Collector Favorites: Paras Art From This Pokémon TCG Illustrator

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Paras card art from SV03.5 set by Yoriyuki Ikegami

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Paras by Yoriyuki Ikegami: A Collector’s Favorite from the 151 Era

Across the Pokémon TCG's long history, some cards endure because their art tells a story as vividly as their stats on the card. Paras, a small Grass-type Pokémon with a simple lineup, is a favorite among collectors who prize the energy of a single illustrator’s hand on a formative print. This release, sv03.5 from the 151 set, captures Paras in a moment of quiet charm: a basic, dependable pocket ally whose artwork by Yoriyuki Ikegami invites you to lean in and almost hear the rustle of leaves as it clings to a mushroom cap. With a modest HP of 70 and two practical attacks, Stampede and Spore Ball, Paras remains a gateway card for new players while offering a tasteful collectible for grown fans who savor the art and history behind each print. ⚡🔥

The Artist’s Hand: Ikegami’s Gentle, Lively Style

Yoriyuki Ikegami’s approach to Paras places the Pokémon at a comfortable center of gravity: a compact body, big eyes, and a mushroom cap that feels almost like a hat rather than a burden. The palette emphasizes fresh greens with delicate shading that hints at a forest’s undergrowth. This aesthetic invites collectors to imagine Paras not as a mere numeric asset, but as a character with personality — the tiny explorer who’s always ready to surprise you with a Spore Ball before you know what happened. For fans of the 151 era, Ikegami’s linework resonates with nostalgia while still feeling current. The art is not flashy in the sense of high-gloss holo finishes, but it offers a quiet confidence that a card’s charm can be measured in the smile it evokes when peering at the card in hand. 🎨🎴

Gameplay Snapshot: How Paras Plays and Pays Off in a Deck

  • Type and stage: Grass-type, Basic — a true entry point for many Grass decks that want early bench pressure and status effects.
  • HP: 70 — enough to survive a couple of early trades in casual formats, but mindful of quick takedowns in more aggressive builds.
  • Attacks:
    • Stampede (Grass) — 10 damage. A straightforward opener that helps pace a game and set up favorable board states with minimal energy.
    • Spore Ball (Grass, Colorless) — 20 damage. The sleep effect can be clutch, forcing your opponent’s Active Pokémon to fall asleep and buying Paras a turn or two to retreat or evolve later in the game.
  • Retreat: 2 — a modest cost that pairs nicely with a few Grass energy lines and helps recycle Paras into a Parasect-themed plan.
  • Rarity and set context: Common in the sv03.5 release, part of the 151 subset that marked a celebration of the original 151 Pokémon with a modern printing approach.
  • Illustrator: Yoriyuki Ikegami — a name collectors recognize for delivering cards that feel alive, even when the actions are humble.

From a collector’s perspective, Paras offers an appealing anchor for binder spreads that celebrate art-first prints. The card’s variant options in sv03.5 include normal and reverse versions, both non-holo in this particular print line, which aligns with the era’s aesthetic of crisp line art and clean backgrounds. The card’s regulation mark “G” ensures it’s legal in standard and expanded formats for most contemporary playgroups, making it a practical pick for early deck builders who also want a tangible piece of the 151 history on their shelf. 🧭

Market Insight: Collectibility, Rarity, and Value Trajectories

Even as a Common card, Paras from the sv03.5 print holds a special place in many collections. CardMarket data compiled for this card shows modest but steady activity: the average price hovers around €0.04 with a low near €0.02, reflecting its role as an accessible staple rather than a chase rarity. In other listings and marketplaces, the same lineage can fetch higher prices when special finishes or foreign language variants appear, but the core non-holo Paras remains a budget-friendly keystone for new collectors building a 151-era binder. The small, gentle price movement — a trend around +0.04 in recent windows — mirrors the card’s enduring charm rather than speculative hype. Investors and players alike recognize that artistic value often translates into long-term affection and display-worthy appeal more reliably than short-term spikes. 💎

For those curious about how card art influences perceived value, Paras demonstrates a key principle: a strong illustrator’s signature can elevate a seemingly simple card. Ikegami’s Paras captures a moment of whimsy that resists being forgotten, and the character’s evolution into Parasect across the broader Pokémon mythos is a natural storytelling thread that many collectors love to trace. While the Paras in this SV03.5 print is stable in price, the lore and the art carry an emotional value that can make it a favorite on shelves, even when the numeric market data remain modest. 🎴

As with any vintage or reprint-era card, condition and completeness matter. A pristine example with sharp borders, intact corners, and a perfectly centered image becomes a prized piece for display and binder completeness. For fans who blend gameplay with art appreciation, Paras offers a compact package: a dependable grassy nuisance with a peaceful, endearing illustration that smiles at you from the binder. In a world of high-gloss holo staples, Ikegami’s Paras stands out as a reminder that storytelling, not just statistics, drives the joy of collecting. ⚡

Looking ahead, collectors who chase artist-specific runs or who curate a "favorite illustrators" section in their binders may find Paras a meaningful touchstone. Its accessible price point makes it a comfortable entry into the world of Pokémon art appreciation, while its ties to the 151 era conjure a fond era of card design that many fans still celebrate today. This is the kind of card that earns its keep not by the thrill of a whoosh of market waves, but by the quiet, enduring smile it brings when you open a binder and glimpse a familiar woodland creature wearing a mushroom hat. 🎨

Phone Case with Card Holder Clear Polycarbonate

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