Not sure if it’s my absolute favorite, but this was the first thing that came to mind c:
edit: better picture, my scanner sucks 
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Jungle Pidgeot!!
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That will for sure be this card, I dont remember much from these times, but I remember trying my hardest to trade this card with a friend of mine. He wanted 10 normal cards for it. It felt like I had to trade an arm and a leg. I dont play the game but I looked at that HP and I was like this pokemon is an absolute monster and must be extremely good. This was when I was around 8 years old.
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My absolute favourite, a constant reminder of how awesome it was playing both Red & Blue on my purple Gameboy Color over and over with each Kanto starter
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Great perception. Did more covers get transformed into cards? Mato gets unjustifiably undervalued in my eyes the same light Kinebuchi and Masago have.
The expedition mew card hit me in the feels when I first saw it.
I think it’s because it shows mew under water, like it was in the beginning of the first pokemon movie.
That movie hits me with nostalgia so hard, I can’t even explain it.
for me its a toss up betwen that, and my personal PSA 10 JAPANESE base alakazam.
This was the first PSA card I’ve ever bought.
There was no monetary gain in my mind. I just loved the artwork.
The whole thing, from the menacing Ken Sugimori alakazam,
the sparkle and colors of the holo,
the purple background with gold border,
and most of all the Japanese lettering, makes it look like a real piece of art to me.
I will always love this card, and although it has gone up incredibly in value from when I bought it, I will never sell it
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There’s my answer(s) for me. Had an idea not so long and even more encouraged by this to make a top 251 card list.
WOTC, as exampled by the Rocket’s Zapdos and Feraligatr cards arts in full compared to Media Factory sets equivalent show how they looked better, presented better, smelled better, fucked better.
[Edit] It’s eye opening to me how many posts here aren’t the same image used as their icons or at least in the relevant direction. That striked as strange to me, about individuals’ choice of character.
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Yeah, I was wondering about that as well indeed. 
It’s pretty funny and ironic almost no one uses their favorite artwork as their avatar:
- gengarguy uses the Arceus artwork from the Arceus set as avatar, even though Gengar Prime is his favorite card and his name is gengarguy;
- scarecrowman88 uses the Light Jolteon avatar when Rocket’s Zapdos is his/her favorite card;
- PichuFan uses a Pichu illustrator contest card as avatar instead of his favorite Poké Dude (although I’m pretty sure he’s joking);
- drazirahc uses the M Charizard EX artwork as avatar instead of his favorite Pidgeot;
- madden12ut uses Umbreon Gold Star as avatar instead of his/her favorite Legendary Collection RF Arcanine;
- xzini uses the Alolan Vulpix as avatar instead of her favorite Salamance (or Rayquaza);
- picigipi024 uses the PCL Laboratory as avatar instead of his favorite Dark Jolteon;
- goldcrest uses the POP9 Rotom artwork as avatar but her favorite cards include Venusaur, Pidgeot, and Psyduck;
- RescueToast uses Dark Charmeleon as avatar instead of his/her favorite Torchic Gold Star;
A few that have the same favorite Pokémon, but different artwork:
- papafrankgod uses the Dark Gyarados artwork for her avatar instead of Base Set Gyarados;
- thane uses the Fan Club Eevee artwork as avatar instead of his signed Vending Eevee (this one I can understand though, since it’s autopgraphed)
- surfsnsnow comes close: his favorite is the JK Rally Surfing Pikachu with train in the background, but avatar is the holofoil Rising Rivals Surfing Pikachu;
So unless I’ve looked past it, there are just two people who’s favorite card match their avatar thus far in this thread, haha.
Greetz,
Quuador
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FWIW, _____'s Mew is probably my favorite artwork even though I didn’t give an answer at the beginning, so add another to your list
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@nish The wrong side of the list though, since you use Erika’s Hospitality as avatar. 
Greetz,
Quuador
Mato is only undervalued because there arent that many people that know about her and the cards. Its also pretty rare so there isnt opportunity for a lot of exposure. Her pikachu illustration was also made into a card. I have that one as well if you’d like to see.
That’s a hefty sized dosage of wtf I’ve not seen in a fair while and that’s saying something. The prime cards would stand out perfectly as icons.
@chrisbalestra I dunno, it’s sorta suspect how Mato never got celebrated and shared elsewhere into other media. Sure, why not if you’re fine with it? Pikachu I choose you!
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Mato fell ill after illustrating the original 10 episodes of Pokemon Adventures manga in 1997 and had to be replaced. She lost her ability to draw from what I’ve read from places like bulbapedia:
bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Mato
bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_Adventures
The pikachu card seems to be a little less rare to find. Here is what it looks like:
I also was able to hunt down her website:
www1.odn.ne.jp/ginta/mato/~m-f.html
twitter.com/matobook2016
Couldn’t seem to figure out if she ever recovered.
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Read the Bulba before but it didn’t go into the seriousness over what happened and glazed over it. Damn. Hope she like all my quality fallen brethren could make a return before it’s too late. Thank you for sharing these cards, in league with Bandai and Topps these really are a special place without any pretension.
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This guy!
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Two that I love: VS Karen’s Umbreon and Coro Shining Mew
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No argument here
I’d have to say this is by far my Favorite Pokemon Cards + Art… And my 2nd favorite; especially for Art is the Zapdos.
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Pulpyfan beat me to it pretty early, but skyridge celebi. And he put it probably better than I could. It’s not my most expensive card in my collection, but it is my favorite.
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