The Weirdest Pokémon Card Ever Printed (And Why It Exists)

Pokémon has printed thousands of cards over the years — from majestic alt-art chase cards to obscure Japanese promos. But every once in a while, they release something so strange, so unexpected, it becomes legendary.

In this post, we explore the weirdest Pokémon card ever printed, its bizarre origin, and why it exists at all.

The Card: Imakuni?’s Doduo (XY—Evolutions, Japan)

Yes, that’s a real card name. Imakuni?’s Doduo was originally printed as a promotional card in Japan and later made it into the English XY—Evolutions expansion.

Imakuni?'s Doduo (XY—Evolutions, Japan) Raw Card

It features:

A man (Imakuni?) running with Doduo
Hand-drawn, chaotic art style
Strange effects like “This card can run away from battle.”

Why It’s So Weird:

The card has no competitive utility
It breaks the fourth wall with effects like: “Start singing a song while attacking”
It was intentionally a joke card, printed with a legal card back

Who Is Imakuni??

Imakuni? is a real Japanese musician and personality who collaborated with The Pokémon Company in the late 1990s.

He:

Appeared in official Pokémon events in costume
Was featured in the Pokémon TCG Game Boy game
Has multiple strange promo cards bearing his name

The Imakuni? Doduo was a continuation of that absurdist tradition.

Other Contenders for Weirdest Pokémon Card

1. Ancient Mew

Written in unreadable “rune” text
Holofoil from the first Pokémon movie
No obvious card stats or functionality

2. _____’s Pikachu (Birthday Pikachu)

Requires you to write your name on the card
Effect activates only on your birthday

3. No. 000 Trainer

Prize card from a 1997 tournament
Only one copy known to exist
Card text reads like an admin command from the dev team

4. Surfing Pikachu / Flying Pikachu (Before They Were Canon)

First appeared as joke promos
Became real playable cards years later

5. Mismatched Misprints (Half-Cards)

Rare factory errors where one half is one card and the other is another
Some show two different Pokémon or Trainer half-texts

Why These Cards Exist

The Pokémon Company occasionally embraces absurdity:

As event exclusives
As collector Easter eggs
As inside jokes between developers and fans

Cards like Imakuni?’s Doduo blur the line between parody and product — a reminder that Pokémon is meant to be fun, weird, and a little bit chaotic.

Is Imakuni?’s Doduo Legal to Play?

Technically yes — but only in very specific formats (like Unlimited or Cube).

Even then, judges usually give it the side-eye due to its wacky mechanics.

Collecting The Weird

If you’re a serious collector, these cards:

Often have small print runs
Are historically significant within the TCG
Spark conversation far more than a rainbow rare

Try picking up a binder page dedicated to “TCG Oddities.”

FAQ

Is Imakuni?’s Doduo a real Pokémon card?
Yes. It was printed as a promotional and later in the XY—Evolutions set.

Can I play with joke cards in a tournament?
No — they are usually banned in Standard and Expanded formats.

Are weird cards worth money?
Some are. Ancient Mew, No. 000 Trainer, and Birthday Pikachu fetch strong prices due to rarity and novelty.

Final Thought

Imakuni?’s Doduo might not win you a championship, but it wins hearts. And that’s what makes it legendary.

Every collection needs at least one card that makes people say: “Wait… what?”