1998 Pokemon Japanese Promo Holo Illustrator Pikachu PSA 8.5 NM-MT+

That famous artwork. The double star rarity. A history matched by few, if any, Pokémon cards in the storied TCG's near-30 years of existence. The Illustrator Pikachu has maintained a spot in the all-time greatest Pokémon printings for years and will continue to do so as long as collectors continue their quest to catch 'em all. Atsuko Nishida, who designed Pikachu for the original Game Boy video games, created the art for the Illustrator Pikachu, which depicts the beloved electric type gleefully illustrating Charmander and Mew. The issue was first awarded to first- and second-place winners of a CoroCoro Comics drawing contest in January 1998. The publication initially gave out 23 copies of the card. Later contests saw participants design their own Pokémon cards. Another 16 copies were awarded to those winners based on the drawings themselves and the powers of the made-up characters, bringing the total of officially distributed examples to 39. Any example of the Illustrator Pikachu is extremely sought after regardless of condition. But a PSA 8.5 holder adds an extra layer of appeal to this issue. This opportunity to own such a well-preserved piece of Pokémon history doesn't come around often, ensuring this Illustrator will draw plenty of interest from collectors around the world. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 09/03/2024.