Collector Favorites: This Artist's Pokémon TCG Card Art

Recall card art by Sumiyoshi Kizuki from Gym Heroes (Gym 1-116)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Collector Favorites: A Studio-Wide Look at Sumiyoshi Kizuki’s Gym Heroes Card Art

When fans talk about standout Pokémon TCG art, the name Sumiyoshi Kizuki recurs with a nostalgic spark. This artist’s work for the Gym Heroes era captures a transitional moment in the Pokémon card game—where the gym motif, bold color blocks, and character-driven moments collided to create cards that felt both playable and collectible. Among Kizuki’s many contributions, the trainer card Recall from Gym Heroes stands out as a portal to the era’s design philosophy: a blend of practical function and memorable storytelling. ⚡🔥

Meet the Artist: Sumiyoshi Kizuki

Kizuki’s illustrations are characterized by crisp line work, dynamic expressions, and a certain architectural clarity that suits the gym-themed sets of the late 1990s. In Gym Heroes, his art often foregrounds characters and situations with a confident, almost storyboard-like composition. Recall, cataloged as gym1-116, showcases that approach in a compact, memorable moment—a trainer card whose visual appeal is as much about the scene as it is about its utility in gameplay. For collectors, this balance between artistry and function is gold: you can study the face you see on the card and instantly feel the gym backstory behind it. The holo variants from the era bring an extra sparkle to the piece, inviting viewers to inspect the tiny details that make Kizuki’s work sing on a glossy surface. 🎨🎴

Recall: A Gym Heroes Uncommon Trainer

Card type: Trainer
Set: Gym Heroes (gym1)
Rarity: Uncommon
Illustrator: Sumiyoshi Kizuki
Variants: Normal, Reverse, and Holo
Card number in set: 116 of 132
Artwork note: The image from gym1-116 captures a moment of recollection—a thematic flourish that aligns with the card’s name and the gym’s memory-forward vibe.

As a Trainer card, Recall sits outside the direct attack-and-HP calculus of Pokémon, but it anchors the deck-building puzzle for Gym Heroes players. Trainer cards in this era were designed to smooth out the game’s tempo—drawing, searching, switching, and manipulating the discard or deck order—while embedding a bit of story into every fetch. Recall embodies that spirit: a pointer to memory, a nudge toward consistency, and a reminder that the gym’s strategic rhythm often hinges on the precise timing of a single card draw or search. In terms of value, the card’s Uncommon status keeps it accessible for casual collectors, yet the holo variants and the iconic Sumiyoshi Kizuki art push it into the comfortable esteem of dedicated completists. 💎

Art, Theme, and the Collector’s Eye

The Gym Heroes line is beloved for its gym-themed flavor, where each card feels like a doorway into a particular gym’s environment and the characters who inhabit it. Recall highlights Kizuki’s ability to tell a micro-story within a single frame—the way a trainer might pause mid-instruction, or a quiet look that hints at a gym’s internal competition. The palette tends to be bold and approachable, with clear silhouettes that print crisply on card stock. For modern collectors, the exercise is double: savor the artistry, and appreciate how that artistry informed early strategy. A holo version is not just a prettier version of the card; it’s a pointer to scarcity and a touchstone for price memory—how a card’s shine correlates with nostalgia and demand. ⚡🎴

Market Trends: Value, Rarity, and Print Variants

Pricing for Recall reflects a blend of rarity and 1990s charm. CardMarket data shows an average price of about €5.71 for the card, with a low around €2.50 and a healthy upward trajectory trend near 4.54 in recent assessments. This indicates solid collector interest, driven by both the Uncommon status and the holo presence. On TCGplayer, the scene is a touch more dynamic: for Unlimited (non-first-edition) copies, low prices hover around $4.50, mid around $5.50, and highs can approach $30 for standout copies. First-edition examples—even rarer in today’s market—can fetch higher luxury-value ranges, though exact numbers swing with condition and holo variant availability. For players who pursue nostalgia decks, Recall remains a value proposition—affordable to acquire, but with the aura of a cherished era. Investors and collectors alike appreciate that Gym Heroes is a complete, finished look at how the TCG evolved, and Recall is a bright, tangible piece of that evolution. 🔎💎

Artwork as Lore: Putting It in Context with Other Reads

Beyond the card itself, the broader conversation around gym-themed art—like the exploration of alternate-frame versions, NPC styling in Paldea, or the cultural symbolism in card humor—enriches the collector’s experience. The linked essays in our network dive into how artists convey character through frame choices, how game worlds interact with storytelling, and how card design mirrors the communities that cherish them. In interviews and retrospectives, Sumiyoshi Kizuki’s contributions are repeatedly cited for their clean silhouettes and moment-of-decision tension—a quality that elevates a simple memory line into a lasting moment of fan connection. For readers who crave deeper context, these five essays explore the interplay of art, structure, and lore across the hobby. ⚡🎨

Putting It All Together: Why This Card Endures for Collectors

Recall embodies a perfect storm of factors that resonate with collectors: a memorable artist, a distinctive gym-set vibe, and a practical role within the trainer archetype. Its Uncommon rarity keeps it approachable for a broad audience, while holo variants reward the patient seeker who loves glint and shine under display lighting. The card’s place in Gym Heroes, a cornerstone set from the early era of Pokemon TCG, anchors it in nostalgic value—and that’s something you can’t easily quantify, but you can feel when you hold a card and imagine a first-edition glow or a tournament hall’s chatter from decades past. For fans who enjoy both the game and its art, Recall is a reminder that the gym's memory is as valuable as any battle won. ⚡💎

Product spotlight: If you’re looking to treat your desk or gaming space to something that captures the era’s energy while supporting your modern setup, consider the Neon Gaming Mouse Pad (9x7 Neoprene). It’s a playful nod to the same neon vitality that makes Gym Heroes feel alive, even as you reminisce about recalls from a gym full of memorable trainers.

Neon Gaming Mouse Pad (9x7 Neoprene)