Question about Pikachu!

[quuador]

This article of mine has close to all the info you’ll want to know about the Base Set Pikachu artwork.

But to quote the relevant part regarding your question:

In addition, the Base Set Pikachu was first printed with Red Cheeks, but WotC later switched to Yellow Cheeks instead. This change is by a lot of people mentioned as a misprint, and therefore this Red Cheeks Base Set Pikachu is considered to be the most well-known and easy to find misprint in the Pokémon TCG. Officially however, it isn’t a misprint. Although Mitsuhiro Arita’s original artwork (as can be seen on the earlier Japanese print) was with Yellow Cheeks due to the lightning bolts in the artwork, WotC employees thought the cheeks were supposed to be red since it’s Pikachu, so they changed it without Mitsuhiro Arita’s permission. They later on corrected it back to yellow cheeks. (Source: From a friend who got in contact with Mitsuhiro Arita himself in person at events, as well as on Facebook.) Neither of them are misprints, but the Red Cheeks aren’t Mitsuhiro Arita’s original artwork.

Not sure if this is 100% accurate information, though. When I contact mister Arita on FB about it all he said was:

I think so, but not certain. Ask WotC if you want to know fact.

Which basically means he can’t tell me.

The part in that it isn’t an actual misprint is true though, as well as that it later changed to yellow cheeks.

Would love to hear anyone from WotC about this, but I doubt we’ll ever know the factual reason for both Red and Yellow Cheeks Base Pikachus tbh.

Greetz,
Quuador