Pokémon TCG Pocket: 10 Space-Time Smackdown Secret Rares With The Best Art

Pokémon TCG Pocket just released its second full set, and with it comes a ton of new great artwork. It’s always exciting to see what direction Pokémon TCG Pocket takes in its art, and its variety of styles and treatments keep it fresh. Every pack opened is another chance to see some of the coolest depictions of Pokémon.

Pokémon TCG Pocket has some nostalgic art reminiscent of Pokémon TCG’s early days, and also a lot of fresh new art that shows how many styles have been adopted by the game over the years. TCG Pocket’s latest Space-Time Smackdown set has a ton of great art across the board, but it’s hard to deny the Secret Rare cards stick out with their borderless style that gives artists more room to create scenes.

10 Lickilicky Ex Is A Sneaky Snack Thief

Lickilicky's Art Shows Off Its Personality

Some of the best art in Pokémon TCG Pocket doesn’t just look good but also tells a story about the Pokémon in it. The two-star version of Lickilicky ex by Jerky is a great example of this, as the extended art shows off its abilities and personality. Lickilicky shamelessly stealing snacks from the back of a truck is a funny gag and also gets at its single-minded nature.

Another great aspect of this art is the perspective. The framing does a good job conveying the height of the building Lickilicky is standing on, and just how far its tongue is stretched out to grab food. The more cartoony style of the piece is also very fitting for its more comedic depiction of the Pokémon. Overall, this version of Licklylicky ex stands out as one of the best examples of art in the set because it is so much fun.

9 Lucario Teams Up With Other Fighting Masters

Lucario Appears Alongside Other Fighting Pokémon

The one-star version of Lucario, illustrated by Akira Komayama, has great art for several reasons. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the card looks great. Lucario’s bright blue helps it stand out from the orange background and the other Pokémon in the picture. The style also looks very close to the Pokémon anime, but it avoids the impression that someone took a screenshot of the show. The smoke effects also give the piece a nice feeling of movement that it might not otherwise have.

Additionally, Lucario’s one-star art is perfect because it’s representative of what the card does. This card gives a buff to all Fighting-type Pokémon as long as it's in play, meaning it will work well with the other Pokémon depicted in the art. It’s always great when the art on a card also hints at what it does, so it’s easier to remember without always having to read it.

8 Darkrai Ex Sets The Perfect Scene

Darkrai Is Shown Giving A Child A Nightmare

Darkrai ex’s two-star version illustrated by Oswaldo KATO perfectly captures how scary Darkrai can be. The creative use of Darkrai’s shadow, looming over the sleeping child, shows how the Pokémon can influence people’s dreams and force them to have a nightmare. Darkrai itself hovering creepily outside of what appears to be a second-story or higher window evokes classic horror moments from movies like Salem’s Lot. Aside from being perfectly constructed, the scene also includes a lot of great little details.

The sleeping child’s room feels lived in thanks to the various Pokémon plush and the pictures on the wall. Poké Ball wallpaper also feels appropriate for a little kid’s bedroom. The sleeping child’s expression is subtle and helps convey that they are having a bad dream but without making it too exaggerated. The scene is almost more disconcerting because of this more subtle approach to the character design.

7 Bidoofs Building A Damn Is Just Too Cute

The Card Shows Bidoof Building A Dam Like Beavers

Bidoof is a fan-favorite Pokémon, so it isn’t too surprising to see it given a special art treatment in Pokémon TCG Pocket. The one-star version of Bidoof illustrated by Shinya Komatsu is a fun look at what wild Bidoofs get up to. Komatsu took a similar approach with the one-star Diglett card from Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Genetic Apex set, with both cards being some of the best art in the game.

It’s a lot of fun to see what Pokémon get up to in the wild. It’s a nice reminder that they aren’t just tools for battle, but a part of the natural world in the universe of the Pokémon games. Seeing a bunch of Bidoofs all working together to build a dam is just very cute, and the piece does a good job showing the entire process with different Bidoofs at different stages of the job.

6 Regigigas Appropriately Looks Like A Legend

Regigigas Is Depicted In What Looks Like An Ancient Painting

Testsu Kayama’s art for the one-star version of Regigigas is very fitting for a Legendary Pokémon. Instead of depicting a scene, the art looks more like what one might expect to see on a tapestry or wall painting depicting mythological figures. Not only is this a cool way to depict a Legendary Pokémon, but it also allows the piece to include the other Legendary giants without them feeling out of place.

The art also has an interesting stony texture to it as though it were drawn on a rock face. This again gives the impression that the card’s art is a historical depiction of the Legendary giants. Though Regigigas is sharing the stage with three other Pokémon, it is still very clear in the art which Pokémon this card is for. That means it still functions well as representative art for the game piece while also including other fun elements.

5 Spiritomb Gets Creative With The Style Of The Pokémon Games

Spiritomb's Art Takes Inspiration From Diamond And Pearl

Artist Shinji Kanda took a very creative approach with the art for Spiritomb’s one-star version. The art is styled to look similar to the art from the original Pokémon Diamond and Pearl but with more detail and shading. The landscape is very reminiscent of an area one might find in the game as well, but from a perspective that players wouldn’t normally get, allowing for the sunset to be seen over the tree line. And that’s not even mentioning Spiritomb itself.

Here, Spiritomb is bursting from its jar, leaving a trail of jagged energy behind it. Its outline isn’t as neat as it usually looks, better capturing its ethereal nature. This version of Spiritomb looks terrifying in the exact right way and is one of the most intimidating depictions of it. Spiritomb is the type of Pokémon that is begging for this type of creative depiction, and Shinji Kanda definitely delivered.

4 Sleepy Garchomp Is An Unexpected Treat

Garchomp Is Shown Sleeping On A Library Couch

If there’s one word that players likely wouldn’t expect to hear describe a Garchomp card is cozy, but that’s exactly what MINAMINAMI Take’s art for the one-star Garchomp is. Garchomp looks so comfy curled up on the couch, and there is a cute detail of its claws cutting into the couch where stuffing can be seen pouring out. Any cat owners likely recognize the mixed feeling of frustration at their destroyed property, but an inability to stay mad at such a cute creature.

Although a lot of Pokémon could look cute in the same scene, it makes this piece even better that it’s a big intimidating Pokémon like Garchomp. It makes it slightly unexpected and helps show the Pokémon in a new light. There is also a lot of great detail put into the library's back and foreground for the scene, making the space feel very real even while still keeping the style a little more minimalist.

3 Infernape Ex Is Channeling Its Inner Wukong

Infernape Ex Rides A Cloud Like Its Inspiration

Infernape is one of many monkey characters whose design was likely somewhat inspired by Sun Wukong from Journey to the West. Artist nagimiso makes this reference even more explicit in the art for the two-star version of Infernape ex. In the card, Infernape ex is seen riding a cloud, similar to Sun Wukong, but this one looks more like a cloud of ash surrounded by fire to reference the Pokémon’s elemental type.

Aside from these cool details and references, the image just does a great job of capturing the action happening on the card. The fire and flying rocks do a good job of showing just how quickly Infernape ex is moving and its tense look and pose make it look ready for battle. Infernape ex looking ready for action is fitting for how hard this card can hit in the game’s early turns.

2 Rotom Shows Off Its Many Functions

Rotom's Card Shows Its Different Forms

Rotom and its many different forms were some of the most fun inclusions in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl’s Sinnoh region. It’s fun seeing all the appliances that Rotom can inhabit, and it makes for some interesting type combinations as well. Shimaris Yukichi seemingly understands the appeal of Rotom and its different forms because the artwork for the one-star Rotom includes most of them.

Seeing a tiny building with its many appliances all inhabited by Rotom is a fun way to show off the Pokémon’s versatility. Several of the Rotom also look like they are waving at the viewer, giving the impression that this was a cute little postcard they all took together. The basic Rotom still has a place of prominence in the frame, so there is no confusion over which Pokémon this card is for.

1 Dialga Ex’s Immersive Art Is Perfect For Its Lore

Dialga Ex Immersive Art Shows A Time-Lapse Of the World Around It

Dialga ex is one of only two cards that got Pokémon TCG Pocket’s immersive art treatment in the new set. Credited to N-DESIGN Inc., the immersive three-star card shows Dialga standing on a ledge overlooking a large sea. However, clicking on the card shows a scene of Dialga standing still in the same place as the world’s landscape warps around it, the sky constantly changing to show the passage of time. This isn’t only an awesome effect, but it is also perfectly in line with Dialga’s role in Pokémon.

Dialga is part of what’s called the Creation Trio, three legendary Pokémon that control different aspects of reality. Dialga controls time, which makes the time-lapse in Dialga ex’s immersive art a perfect representation of its powers. Pokémon TCG Pocket’s immersive art treatments always stand out, especially since they are unique to this platform.