Tomoaki Imakuni

If you were looking for the deck named after him, see Imakuni? Deck (TCG).

Tomoaki Imakuni

Tomoaki Imakuni (Japanese: 今国智章 Imakuni Tomoaki), usually referred to as Imakuni? (イマクニ？ Imakuni?), is a staff member at Creatures, Inc. involved in various aspects of the TCG, including illustrations and other appearances on several cards.^[1] Imakuni is known as an eccentric musician who performed some of the music for the Pokémon anime.

Imakuni? played a small part in the designing of Pokémon Ranger and its sequel, Shadows of Almia. He is in the band Suzukisan. He is also credited as the author of the Pokémon Tales picture book "Come Out, Squirtle!".

Additionally, Imakuni? starred in his own card game titled Bakaboom : Composition Game So Hard Your Brain Will Spill Out.^[2]

In the games

Imakuni? イマクニ? Imakuni?
Strange Life-Form Imakuni?
Gender	Male
Hometown	Unknown
Region	Trading Card Game Islands
Trainer class	Strange Life-Form
Generation	I, II
Games	Pokémon Trading Card Game; Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!

Pokémon Trading Card Game

Imakuni? appears as a special hidden opponent in Pokémon Trading Card Game. He is named "Strange Life-Form Imakuni?" in this game. His event is activated by talking to people in the Water Club where he will begin to randomly appear in the lounge sections of the various clubs. When in the room, unusual music will play and when the player talks to him, he will sing music from the Pokémon anime then entice the player to dance. He will finally challenge the player to a card game, in which he uses the Imakuni? Deck.

When Imakuni? is defeated, he will reward the player with four booster packs, one from each expansion set. After being defeated three times, he will instead give the player the Imakuni? Trainer card.

Imakuni? Deck

Main article: Imakuni? Deck (TCG)

Quantity	Card	Type	Rarity
4×	Psyduck
3×	Golduck
2×	Slowpoke		—
2×	Slowpoke
3×	Slowbro
4×	Drowzee
3×	Hypno
4×	Farfetch'd
4×	Imakuni?	T	—
2×	Maintenance	T
2×	Pokémon Flute	T
1×	Gambler	T
10×	Water Energy	E	—
16×	Psychic Energy	E	—

Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!

In Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!, he appears on both the main island and GR Island. His event is activated by talking to someone in the Water Club lounge, then he will begin to randomly appear in the lounge sections of the various clubs. He will either show up dressed in black at the main island or in red at GR Island.

Weird Deck

Main article: Weird Deck (TCG)

Quantity	Card	Type	Rarity
4×	Psyduck
3×	Golduck
3×	Slowpoke		—
3×	Drowzee
2×	Jynx		—
1×	Slowbro
1×	Slowbro		—
1×	Hypno
3×	Farfetch'd
2×	Hungry Snorlax		—
2×	Imakuni?	T	—
2×	Imposter Professor Oak	T
2×	Goop Gas Attack	T
2×	Pokémon Flute	T
1×	Gambler	T
16×	Psychic Energy	E
10×	Water Energy	E
2×	Double Colorless Energy	E

Strange Deck

Main article: Strange Deck (TCG)

Quantity	Card	Type	Rarity
4×	Drowzee
3×	Dark Hypno
3×	Slowpoke
2×	Mr. Mime
2×	Dark Slowbro
2×	Mr. Mime		—
3×	Psyduck
2×	Dark Golduck
4×	Meowth		—
2×	Imakuni?	T	—
2×	Imposter Professor Oak	T
2×	Digger	T
2×	Pokémon Flute	T
2×	Computer Error	T	—
25×	Psychic Energy	E

Sprites

Sprite from Pokémon Trading Card Game	Main sprite from Pokémon Trading Card Game 2	Win sprite from Pokémon Trading Card Game 2	Loss sprite from Pokémon Trading Card Game 2	Overworld sprite from GB1 and GB2
	Main sprite from Pokémon Trading Card Game 2	Win sprite from Pokémon Trading Card Game 2	Loss sprite from Pokémon Trading Card Game 2	Overworld sprite from Pokémon Trading Card Game 2

In the TCG

Tomoaki Imakuni is a card illustrator. For a complete list of the cards he has illustrated, use this link.

Imakuni? has the following cards attributed to him in some way, usually joke or prank cards not really meant for serious play:

Imakuni?'s Pokémon Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Imakuni?'s Doduo					Challenge from the Darkness
Imakuni?'s Whismur					T Promotional cards		022/T
Imakuni?'s Loudred					T Promotional cards		023/T
Imakuni?'s Exploud ex					T Promotional cards		024/T
Imakuni?'s Doduo		Evolutions		112/108	Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary		102/087
Imakuni? "Trainer Cards"
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Imakuni?	Su				Unnumbered Promotional cards
					EX Battle Boost		096/093
		Generations		63/83	BREAK Starter Pack		063/072
Lose?					Expansion Sheet 3
Imakuni?'s PC	PC				Expansion Sheet 3
Imakuni?'s Nasty Plot	T				Expansion Sheet 3
Imakuni?'s Corner					Expansion Sheet 3
Dance! Neo Imakuni?	T				Unnumbered Promotional cards
Shining Imakuni?	T				P Promotional cards		018/P
Suzukisan	T				XY-P Promotional cards		297/XY-P

eReader Functionality

The promo card Shining Imakuni? contains two data strips that could be scanned in to a Nintendo e-Reader. The short data strip has detailed information about the promo card and reveals 10 of Imakuni?'s biggest secrets.

Imakuni?'s 10 big secrets

• 1: I have a pocket in my stomach! Besides, it’s a bit unkempt!
• 2: I always seem to carry an Imakuni? Fan Club notebook. But still, no one will write in it.
• 3: I have four stomachs, like a cow.
• 5: Four is an ominous number, so I stopped using it.
• 6: As a child, I was looked after by my grandpa in the south of South America.
• 7: I often go to a 100 Yen shop.
• 8: If you say "chitchee", I will regrettably reply "deke yo!".
• 9: Nothing in particular.
• 10: My first love was in the spring of 9th grade.
• 10 Part 2: I confessed by telephone after graduating from junior high school, but was turned down.^[2]

Imakuni?'s Ball Mini-game

The long data strip contains the mini-game Imakuni?'s Ball.^[2]

In the manga

Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All

Imakuni? in Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All

Imakuni? appears as an art student attending Celadon University in Challenge at Celadon University!.^[2]

Pokémon Pocket Monsters

Imakuni in Pokémon Pocket Monsters

Imakuni? makes two cameo appearances in the fourth volume.

Game credits

• Pokémon Stadium (Japanese) (1998) - Pokémon Modeler
• Pokémon Trading Card Game (video game) (1998) - Card Illustrators
• Pokémon Stadium (1999) - Pokémon Modeler
• Pokémon Stadium 2 (2000) - Original Pokémon Stadium Staff
• Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR! (2001) - Guest Appearances
• Kingler's Day (2001) - Game Designer
• Machop At Work (2001) - Game Designer
• Pokémon Ranger (2008) - Pokémon Motion Designer
• Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (2008) - Game Design

Trivia

• Imakuni's favorite Pokémon is Binacle.^[3]
• Imakuni is a member of Team Instinct in Pokémon GO.^[4]
• Imakuni keeps his black bodysuit in a drawer by his desk. He wears the bodysuit when he sings karaoke.^[5]
• Imakuni appears nostalgic for the game "Monster Tactics", which, according to the credits, was co-produced by Tsunekazu Ishihara with Takehiro Izushi for his and Nintendo's company Spiral, supported by Marigul Management and linked with Creatures, Inc..^[6]

External links

• Imakuni?'s page on Wikipedia
• Imakuni?'s Twitter

References

This article is part of both Project Music and Project CharacterDex, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Music and CharacterDex, respectively.