Best pokemon rookie card(s)

[inertgeometry]

thank you

[inertgeometry]

while not my favorite by any means, if we say rookie full arts, they introduced the new rarity extremely well

[trainerjack]

Yeah a big part of my enjoyment is the FA aspect. The new rarity blew my mind!

[filthynwah]

The best Typhlosion and it’s not even close.

[wisewailmer]

Here’s an obscure one

[KazaamCollectibles]

Neo Genesis Slowking was a pretty impressive debut.

[UKLugia]

I was scrolling and scrolling through this topic, not seeing it, and getting ready to drop the truth. Thanks for beating me to it

[joponnes]

I tried to specifically look for rookie cards for gen 6 and onwards. Gen 9 basically changes the game since art rares can often be considered as rookie cards and it’s hard to compete with those. But before that if we count full arts that are released simultaneously with other cards from the same species this one is an absolute banger, propably my favourite full art with the matching red, black and gold:

I also wanted to like the amaura and tyrunt family rookie cards but i just can’t, 5ban is too much even though the background luckily has improved from b&w era. But some regional variants have really shined with their rookie cards, here’s some examples (one slightly biased tho):

[zunkfunk]

Heh, true I should’ve posted pics of the beasts from Neo Revelation. To make it up here’s my graded copies of them from when I opened up a 1st Ed box for Christmas 2001.

[inertgeometry]

this g-ponyta is a great example of what i have in mind when i think about a great rookie card… the illustration really captures the vibe of the pokemon

[pokemonunboxing]

[inertgeometry]

dang i didn’t even think about this one

[eeveeteam]

This is cameo heaven, wow

[wisewailmer]

Wailmer doesnt have too many amazing arts but I think whenever nishida gets a chance to draw a rookie it’s stiff competition

[inertgeometry]

Wailmer’s card in the debut gen 3 set is one of my all time favorites

[wisewailmer]

That one is a good one. I think it’s supposed to be on the abandoned ship in hoenn before slateport which makes it better to me. I like when they’re set in spots from the game as opposed to just wherever

[inertgeometry]

I was working on scanning in some cards from my collection, and i was reminded of the first Shedinja card and how beautiful it is in the classic Himeno style

[lavendertown]

the slowking debut was earlier in the souther islands, such a fun card with a happy psyduck

[lavendertown]

What about some chansey?

or kadabra?

[octaane]

This card absolutely blew me away at the time, and still continues to do so. Such a vivid, cool looking card. It’s up there as one of my favorite cards.