The Pokémon-EX era of the Trading Card Game was defined by power, both in gameplay and in art. Cards from this era, first introduced in the Next Destinies expansion, featured dynamic illustrations where the Pokémon literally broke through the card’s borders. One of the most iconic images from that time is the promotional art for Mewtwo-EX, showing the Genetic Pokémon unleashing immense power within a crackling sphere of energy, set against a collapsing city.
Inspired by that legendary “Return of a Legend” banner, I wanted to capture that raw power for a series of custom cards. The goal wasn’t just to copy the original, but to deconstruct its core elements and rebuild them into several unique variations.
My process began by isolating the key components: Mewtwo’s powerful silhouette and the sphere of psychic energy, which I’ve dubbed the “Psycho Drive.”
