I get where you’re at. But it is exposure also. As a kid almost everybody was exposed to Charizard. It was on the packs, it was on all promotional artwork (posters, flyers, magazines). A card like e.g. Grand Party only gained the exposure thanks to the internet and high profile collectors.
There are other cards that could be on that list. Scyther/Hitmonchan/Electrabuzz worked hand in hand. So did Chansey. Any of the baby Pokemon from Neo Genesis all had real effect on the game and how decks were build.
Of course! Blastoise and Feraligatr (120hp) are also good candidates. That was only my personal highly biased subjective list. I remember trading 5 random holo cards from earlier sets for a rocket’s zapdos. That card had a lot of hype in my local area and to me its the most iconic wotc holo card. Although the game itself back then was strongly driven by powerful trainer cards so they could also be considered iconic from a certain perspective.
Just my two cents, I’m not particularly attached to Gyarados. I just associate it, and the base set art work in particular, with being a top favorite even among people who aren’t into Pokemon. But I definitely could be wrong in that assumption.
Japanese Birthday Pikachu
No other card comes close. This is the one that marked the transition of Pokemon from playground fad to high-end hobby.
Japanese Base Set Pikachu
Because it’s Pikachu. Because it’s from the first set. And because it’s Japanese.
Japanese Base Lizardon
For those who appreciate original works of art, not bowdlerized reproductions.
Japanese Ancient Mew
A card that remains as beautiful, mysterious, and desirable today as when our eyes first fell on it almost 20 years ago.
JR Rally Pamphlet Lily Pad Mew and Surfing Pikachu
All you had to do was visit something like 30 Tokyo-area stations in the stifling heat of summer to catch 'em both.
