Pupitar Card Art Earns Collector Favorites Across Sets

Pupitar card art from Mysterious Treasures (dp2-59)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Pupitar: Collector-Favorite Details from the Mysterious Treasures Era

In the sprawling story of the Larvitar line, Pupitar often shines as a transitional chapter—an armored stop between early-stage grit and the raw power of its evolution. The dp2-59 Pupitar from the Mysterious Treasures set captures that moment with a crisp, tactile quality that collectors crave. Illustrated by Midori Harada, this Stage 1 Fighting-type card brings a thoughtful balance of gameplay and display value that resonates across printings and holographic variants ⚡. Its art leans into the rocky, cocooned moment of Pupitar’s metamorphosis, inviting fans to pause and imagine the cave-sculpted world where these Pokémon train and grow.

Art and Artist: Midori Harada’s Quiet Strength

Midori Harada’s work on Pupitar blends clean lines with a restrained color palette that emphasizes texture and depth. The result is a piece that looks equally at home in a binder sleeve as it does on a display shelf. Harada’s approach to Pupitar, with emphasis on the shell’s contours and the creature’s tension as it covertly readies for the next evolution, creates a piece that feels both dynamic and timeless. Collectors often prize such artistry not just for rarity, but for the story it tells—this Pupitar seems to be listening to the cave’s echo, waiting for the moment to explode outward in Battle-ready form, 🔥💎 a moment that fans still chase decades later.

Gameplay Spotlight: Two Attacks, Two Paths

From a gameplay perspective, this Pupitar card offers a deliberate, two-pronged toolkit that rewards careful planning. At 70 HP, it sits on the lean side, but its attacks provide meaningful options. The first attack, Pressurized Gas, costs Colorless and Colorless and deals 10 damage to each of your opponent’s Pokémon. The ability to spread a little pressure across the board helps stall strategies or force the opponent into tough choices, all while not applying Weakness or Resistance to Benched Pokémon—an important nuance that keeps bench management in the flow of your turn rather than punishing it. It’s the kind of utility that feels underappreciated in big-blast metas but shines in cube-like or local-play formats where every decision counts 🌩️.

The second attack, Rocket Tackle, costs Fighting + Colorless + Colorless and deals 50 damage, but Pupitar takes 10 damage itself. The coin flip mechanic—“If heads, prevent all damage done to Pupitar by attacks during your opponent’s next turn”—adds a layer of risk management. You’re weighing the immediate nuke against self-damage and a potential defensive shield that can tilt a clutch moment in your favor. Taken together, these attacks reward players who read the table: you can pressure multiple targets with Pressurized Gas while watching for a window to weather a single heavy hit with Rocket Tackle’s potential shield. This blend of offense and conditional defense makes Pupitar a smart pick for players who enjoy nuanced, tempo-driven battles 🎴.

Collector Insights: Rarity, Variants, and Set Context

As an Uncommon Fighting-type, Pupitar dp2-59 sits in a sweet spot for collectors who chase a balance of demand and accessibility. The Mysterious Treasures set (dp2) is known for its lush expansion of silhouettes and some striking holographic options. Official counts place the set at 122 cards, with a total of 124 when considering variant prints—the dp2 lineup includes normal, reverse, and holo versions, with first edition not currently in play for this particular card. This triad of variants is a magnet for collectors who enjoy tracking finish types as well as condition, since holo cards often command premium treatment in portfolios and showcases.

The card’s positioning as a Stage 1 evolution from Larvitar ties Pupitar into a pivotal lineage that many collectors adore: it’s the hinge between the early-stage grit and the fuller evolution arc. The illustration by Midori Harada contributes a distinctive facial expression and shell texture that fans recognize across prints, creating a sense of continuity as Pupitar appears in different sets and promotions. The card’s design makes it a pleasing centerpiece for binders that celebrate the Kanto-to-Johto transition and the broader narrative of discovery and growth in the Pokémon world 🔥🎨.

Pricing Signals: Market Pulse Across Variants

Smart collectors watch the data trails, and Pupitar’s market signals offer a nuanced view. In modern databases, the CardMarket figures for dp2-59 show a gently rising curve for non-holo copies, with an average around €0.13 and occasional lows near €0.05. The holo variants fetch higher prices on average, with holo-specific averages around €0.91 and highs climbing toward €1.89 in some conditions, depending on supply and card condition. These values reflect broader collector demand for Mysterious Treasures printings and the appeal of holo finishes that catch the light just right in a display case.

On the U.S. market side, TCGPlayer data paints a similar story but with a more pronounced spread: normal (non-holo) copies typically hover around $0.34 as a market price, with low prices dipping to about $0.20 and highs reaching roughly $1.28 for nicer copies. Reverse-holo prints tend to fetch more, with market prices around $2.10 and highs approaching $3.49 for minty examples with strong centering. It’s a dual-world snapshot: the card remains budget-friendly enough for casual collectors while holo and reverse-holo variants offer a more aspirational path for those building a more cinematic Pupitar collection 📈💎.

Narrative Value: Why Pupitar Still Captures Hearts

Beyond raw numbers, Pupitar’s charm lies in its storytelling weight. It represents a phase of hardening and preparation—the moment just before explosive power, a theme that resonates with players who enjoy tactical patience as much as flashy attacks. The dp2-59 art anchors that mood in a single frame, and the two-attack dynamic provides memorable in-game decisions that stay with players long after a match ends. For collectors, that narrative resonance translates into ongoing desirability across sets, especially when the art carries Midori Harada’s distinctive touch and the chance to own a holo or reverse variant that gleams with color and history ⚡🎴.

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