into the card and join it. Sylveon
V’s tastes run to the sweets in Yuu Nishida’s vivid confectionary
dreamscape. You don’t need special Pokémon powers to see how happy the
Intertwining Pokémon is balancing on a dessert display case, surrounded by
colorful delicacies.
Each artist highlights an Eevee Evolution’s most pronounced
qualities and quirks; getting to see them all in the same expansion is quite
the treat.
Dragon-type Pokémon have been absent from recent Pokémon TCG
expansions; the last expansion to include them was Pokémon TCG: Sun &
Moon—Cosmic Eclipse, which released in November 2019. But Sword
& Shield—Evolving Skies has brought them soaring back into the
spotlight with a diverse array of attacks, attitudes, and art styles. From
illustrator sui’s serene Altaria gliding across
pastel skies to kodama’s Salamence delivering
classic Dragon-type vibes while perched on a bluff, these new Dragon-type cards
have an undeniable presence.
If it’s difficult to capture the raw power of a Dragon-type
Pokémon in a Poké Ball, the task of encapsulating it on a small piece of paper must
be all but impossible, yet HYOGONOSUKE’s Deino has
all the rage and character one would expect of the Irate Pokémon. HYOGONOSUKE’s
trademark artistic style exudes energy and emotion, with shards of shape and
color seemingly emanating from the Basic Dragon-type Pokémon. And illustrator
ryoma uratsuka manages to capture a Bagon mere
moments before it uses Headbutt on a tree. It’s an activity the Rock Head
Pokémon is known for, but the flat, illustrative style offers an almost playful
interpretation to the highly aggressive act.
Of course, not all Dragon-type Pokémon are wrathful beings
filled with fire and rage. Tomokazu Komiya’s Drampa
is a chaotic and joyful whirlwind of color and shape. The Placid Pokémon’s
playful, friendly, and compassionate spirit is heightened and celebrated by
Komiya’s trademark primitivism. The card is a vibrant visual feast befitting
the wonder and power of Dragon-type Pokémon.
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Artist Kyoko Umemoto adds a bright, evocative touch to the Sword
& Shield—Evolving Skies expansion with three cards that share a
distinctive, detailed aesthetic to express different moods. Take Golduck floating peacefully through lavender-tinted
water rich in bubbles and floral patterns. Here Umemoto’s style translates into
a relaxing image that could almost lull the viewer to sleep. Even Golduck’s
glowing forehead, indicating its telekinetic powers are in use, is more
hypnotic than alarming.
Umemoto sticks to the water with Carvanha,
though the Savage Pokémon is predictably delivering fiercer energy than the more
relaxed Golduck. Surrounded by bold jewel tones and plenty of details,
including diamond patterns and dots, Carvanha still manages to dominate the
image with its aggressive expression. In fact, Carvanha’s combative personality
is almost at odds with the background’s pop style, until you consider that a
less intense background could easily disappear with a Pokémon as intense as
Carvanha.
Then there’s Thievul, who
strikes a sly, humorous note as it poses with its presumably stolen and highly
colorful berry hoard. Umemoto’s love of background details appears once again
in the form of ivy leaves. The Fox Pokémon’s berries come in all shapes,
colors, and sizes, and Thievul’s expression of pride as it poses dramatically
with its loot is difficult to forget. The fact that Umemoto’s style can communicate
peace and tranquility, ferocity, and cunning in three distinct cards is part of
what makes Sword & Shield—Evolving Skies stand out.
Click image to enlarge
A single Pokémon is great, but a card that features two is
double the fun, and three Pokémon triples the viewer’s delight. Several artists
in the Sword & Shield—Evolving Skies expansion leveraged this logic,
creating cards teeming with friendly, curious, and even helpful Pokémon. Artist
Mitsuhiro Arita’s Raichu is a vivid and perhaps
electrifying presence, standing boldly in the foreground at a 3/4 profile
angle. Raichu’s dominant physical presence makes it even more exciting to
discover the additional Pokémon concealed like Easter eggs in the right side of
the art. Rotom hovers just above Raichu’s shoulder, appearing
characteristically helpful and ready for action. But Sewaddle is more difficult
to spot because it’s looking in another direction entirely, drawing the eye
across the entire card for further clues about what has captured the Sewing
Pokémon’s attention.
While Eevee’s Evolutions
dominate the Sword & Shield—Evolving Skies expansion, the Evolution
Pokémon itself is full of personality and character. In fact, Atsushi
Furusawa’s depiction of Eevee appears to show the same awe and sense of wonder about
Pokémon that’s felt by people around the world. Perched on a rooftop, Eevee
tracks the glorious flight of Rayquaza with an undeniable smile on its face.
Oswaldo KATO’s Golurk V has
plenty of work to do, but that hasn’t stopped the Automaton Pokémon from
offering a friendly shoulder to a Nickit eager to oversee the Pokémon’s work. A
fluffy Swablu has even landed on the log Golurk V is carrying, and the enormous
Pokémon doesn’t seem to mind the added weight or company. The richly detailed
illustration captures what could have been an ordinary day at work transformed
into a playful moment thanks to a few Pokémon friends.
Finally, there’s an unforgettable Medicham, courtesy of KIYOTAKA OSHIYAMA. The Meditate Pokémon
leaps boldly above the viewer, presumably in the act of delivering a
devastating Yoga Loop or Smash Uppercut attack. The Pokémon’s elegance and
power is so stupendous that a handful of Pokémon across the card have paused to
observe the battle. From Plusle to Minun, Skiploom to Jumpluff, or Cloyster to
Centiskorch, the viewer could easily miss a Pokémon hiding among the rocky crop
of crags and crevices. And while there’s no denying that Medicham is the star
of this particular show, it’s still fun to make a game of finding all of the
card’s many background Pokémon.
Find your own favorite card and explore artistic themes with the Pokémon TCG: Sword & Shield—Evolving Skies expansion!
Source: Pokemon
