Did you know that the same artist, a lady named Yuka Morii, has made every single clay Pokémon card within the entire Pokémon TCG?

Aipom (Paradox Rift)

Morii is one of the longest-serving artists for the Pokémon TCG. She made her first card in the year 2000, and she is still making cards to this day. To date, Morii has made over 200 different cards for the Pokémon TCG.

All of Morii’s cards are made by creating tiny clay Pokémon by hand, and then photographing the Pokémon against scenic, real-world backgrounds.

Morii’s cards very rarely feature powerful or impressive Pokémon. Instead, her work encourages us to appreciate the little things. Almost all of her cards depict small, first-evolution or baby Pokémon.

In this blog, we will put Morii’s work in the spotlight. We will take a look at a selection of her cards, and pick out the top three cards from each era of her work.

Morii made her debut in the Neo era of the Pokémon TCG. Her first cards were released in Neo Discovery, where she released four cards: Corsola, Caterpie, Kabuto and Omanyte.

Neo Discovery

Following Neo Discovery, Morii released another four cards in Neo Revelation, and then a total of seven cards in the final set of the Neo era, Neo Destiny. These cards again focused on the smaller and more basic Pokémon from each set. A selection of these cards is shown below.

Neo Revelation and Neo Destiny

After the Neo era, the next set to release was Pokémon VS. This was a Japanese-exclusive set that was never released in English. Pokémon VS featured the Pokémon of various Pokémon trainers. The same artist was used for each set of Pokémon belonging to each Pokémon trainer. Morii was assigned Bruno, the second member of the Elite Four in Kanto, who predominantly uses Fighting-type Pokémon. Morii produced a captivating and very consistent set of artworks.

Pokémon VS

Morii’s early work was rounded off by the e-Series era, which closely followed Pokémon VS. As well as some standalone cards, Morii created a number of evolution lines in e-Series, including the Poliwag – Poliwrath trio, the Hoppip – Jumpluff trio, Swinub and Piloswine, and Pikachu and Raichu.

e-Series

Top Three Cards (Early Work)

With so many fantastic and iconic cards in Morii’s early work, it’s hard to pick out the top three cards from this era. Nevertheless, here are the author’s top three picks.

3. Caterpie (Neo Discovery)

Caterpie (Neo Discovery)

In third spot, we have Caterpie from Neo Discovery. This was one of Morii’s first cards, and it demonstrated her skill in drawing our attention to even the most basic of Pokémon.

The shot chosen by Morii really captures the ‘buginess’ of the Caterpie, with its oversized head staring straight at the viewer. Morii has also expertly positioned the Caterpie to look right at home amongst the leaves. The card is particularly striking due to the consistency between all the different shades of green. It is notable that Morii has ensured that the Caterpie itself is the brightest green, as this immediately draws our focus to the Caterpie.

2. Shuckle (Neo Revelation)

Shuckle (Neo Revelation)

In second place we have Shuckle from Neo Revelation. Morii’s rendition of Shuckle is particularly endearing, with its curious eyes and inquisitive pose.

However, it is Morii’s immersive set design that makes this card particularly special. The blurry trees and hills in the distant background, and the rocks and water in the foreground, give the artwork a real sense of depth and dimension. Morii has somehow managed to fit an entire landscape within the tiny confines of the card. It is possible that this set was intended to depict the beach at Cianwood City, which is Shuckle’s natural habitat in the Johto region. This card was an early example of Morii’s skill not only with clay itself, but also for designing intricate and immersive sets, which perfectly complement her clay models. We will see Morii’s skill with set design in many of her future artworks.

1. Bruno’s Hitmontop (Pokémon VS)

Bruno’s Hitmontop (Pokémon VS)

In first place we have Bruno’s Hitmontop from Pokémon VS.

All of Morii’s cards from Pokémon VS are true works of art, that demonstrate Morii’s high level of skill with clay. What makes the Pokémon VS cards particularly striking is the high level of contrast between the shadows in the background and the Pokémon which are illuminated in the foreground. The lighting creates a real sense of atmosphere, making the viewer feel as though they themselves are inside Bruno’s dojo.

Of Morii’s six Pokémon VS cards, Bruno’s Hitmontop is arguably Morii’s greatest demonstration of skill. The Hitmontop model is expertly made, complete with very fine details and perfect colours. The lighting is also immaculate, with the Hitmontop popping out of the shadows and capturing the viewer’s attention.

Additionally, Morii has somehow positioned the Hitmontop suspended in midair. It is not clear how Morii achieved this effect, as there is no evidence of any string or props. The suspended Hitmontop creates a stunning shadow on the floor of the dojo, and gives the Hitmontop a great deal of implied movement.

There also seems to be dust or chalk that the spinning Hitmontop has whipped up from the floor of the dojo. Again, it is not clear how Morii achieved this effect, but it is another small detail that brings the card to life.

Ultimately, Bruno’s Hitmontop takes the top place amongst Morii’s early work because it brilliantly demonstrates all of the skills that Morii utilises to make her cards so captivating and compelling. It demonstrates the full extent of her skill with clay modelling, set design, lighting, positioning and photography.

As we shall see, these skills only improved as Morii’s work continued into the next generations of the Pokémon TCG.

This period takes us from the start of the EX era (2003) until the end of the XY era (2016).

Morii’s work during this period took on a slightly sharper and more refined style. This fit perfectly with the modern and sleek style of cards from this period. Take a look at the below selection of cards, for example.

A Refined Style

During this era, we saw some almost impossibly clean cards, which really demonstrated Morii’s mastery of the clay medium. It also looks as though Morii may have obtained a higher quality camera during this time.

Sharp Photography

The EX era also gave us a match made in heaven – Yuka Morii and Ditto! We saw a number of brilliant cards in EX Delta Species, showing Ditto in all sorts of disguises. All of these Pokémon featured Ditto’s signature smile and blank eyes – its only giveaway. It made perfect sense that Morii should create these Ditto cards – after all, clay has a lot of similarities with Ditto.

Ditto in Disguise

Top Three Cards (Intermediate Work)

Given the sheer number of cards that Morii created during this intermediate era (91 cards to be exact), it is once again very difficult to pick out the top three cards. Nevertheless, here are the author’s top three picks.

3. Snorunt (Platinum Arceus)

Snorunt (Platinum Arceus)

In third spot we have this perfect Snorunt card from Platinum Arceus. This is a card that really commands our attention. The head-on shot and striking symmetry of the Snorunt’s pose serve to bring the Pokemon into sharp focus.

Morii does a great job of playing with the sense of scale in this artwork. In reality, the Snorunt model is probably only a few centimetres tall, and the waterfall in the background is probably only a tiny waterfall in a backyard water feature. The ‘rocks’ are probably only small pebbles. However, the positioning and foregrounding of the shot make it seem as though the waterfall in the background is several meters high, and that the rocks and the Snorunt are much larger. The shot really brings the Snorunt model to life, and it is hard to believe it is only an inanimate piece of clay.

2. Sewaddle (Legendary Treasures)

Sewaddle (Legendary Treasures)

At number 2, we have Sewaddle from Legendary Treasures. This card is perhaps a subtle homage to the Caterpie that Morii created over 10 years earlier in Neo Discovery.

Once again, Morii has made a fantastic use of a real-world environment to bring her clay model to life. The Sewaddle looks so at home amongst the leaves and flowers that it almost blends into the background. At first glance, some viewers might not even see the Pokémon! This card really encapsulates what makes Morii’s artwork so special within the Pokémon TCG. Sewaddle is probably never going to be the chase card from any set (sadly). However, this common Sewaddle card creates a small moment of surprise and delight, and reminds us that sometimes the little things are worth appreciating too.

1. Trapinch (EX Dragon)

Trapinch (EX Dragon)

In first place we have Trapinch from EX Dragon. Everything about this card is sheer perfection.

Firstly, the bright pink/orange clay used for the Trapinch works perfectly to highlight the Trapinch against the orange sand and brown card. Morii once again demonstrates her skill for drawing our focus to the Pokémon.

Secondly, Morii has once again made excellent use of lighting. The lighting is similar to the cards from Pokémon VS shown above, with a striking level of contrast between the darkness in the background and the Pokémon illuminated in the foreground. This lighting creates an extremely captivating sense of atmosphere. The subtle detail of the column of sand next to the Trapinch also draws us into the environment.

Stumped

However, the pose and positioning of the Trapinch is what really makes this card so intriguing and memorable. Morii has positioned the Trapinch so convincingly that it looks completely at home in its underground environment. Additionally, the pose of the Trapinch really tells a story. The way the Trapinch is sitting implies that the Trapinch has stopped digging to think about something. But what could the Trapinch possibly be thinking about? Is it stuck or lost? Or is it fed up with the fact that its only move is ‘Dig’ and it cannot fly yet? Or is it thinking about something else entirely? Whatever it is thinking about, the Trapinch really looks stumped, and it clearly has a lot on its mind.

Overall, this card takes top spot because it demonstrates Morii’s ability to capture our imagination with even the most basic of Pokémon. For all of the flashy EX and secret rare cards in EX Dragon, this simple Trapinch card is one of the most captivating and intriguing cards in the entire set. The card draws us into the world of Trapinch, and inspires us to think about the struggles of this basic little Pokémon.

The modern era takes us from the start of the Sun & Moon generation (2016) to the present generation (Scarlet & Violet).

In the modern era, Morii has further refined her style. Some of her clay models in the modern era are so flawless and immaculate that at first glance they almost look like 3D renders. However, the Morii is still employing the same method, and everything is 100% real. It also does not hurt that Morii seems to have once again upgraded her camera, with all her shots now in stunning high-definition.

Top Three Cards (Modern Work)

Now, the modern era of the Pokémon TCG brought us one of the most important developments in the style of cards since the inception of the TCG: full-art cards. As the name suggests, full-art cards are cards in which the artwork takes up the full card (as opposed to being limited to the small box).

To date, Morii has produced three stunning full-art cards. These cards really demonstrate the full potential of Morii’s skill and creativity. They also have the added bonus of having enough space to fit more than one Pokémon!

In the author’s opinion, these three full-art cards represent Morii’s best work from the modern era. Here are Morii’s three full-art cards, in order of preference.

3. Drapion V (Crown Zenith)

Drapion V (Crown Zenith)

In third place we have Drapion V from Crown Zenith. In this card Morii demonstrates that she can make any Pokemon cute and endearing – even cold-blooded scorpions!

Morii’s positioning of the Pokémon is particularly effective in this card. It really looks as though the Drapion is keeping a watchful eye on its Skorupi as they play in the sand. The card is a great example of Morii’s ability to draw our focus to the small, insignificant moments within the Pokémon world.

The card is also an excellent example of Morii’s skill with clay. Drapion is about as difficult it gets in terms of making a clay model, with its sharp features and long limbs. However, Morii pulls it off effortlessly, and once again creates a virtuosic and life-like work.

2. Venusaur & Snivy GX (SM Black Star Promo)

Venusar & Snivy GX (SM Black Star Promo)

In second place we have Venusaur & Snivy GX. This card was released in Remix Bout on the Japanese side of the TCG, and was released as a Sun & Moon Black Star Promo on the English side.

This is one of the very few cards by Morii to depict a powerful Pokémon. The card demonstrates that Morii clearly has the ability to create more powerful and epic compositions, when the occasion calls. Morii’s set design in this card is particularly compelling, with the leaves and vines intertwining with her clay models. The blurry leaves in the foreground and the mossy undergrowth make the card completely immersive. Once again, Morii somehow makes her models look like living and breathing creatures, rather than stiff and rigid models. The dynamic angle of the photo also draws us into the world on the forest floor.

Overall, Morii makes Venusaur and Snivy look like an extremely formidable team, and it is undoubtedly one of the best alternate art cards from the Sun & Moon era. It would be great if the Pokémon Company were to use Morii as the artist for more chase cards in the future. After all, who wouldn’t want to see a Shiny Rayquaza or a fearsome Charizard made out of clay?

3. Aipom (Paradox Rift)

Aipom (Paradox Rift)

In first place we have Aipom from Paradox Rift. This is the first and only Art Rare card that Morii has created, since the concept of Art Rare cards was introduced in VSTAR Universe in December 2022.

This card once again demonstrates Morii’s ability to make full use of the extra space afforded by full-art cards. And once again, the card demonstrates Morii’s high level of technical skill with clay modelling and set design.

However, what makes this card so compelling is not just the technical skill required to make the artwork, but rather Morii’s ability to draw us in and immerse us within the Pokémon world.

The card really makes us feel as though we are deep inside the Pokemon equivalent of the Amazon rainforest. The layers of ferns and distant waterfall in the background create a real sense of depth. Additionally, the dark shadows at the bottom of the card contrast perfectly with the brighter lighting at the top of the card. This contrast in lighting creates atmosphere and gives the impression of sunlight filtering through a canopy of trees high above.

Oh to be an Aipom in a Rainforest

The deep greens of the ferns also make the perfect backdrop for the bright purple and yellow colours of the Aipom. Once again, Morii really manages to make her Pokémon pop out of the card and instantly draw our attention. Morii has also positioned the Aipom in an incredibly natural and lifelike way. The Nanab Berries in the Aipom’s tail are a nice finishing touch for the artwork.

Overall, the Aipom Art Rare is another great example of Morii’s ability to immerse us in the small and insignificant moments within the Pokémon world. The card does not depict a big battle between powerful Pokémon, or a rare legendary Pokemon. Instead, the card simply depicts two small Aipom playing in a rainforest. There is nothing rare or legendary or exceptional about the moment Morii has captured. It is just a small and playful moment, and nothing more. However, Morii manages to capture the magic of this small moment. After all, does life have to be all about the big things?

Yuka Morii is one of the longest running artists within the Pokémon TCG. Her work celebrates the little things – the small Pokémon and the small moments – that are really just as important as the big things.

We will hopefully see many more of Morii’s adorable clay Pokémon in the future. It is always exciting to see which small little Pokémon will get the clay treatment next. Which clay Pokémon would you like to see next?