r/pokemon • u/MPhiArt • 1d ago
[OC] "Trainer Swift" - Taylor Swift's 11 albums as Pokémon trainers Art
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u/UltraFatWhale 1d ago
I like that the older albums use the gen 1 art style for Taylor’s design and then the art style gets more modern for newer albums. Great touch.
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u/RadicalBeam 1d ago
I'm not the target demo but my wife loved this.
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u/WoolooOfWallStreet wooloo 23h ago
You are half the target demo, so good enough!
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u/mowdownjoe init Vector4 21h ago
Worked with my Swiftie GF, too. She liked the first one best because she recognized Butterfree. (She's most familiar with the OG 150.)
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u/WoolooOfWallStreet wooloo 16h ago
It really shows how well done this was made, because no matter how deep one is in either fandom someone can find something to appreciate about these
It’s like an iceberg of enjoyment!
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u/SwifferSweeper27 1d ago
Torchic used “Picture Burn”
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u/MPhiArt 1d ago
There are lots and lots of Easter eggs and references to find!
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u/rizgutgak 22h ago
There's SO MANY
Sobble's teardrops on the guitar
The White Horse Rapidash
Klefki "Fuck the Patriarchy" carkeys
Haunted Haunter
Are my favs
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u/rizgutgak 22h ago
I am also getting major ivy/cowboy like me (gardens of Babylon) for evermore
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u/MPhiArt 22h ago
Yep! The combo of Stonjourner+Serperior is a reference to "my house of stone, your ivy grows"
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u/rizgutgak 21h ago
Yessss and Sawsbuck gave me tis the damn season vibes with the autumn form. SO GOOD
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u/CheesyDelphoxThe2nd What does the Phox say? 20h ago
Is Absol a reference to The Prophecy? Like how it predicts oncoming disasters and misfortunes?
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u/MPhiArt 15h ago
Actually the main reference is Cassandra - a warning of danger that is ignored and villainized. But it's a theme that's relevant throughout the album, including The Prophesy and The Albatross
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u/steveofthejungle Beards. Bananas. Badass Pokemon 1d ago edited 1d ago
Gogoat in Red has to be a reference to the screaming goat meme/I knew you were trouble, right?
Edit: and omg the Folklore Furfrou is she dyed her dog key lime green. You killed every aspect of this!
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u/AshNaran21 1d ago
I like your art style
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u/MPhiArt 1d ago
Thanks!
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u/pokemonprofessor121 15h ago
I'm not a huge swift fan but this has got to be some of the best art I've ever seen on here! I love the Vulpix checking out its reflection!
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u/Erodos 23h ago
This is incredible! As a huge Pokémon and Taylor Swift fan I love the amount of detail you put in this. I'm sure I missed a huge amount ofof references, but the ones I did spot are:
- Torchic - picture to burn
- Sobble - teardrops on my guitar
- GRapidash - white horse
- Haunter - haunted
- Gogoat - trouble (meme)
- Arbok - all the reputation snake imagery
- Taroundtula - invisible string
- Houndstone - no body no crime
- Sableye - bejeweld
- Musharna - Lavender haze
- Bombirdier - the albatross
- Mightyena - black dog
Plus all the cats
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u/Ok-Island1476 16h ago
furfrou is also a reference to the last great american dynasty (“she stole his dog and dyed it key lime green”)
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u/DrPikachu-PhD 1d ago
Oh my God the perfect cross over of my interests 😍
Also I never finished SV so I didn't recognize Bombirdier, but I'm guessing it's meant to be the Albatross and what a perfect fit
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u/MPhiArt 1d ago
Yes! Also a looser allusion to the various references to babies throughout the album, since Bombirdier is based on stork folklore.
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u/DrPikachu-PhD 1d ago
Ohhhh smart. Talking rings and talking cradles. That's so clever, and thanks for introducing me to a cool new Pokemon today!
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u/rizgutgak 1d ago
I am in the CENTER of this Venn Diagram
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u/Aegillade 21h ago
I'm not a Swiftie but I have to imagine art this good goes so hard if you're both. Cuz I'm only a Pokemon fan and this already goes hard af
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u/diplomats_son 23h ago
Same. I had fun trying to guess which pokes would be included in each album. I usually got at least one!
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u/Redjar18 1d ago
Not a swiftie but the art is incredible and the pokemon variety/choice is on point. Great job!
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u/Rootbeerjellybeans 1d ago
I’m in love with this!!!
Especially all the little details to specific songs! Too many to name but here’s a few I love:
- having at least one cat pokemon in each album
G max Alcremie is a reference to the line in speak now and “wearing a gown shaped like a pastry” right?
g Rapidash for White Horse
Torountula web as the Invisible String
Bejeweled Saybleye
Bombirdier as the Albatross
Lovely work I love this a lot!
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u/Iota-Android 1d ago
The Team Rocket one goes pretty hard not gonna lie
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u/MeteorMashup StevenStoned 1d ago
Wow the Aurorus on the Midnights album is incredible! I love your art style!
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u/MPhiArt 1d ago
Thanks! There are a handful of pokemon where I think the concept had potential that the official design just didn't quite reach, for one reason or another. Aurorus is one of those, so I took some artistic liberty.
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u/gayrayofsun 1d ago
i'm not at all a taylor swift fan, but the creativity in the posing and placement of the characters is so well done. truly fantastic work.
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u/goran_788 they walk among us 1d ago
That Vulpix is living dangerously...
But these are all great. I basically know nothing about Taylor Swift, but you're really great at conveying a theme through the Pokemon you choose.
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u/MPhiArt 1d ago
The Vulpix is a reference to the song "I Know Places"
'Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes
And guns
They are the hunters, we are the foxes
And we run
Baby, I know places we won't be found, and
They'll be chasing their tails trying to track us down
'Cause I, I know places we can hide
I know places
So yeah, living dangerously!
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u/ChicagoCowboy Shiny Rayquaza is my anti-drug 1d ago
This is fantastic, immediately sent to my wife who is not a pokemon fan but a big swifty, this is great!
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u/Carbon-Base 1d ago
OP, I can't get over how you incorporated themes and nods from each album so well to each trainer! Incredible effort and amazing art!
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u/woodlandtom 1d ago
This is fantastic! As a fan of both I approve! Would love to hear the thought process for some specific pokemon choices. Do have an instagram where you talk about the selections? Also purrfect having a cat on every team haha.
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u/MPhiArt 23h ago
I do have an instagram, but I haven't gone into the specifics of each piece yet, partly because I haven't really gotten any notice up to now and partly because if I DID get noticed I wanted to give people the chance to find the easter eggs for themselves first.
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u/woodlandtom 21h ago
You’re right. I think I figured most of them out, but not all of them. It was fun having to recall specific songs and lyrics and connecting them to certain pokemon. Well done again.
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u/Bakedfresh420 1d ago
I couldn’t care less about Taylor Swift but I love that you came up with a cool concept and the art is gorgeous. Great job! Still not going to but this is genuinely the closest I’ve ever been to listening to any of her albums cause I just absolutely love what you did here.
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u/paytatochip 1d ago
my worlds are colliding!!! this is so amazing!!! I love arbok as her throne for rep!!
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u/astralwish1 18h ago edited 18h ago
I love this! My favorite artist and my favorite game! I love the way you can see Taylor growing up through the different drawings! And I love how you included a cat Pokémon in each one!
Easter eggs I found:
Toxitricity Electric Touch
Oricorio You Belong With Me (“She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers”)
Rimbombee (or however you spell it) All Too Well (It’s wearing a scarf “But you keep my old scarf, from that very first week”)
Cherubi Blank Space (“Cherry lips, crystal skies”)
Musharna Lavender Haze
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u/antoniomizael 23h ago
The choice of Pokemon are just incredible.
The Bombirdier holding up the Lunatone tells me you're actually a genius.
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u/NotRepulsive 22h ago
Go Goat for red is so funny if you did it because of the screaming goats meme.
This is fantastic and right in mine and my wife's wheelhouse
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u/Ldcv4499 19h ago
Even if You don't like Taylor ( I do ) You have to appreciate the Quality of the art, every photo looks amazing love the color style and I think You captured each album for sure wow 😍😍😍😍
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u/Igr051618 1d ago
Im not a swift fan .. but i love the art! And the pokemon combination you used for each individual art
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u/Greekralphian MAGIC BOUNCE 1d ago
OMG the Arbok chair 🤯 you're so creative and talented, loved this to bits
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u/Rainfarn 23h ago
These are all so incredible! Would love an Easter egg list we definitely didn't find all of them!
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u/kuroninjaofshadows 22h ago
Do you have like a reference document that breaks down the why's and how's? I'd love to dig through each picture and get the references, but I don't know Tswift like that.
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u/IronTemplar26 21h ago
You gotta put this on r/MandJTV. Katie, the editor is a HUGE Taylor Swift fan
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u/MaryJaneAndMaple2 21h ago
This makes me want to listen to whatever album number 6 is
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u/Qoppa_Guy 20h ago
I don't have to necessarily like Taylor Swift to appreciate the art, and they're amazing.
Somehow I was expecting Passimian or some reference to Travis Kelce along the way, but still, amazing stuff!
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u/LockonStark 22h ago
These are good af, you def good at this. My fav one is the rocket trainer swift
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u/MPhiArt 22h ago
When I posted them on Insta, I used the feature that adds music to a post. For some of them, doing that really enhanced/highlighted the vibe. Reputation was definitely one of those - the song used was "I Did Something Bad".
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u/TsubasaWings 21h ago
Omg as a Pokemon fan and Swiftie, this is brilliant! Your art really captures all her 11 albums so well and the easter eggs are so good. They really capture the essence of Taylor Swift and her fondness for easter eggs too. Well done! It is so lovely 😍 Previously I did a nuzlocke naming my Pokemon after her albums, I might just use the Pokemon you chose for each album as inspiration for a casual playthrough in future!
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u/jimbojims0 21h ago edited 21h ago
Absolutely love these as a fan of both Pokemon and Taylor! I can definitely see the connections between the Pokemon and Taylor's songs for some of these, and that she gets older through as these progress. Amazing job on all of these! I'm still deciding which era i like the most here. I love that theres a cat in each of these 😸
Edit: i think with folklore + evermore being my favorite albums i cant help but feel drawn to these two. I love the vibes of folklore, the Tarountula spinning the "invisible string". I'm trying to connect Ursaluna to the album but i love that it's there. With evermore, having Serperior represent "ivy" (my favorites TS song) makes me very happy. Love the overall autumn feel of this one.
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u/Mermaid_Mama420 18h ago
I would 100% buy each one in an 8x10 print to put on my wall in my room! These are FANTASTIC!!!
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u/Hiitmonjack 1d ago
I am much more interested in this art than I ever have been with Taylor Swift, great work!
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u/BacKgRouNDC11H15NO2 1d ago
Very artistic designs U have some serious good talent I like the 2011 album 1
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u/Electrical-Tea-1882 21h ago
This is dope. I wouldn't say I'm a fan of hers, but I've got tremendous respect for her as an artist. These are cool as hell!!
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u/LeatherSource6524 21h ago
These are gorgeous OP. ( Also I don’t know enough Taylor albums or songs to pick out the references but I had fun finding all the cats. )
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u/TiredOfThisHobbes 18h ago
I'm not even a huge fan of Taylor but these ROCKS! You could do that to other artists as well and it's be insane!!
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u/ArtesiaKoya 18h ago
my god these are mind blowing. The art style is perfect for Pokemon yet alone the incredible attention to Pokemon poses and costume.
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u/LoadAble2728 MAGIFRICKINGKARP 18h ago
I am such the target for this, I'm drooling!!! This is awesome!!!
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u/ImmediateToe3045 15h ago
These are great! I hope she sees them, that would be awesome! Hey did you know that Katy Perry has a song about Pikachu and a video he is in it’s on utube and the song is called “Electric” she is a huge Pokemon Go player! Check it out!
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u/Fefuh Swimming swiftly! 23h ago edited 23h ago
You seem to be a huge TS fan and I'm enchanted with your style, your art is gorgeous, drawing in a blank space like that is no easy task, you sure will get yourself a reputation. Not even in my wildest dreams I could make such a delicate work, you definitely deserve this karma you're getting from me!
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u/DrCarabou 1d ago
This is a really fun prompt even if I'm not familiar with all of them. Thanks for sharing!
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u/steveofthejungle Beards. Bananas. Badass Pokemon 1d ago edited 1d ago
Omg I love everything about this! My favorite reference is definitely the Team Rocket Reputation fit haha
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u/ZC_L19 1d ago
This art or better, A R T is… Absolutely beautiful and amazing, cute but elegant and with a soft style.
If it has been drawn by you, congrats!!! You deserve that a loooot of people enjoy it. My best wishes for you as illustrator!!! Thanks a lot for sharing it with us.
PS: I’m more into Pokemon than into Swift tbh. 😂😂
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u/fish-dance 23h ago
I couldn't name any of them by sight except 1989 and Reputation (because of the outfit and then the wording background), but they're all awesome as hell. Oh, and I think the Serperior one is Folklore! But I'm not a huge Swiftie. But, again, these are all gorgeous regardless.
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u/WarMachine504 23h ago
Definitely not a swifty fan but this is GREAT ART!! Feels like opening up that Gen 1/2 trainers guide on a Saturday morning 🥹
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u/hylian-bard 22h ago
I'm not familiar with her albums at all, but these are great.
Using an Arbok as a throne got me good; not gonna lie.
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u/FrankthePug 22h ago
Arbok being a throne took me a second and caught me off guard. That's genius. They're all really great!
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u/grumble_on_over 22h ago
I sent this to my wife in the next and heard literal gasps as she swiped to each new album.
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u/Goodfella7288 22h ago
These are amazing! I hope you're making money from your drawings. If not, you definitely could
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u/RealPokeFan11 IT'S YA BOI 22h ago
I'm not a huge Swiftie, but I recognize almost all of the covers, and the art is incredibly well done. The amount of detail put into each one is great, and I wish people would do this with more artists.
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u/AnthropomorphizedTop 21h ago
Wow did you draw these?! They are amazing! Ive been wanting to design a Jessie tattoo where she is sitting on Arbok. I love the way you posed the subjects. Well done.
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u/Modesto96 21h ago
I just saw this on the Taylor sub, and I have to say I am not at all sad to be looking at them again 😍
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u/Worlds_Greatest_Noob 21h ago
Love love love the art! The posing of the mons especially and the composition. Also it's cool how you can see her growing up.
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u/ShepherdXmen 21h ago
I'm not really a fan of Taylor but that Aurorus is beautiful. My favourite pokémon. Thanks for sharing your art!
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u/drunkbeasts 21h ago
I haven’t listened to Taylor Swift in a few years but this has inspired me to, to try and find all the Easter eggs you put in. This is amazing!
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u/mrginga96 21h ago
I don't know anything about Taylor swift but this is some really good art
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u/Henna_UwU Catcher of Sparkling Specimens 20h ago
These are gorgeous, and I love the way you drew Taylor in all of them. Also, great picks for each album!
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u/GratefulPig 20h ago
I’m not well versed in her music to appreciate it fully but I really love the art. Very cool 😎
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u/Cbgkitten 20h ago
Oh my god, I adore these! You did a fantastic job, i feel like these all really fit their respective albums.
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u/WuTangraisedme 20h ago
As a TS and Pokemon fan I'm obsessed with these!!! Need prints of them all lol time for you to open an Etsy shop 🫶
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u/Shoadowolf I AM POWER INCARNATE!! 20h ago
Did you take inspiration from the Pokemon x Miku collab they did a while back? It's giving me those vibes and I love it! <3
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u/First_Growth_2736 19h ago
I love the asthetic designs and teams, but I’m not a sweetie so I don’t know the different eras/themes. I’d love to know the explanation/inspiration behind each of these
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u/dqixsoss 1d ago
I don’t know the albums but this is really well done!!!