All illustrators
Kyoko Umemoto — signature work
KU Cryogonal · Black Bolt · 2025
Illustrator 2002 – 2025

Kyoko Umemoto

Kyoko Umemoto has illustrated Pokémon TCG cards from 2002 to 2025, spanning eras from E-Card to Sword & Shield. The work leans cartoonish and playful, with balanced, clear compositions and vibrant-to-pastel color palettes that keep scenes lighthearted and readable.

View external profile View all 177 cards
Main period
2002 – 2025
Cards illustrated
177
Most represented era
EX
Most valuable card
$315.31
Gengar · 2003
§ I

About the artist

Kyoko Umemoto is credited on Pokémon TCG illustrations from 2002 through 2025, with work appearing across E-Card releases such as Expedition Base Set and Aquapolis, and later sets including Ultra Prism. Across more than 170 cards, the catalog shows steady continuity in approach while moving through multiple series.

The art direction is predominantly cartoonish and playful, built on balanced, simple layouts that keep the subject immediately legible. Many images favor character-focused staging and clear silhouettes, with occasional dynamic framing to add energy without crowding the scene. Color is a defining tool: vibrant palettes are common, often tempered by pastel passages or warm, harmonious contrasts that support a lighthearted mood. A representative example is Thievul, where the composition stays focused and clean while the color treatment keeps the tone cheerful and brisk. Among the most sought-after cards illustrated by Kyoko Umemoto is Gengar.

§ II

Best cards by Kyoko Umemoto

Curated reading of the corpus — composition, atmosphere, and lasting standing.

View all 177 cards →
Cryogonal

Black Bolt

Cryogonal 2025
Zweilous

White Flare

Zweilous 2025
Thievul

Evolving Skies

Thievul 2021
Togetic

Obsidian Flames

Togetic 2023
Heliolisk

Cosmic Eclipse

Heliolisk 2019
Slurpuff

Cosmic Eclipse

Slurpuff 2019
§ III

Signature Pokémon

Creatures most associated with Kyoko Umemoto’s body of work.

All Pokémon →
§ IV

Defining sets

The sets where Kyoko Umemoto’s work appears most often.

All sets →
§ V

Visual affinities

Recurring elemental and thematic threads across the work.

  1. Grass
    36
  2. Water
    27
  3. Psychic
    25
  4. Colorless
    23
  5. Fighting
    19
§ VI

Iconic cards

Cards that travel beyond the archive — defining works, frequently cited.

Gengar

Gengar

Skyridge 2003
Flareon

Flareon

Skyridge 2003
Squirtle

Squirtle

Expedition Base Set 2002
Espeon

Espeon

Aquapolis 2003
§ VII

The full archive

12 of 177 cards · every credit, every era.

Cryogonal

Black Bolt

Cryogonal 2025
Zweilous

White Flare

Zweilous 2025
Barraskewda

Destined Rivals

Barraskewda 2025
Larvesta

Journey Together

Larvesta 2025
Cottonee

Temporal Forces

Cottonee 2024
Drifloon

Paldean Fates

Drifloon 2024
Flittle

Paldean Fates

Flittle 2024
Wugtrio

Paldean Fates

Wugtrio 2024
Durant

Paradox Rift

Durant 2023
Togetic

Obsidian Flames

Togetic 2023
Tarountula

Paldea Evolved

Tarountula 2023
Gloom

Crown Zenith

Gloom 2023