Atsuko Nishida facts for kids

Atsuko Nishida (西田 敦子, Nishida Atsuko) is a talented Japanese graphic artist. She used to work at companies like Game Freak and TOYBOX Inc. She is famous for creating many creatures for the Pokémon world. This includes Pikachu, who is one of the most popular Pokémon and the main character of the franchise!

Designing Pokémon: From Ideas to Icons

Atsuko Nishida played a big part in bringing many beloved Pokémon to life. Her creative ideas helped shape the look of these digital creatures.

How Pikachu Was Born

While working at Game Freak, Atsuko Nishida collaborated with Ken Sugimori. He was the art director for the Pokémon games. At first, many of Sugimori's Pokémon designs looked a bit scary. But they also wanted some cute characters in the game.

This is where Pikachu came in! Pikachu's first design was inspired by a daifuku. This is a soft, round Japanese sweet treat. Later, Nishida changed the design to look more like a squirrel. She said she was really interested in squirrels at that time. Squirrels also inspired Pikachu's electric cheeks. This is because squirrels often store food in their cheeks.

Eventually, Satoshi Tajiri, one of the Pokémon creators, decided Pikachu should be a mouse. The original plan for Pikachu included two evolutions. These were Raichu and a third form that was later removed.

Other Famous Pokémon Designs

Atsuko Nishida also designed other well-known Pokémon. These include the starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. She also created some of the "Eeveelutions." These are the different forms that Eevee can evolve into. Examples include Glaceon and Sylveon.

Pokémon Trading Card Art

Beyond the video games, Nishida also drew many cards for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. One of her most famous works is the Pikachu Illustrator card. In 2019, one of these cards sold for an amazing $195,000! This made it the most expensive Pokémon trading card ever sold at auction. It even broke the previous record from 2016, which was also for a card designed by Nishida. That card sold for $54,970.

Other Creative Work

Besides her work on Pokémon, Atsuko Nishida also worked for TOYBOX Inc. This is a Japanese game development studio. She contributed to Hometown Story, a game released for the Nintendo 3DS.

About Atsuko Nishida

Atsuko Nishida is a very private person. She likes to keep her personal life out of the spotlight. In a 2018 interview, she even stayed hidden behind a giant Pikachu plush doll!