An artistically inclined Pokemon fan has shared their tattoo portfolio, which was thousands of hours in the making. Pokemon tattoos are a common occurrence, be they subtle gym badges or a back piece of Gyarados. Some fans prefer basic lineart, whereas others will go all-out for majestic and colorful sleeves of their dream Pokemon team or an evolution chain.

Following the announcement that the Pokemon anime would be shifting focus from Ash Ketchum, many tattoo artists saw an opportunity to run flash sales and charity events to tattoo all 151 of Pokemon's first generation creatures. These Pokemon were all originally discovered in the Kanto region and exclude any special variations or evolutions beyond Gen 1. Even celebrities have expressed their love for the franchise, including Ariana Grande's tattoo of Eevee on her inner arm and Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios's massive back tattoo featuring several iconic Pokemon characters.

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On the Pokemon subreddit, one user shared their portfolio of Pokemon tattoos. On the first page, there are many of the early-gen starter Pokemon, even the ones that fans deem the worst. Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Totodile, Cyndaquil, Torchic, Snivey, and even a Pikachu dressed as Link from The Legend of Zelda are all featured. On the second slide, there are more advanced portraits of legendary and evolved Pokemon, such as Charizard, Shiny Gyarados, Black Rayquaza, and Milotic. Further slides show off artwork featuring the Eeveelutions, the most notable Ghost-type Pokemon, and even Growlithe, Arcanine, and Vulpix, among others. The artist mentions how these vibrant tattoos, which are bursting with eye-popping color, must have taken approximately thousands of hours collectively.

Artistic Pokemon Fan Creates Stunning Tattoo Portfolio

As of 2024, there are over a thousand different Pokemon, so the community's body art is always unique. Due to the sheer number of Pokemon in the Pokedex, it isn't uncommon for the Pokemon roster to be a theme for flash tattoos. Flash tattoos are designs that are typically drawn by the artist and ready to be tattooed immediately. Flash tattoos are non-exchangeable in most cases and the general rule of thumb is that flash tattoos are tattooed as you see them. It has become common practice for artists to put flash tattoos in toy capsule vending machines so that customers get the luck of the draw. It shouldn't be surprising to learn that Pokemon, or more specifically, Pikachu, happens to be the most popular choice for tattoos of video game characters.

Out of all the Pokemon, there seems to be a recurring number of Fire-type and Water-type Pokemon that get a permanent place on the bodies of dedicated fans. Usually, these are the starter Pokemon from early generations, but not always. Another popular choice, as expected, seems to be one of Eevee's many elemental forms.

Pokemon

Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.

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Satoshi Tajiri