Another update full of heat @pulpyfan
Metagross is such a cool Pokemon, first Pokemon you battle in XD for the gamecube and the one gold star that I want out of all of them (unpopular opinion probably haha)
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@kompass, Not an unpopular opinion at all, in my opinion at least haha! GS metagross was always my grail for GS as well!
@pulpyfan, “Hope we get a metagross one soon!” Woooo, called it again haha! as always, thank you for these wonderful conglomerations of a single pokemon and their most awesome arts. I have my guess for the next one, but I’ll leave that for others to guess as well.
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Looks to be a spiritual successor to Magnemite. The typing also feels right; Steel-Electric to Steel-Psychic. Magnemite was one head of the eventual three of Magneton. Similarly, Beldum is one leg to Metagross’s four. A socket joint ready to fit into a cavity. Overall, I think it’s cute but underwhelming. Perhaps slightly phallic in nature.
To Beldum’s credit though, it has had some amazing TCG art.
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My favourite Pokémon in my favourite collection thread 
Awesome update as always man!
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A winged serpent. Dragons are one of the most storied mythical creatures in fantasy. Probably for good reason. The influence of dragons can’t be understated. Western culture is full of so many icons. J. R. R. Tolkien’s Smaug, George R. R. Martin’s Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion, and J. K. Rowling’s Hungarian Horntail or Norwegian Ridgeback. Each with their own unique characteristics. But they all share key attributes: intelligence, power, and flight.
Salamence takes on the mantle of Gen III’s quintessential draconic Pokemon. A staple of the franchise’s many dragons. I love how Salamence is equal parts goofy and menacing. Reminds me of How to Train Your Dragon’s Toothless.
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I love Salamence, and I really love that shiny Bagon card. But I can’t bring myself to collect it or have one in game. Not since my brother dressed my Emerald save that had a legit shiny Salamence. My first ever shiny. I’ll just sit here and enjoy your updates. So much nostalgia in this thread.
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I feel like Salamence has been done a bit dirty in the TCG, he has a lot of potential for really cool arts, like the ones from EX Dragon, but his high rarity ones are so derpy. Either way, the arrangement is stellar no matter what, nothing can be done about the arts that exist. As always, thanks for the beautiful update! Not sure where we are headed next time, but I’m looking forward to it!
Also, I would absolutely LOVE to see a copy of salamence where he has the same kind of facial expressions and catlike playfulness as Toothless.
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Shining Pokemon brought me back into collecting. They were cards I never owned as a child. But years later, they gave me something to chase as an adult. They reignited that collector’s spark.
Shining Mewtwo is my favorite. His stance is powerful and menacing. A single cautionary arm raised. Eyes focused and determined. His furrowed brow suggests he’s prepared to use force.
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Lovely lovely! While these cards are usually found to be very popular, they are sometimes quite divisive, like a love or hate kind of thing. I can see it for some of them, but others are undeniably gorgeous. Obviously the Mew/Karp/Gary (which are earlier anyway) are unanimously beloved, but others like Charizard, Celebi, Kabutops, etc., are sometimes considered a little plain or empty.
I think they are utterly unique, iconic, but also part of that far reach that is totally a necessary direction and choice to make one of the final sets of an old original era really special and different. The lesser artworks from my point of view as a kid have really grown on me, and now instead of liking only half, like then, I love them all. Magikarp is my favorite, but out of Destiny it is a tie between Steelix and Tyranitar. Charizard has really grown on me. It is super unique, very cool. I’d say Raichu is the best composition.
Thanks for another awesome update, pulp! It’s very fitting for your style, and I almost subconsciously was awaiting it, longing for it so
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Thanks for your kind words @brendantheclayboy .
Icons for sure. I always enjoy when cards break the mold and explore new territory.
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Pokemon 
. Fukuda’s gift to the Pokemon community. Certainly his magnum opus in the TCG. 28 different artworks all illustrated by a single person. This set is an absolute home run! It has it all. Shiny variants, outside-the-boarder illustrations, and a gold foil rarity symbol. On top of that you add a difficult pull rate and Japanese prize cards to the lot, it’s no wonder the Gold Stars are so coveted.
I wanted my cover photo for this set to be something eye catching, but nothing I found on Google Images fit the bill. So I fired up GIMP and created one myself. I wanted it to express three main elements: the iconic gold star, alternate color Pokemon, and a holographic background that pops. I’m happy with the outcome.
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Pulp, pulp. You are too much, too much. I was just so compelled to comment how SICK that banner is. Might it be the finest yet? Perhaps! What glorious eye candy.
I’m sure it’s hard to pick a favorite, but do you have one that stands out above all others? And what would be your reasoning?
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You’re right, it is a hard choice. Gathering these cards was an international endeavor that spanned years. Thinking back on the collecting journey brings back some great memories.
I’m sure my favorite ebbs and flows. Today, it’s definitely Pikachu. I’ll quote myself from an earlier post. I still share those same sentiments.
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Wow! After seeing this set photo, I just realized how uncommon it is to see a full gold star collection post in one place! This is a masterpiece, and the banner does really help bring it all together! I’ve only got a few left till my set is complete, but they’re the most expensive ones, besides ray, those darn cats! These cards are the reason I have a Fukuda master collection in the works.
I’m curious if you feel the same way, do you think the unseen forces feraligatr could be an honorary gold star? I think if the color is digitally altered, and the image is slightly enlarged to take it out of the borders, it is 100% a gold star. It feels like that was fukuda’s goal with that one but pokemon company said no or something 
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this thread has been an absolute joy to look through. just wow. congrats on this collection and thank you for sharing!
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Awesome! I can’t wait to see your Fukuda collection.
Fun thought experiment. Perhaps Fukuda was inspired by his gold star illustrations. After all, the legendary beasts were included in Unseen Forces.
I love the Feraligatr art. Hand outstretched, sharp nails reaching forward, and a stream of water being cast toward the opposition. However, I’m inclined to say Feraligatr wasn’t intended to be a gold star. I’ll base my evidence on the other two second generation starter evolutions in the set. Both Typhlosion and Meganium weren’t illustrated by Fukuda nor did they receive a potential gold star aesthetic. Had Fukuda illustrated those two and drawn them in a similar manner to Feraligatr, I’d say you were on to something 
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Crystal Pokemon. A set of secret rares that fits nicely on a 3x3 sheet. Shiny eye-catching holographic backgrounds, incredible artworks, and colors that pop. I love these cards.
Crystal Celebi is one of my favorite illustrations in the TCG. I have raved about the artwork on many occasions. I’ve put some of my past quotes below.
I decided to try my hand at creating another banner. This time around, I wanted something that was special yet simple. And after a pair of image reflections, I found just that. A flip in one direction produced an alluring and mystical image that draws in the audience. A flip in the other direction felt more like a farewell. I’ve placed each image on either side of this post.
My favorite art of Celebi is Arita’s Skyridge depiction. I love how gentle and inviting the scene is. I’ve always found myself returning to this art. There is something magical about it.
I’m sure many people’s favorite changes from time to time. Celebi from Skyridge is my flavor of the week. Arita hit a home run with this drawing. The splash of color, the delicate vine, and an evening moon. And there is something so evasive and fleeting about Celebi’s posture.
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Holy candy. Rainbows.
Dude what a heavenly addition man!
You are fine tuning the style and descriptions. The banner is stunning, the comment about the serendipity of a 9 card release for the one page, and your reflection on Celebi. A toast!
I always felt that the Celebi was wandering on a Halloween night and was found by a trainer, and instead of disappearing, fleetingly beckoned the trainer to follow it under the crescent for a mystical walk in the forest, during which it would spawn and magically grow the plants and flowers around to create a sort of magical ride or tour, for its own amusement, afforded by the mood of the wondrous night. There be vivid haze and palpable jazzy air, the density of the magic so great.
So your words about it really reflect that and therefore there is a kinship in this card.
Just as E series was the WOTC pinnacle, these are commemoratively the artistic and thematic cornerstones of the arc. I see them as an ode to what Pokemon has achieved, an endowment of a high gift to those who celebrate in Pokemon. Everything about them is amazing, spectacular.
Celebi is unarguably the best, it really is. But I adore Kingdra, Golem, Lugia, Crobat, and Ho-Oh (probably in that order or thereabouts if I had to say) just about as much.
I will agree with most that Charizard is actually the least impressive. That said, there is something to all of them that spells greatness. A wonderful send off to a new era to follow, with the wonderful EX cards.
You blew me away with this one. I hope to accomplish the same thing some day (but in Japanese )
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Wow, everyone must be busy these days I guess I was so I haven’t been commenting much lately, but I found a little time. I gotta say a couple words about that exploud hahah! It’s such fantastic storytelling between the three cards. Well, as much story as can be told about a guy trying to withstand the noises of loud pokemon. Either way, I love the post. Keep sending em out! Idk what next post will be though. Maybe DP era I’m guessing? Not sure what else remains in ex era that you haven’t posted yet.
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