Kouki Saitou

About

Kouki Saitou is a freelance illustrator whose Pokémon TCG debut came in 2002's Aquapolis expansion — his first three Pokémon being Rapidash, Octillery and Miltank, with Miltank in particular drawing strong fan reception. Beyond cards he has worked on Pokémon Center merchandise, manga adaptations and mascot designs for other companies. His style leans toward clean linework and a classic Pokémon aesthetic; one of his most-loved series is the Poncho-wearing Pikachu line, which began when he tossed in an unscripted "roaring" Pikachu sketch as a personal extra alongside the original brief. He has now illustrated nearly 700 cards across two decades of expansions.