When you’re thinking about “Pokemon Cards”, which card pops up in your head first? What card, for you, represents the TCG as an icon?
For me, it comes down to two cards:
Unlimited Base Gyarados:
And Unlimited Base Pikachu:
The Unlimited Base set, overall, hits me as the tantamount of representation for the entire TCG as it was the most remembered set for me. Gyarados, obviously, because my first instinct is to think of my collection, but then the Pikachu as it’s such a classic card and you used to see at least one in everyone’s collection.
Maybe this is cheating/boring but I typically think of the back of English cards. No particular card really comes to mind for me. It’s the one design element that spans the entirety of the English TCG and so it’s the one thing I can always count on.
Really hard to say. I’d imagine it gets more difficult to think of one specific card, the more diverse your collection portfolio gets.
I second @papafrankgod in that it’s definitely something from the first three sets, but not one singular card all the time. I still have my beloved Base Doduo and Jungle Exeggutor from my very early childhood collection, so maybe those are contenders.
im pretty sure everyone here is expecting this of me, so as per usual…:
^ive said my reasons for this little guy a thousand times over, but to sum it up in a card: this is the happiness and joy I get, and also see others express, when truly engaging and indulging in the hobby in the best ways possible. This will never not come to my mind with such a question. May not be an OG base card, but it sure as hell captures the best elements that this hobby has to offer.
Jungle Pinsir. I will never forget going to the local collectible store with my mom when I was nine years old, seeing this card inside the glass at the counter and immediately thinking, “I want THAT card.” It will forever be my most nostalgic card.
Right now it’s the gyarados from mysterious mountains because that’s what I have up by my bed. Good question though, in general I think I second what @mario005 said. The card back is definitely what pops up in my mind rather than any specific card.
Base Pikachu for obvious reasons. And Base Charizard (iconic) and Jungle Jolteon (my second holo pull as a kid which I still have; first holo pull I traded away) also come to mind pretty quickly.
Some of the early black star promos come to mind, in particular the movie promo Mewtwo and Pikachu. Granted this art was used for other products, they are still very iconic. While not particularly rare, the fact that they did not come from regular booster packs also made them special in those early days. I personally think that this is the most iconic depiction of Pikachu on a Pokemon card.
