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Buizel card art from the DP trainer Kit (Manaphy)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Overview

Buizel is a basic Water-type Pokémon card included in the DP Trainer Kit (Manaphy) release. This subset, identified by the set symbol and the card collection designation tk-dp-m, was produced to support entry-level play and to showcase a curated selection of Pokémon alongside trainer-focused cards. Buizel’s presence in the DP Trainer Kit mirrors its role as a straightforward, early-game option for Water decks during the era in which this kit circulated. While the card’s official rarity is listed as None, the printing exists in multiple visual variants—normal, reverse holo, and holo—within the same set, highlighting the collector-facing diversity that trainer kits often offered beyond standard expansion cards. The combination of modest HP, a single-use attack with a situational boost, and a lightweight retreat cost makes Buizel a classic example of a trainer-kit inclusion aimed at teaching basic mechanics rather than delivering a high-impact battlefield presence.

Card Information

Name: Buizel
Dex number (DexId): 418
Category: Pokémon
HP: 60
Type: Water
Stage: Basic
Rarity: None
Set: DP trainer Kit (Manaphy) — Official card count: 12 (total in the set)
Artist (Illustrator): Ken Sugimori
Variants: Normal, Reverse, and Holo
Legal formats: Standard: No, Expanded: No
Attacks: Splash About — Cost: Water
Attack text: If Buizel has less Energy attached to it than the Defending Pokémon, this attack does 10 damage plus 10 more damage. (Damage: 10+)
Weakness: Lightning (10+)
Retreat cost: 1
Evolution: Basic (no evolution line in this print)
Description (flavor text): “It has a flotation that is like an inflatable collar. It floats on water with its head out.”

Gameplay and Strategy

In the context of its era, Buizel serves as a compact, low-cost target that players could place on the bench while deploying other Water-type attackers in the active position. The attack Splash About requires a Water energy and delivers a base 10 damage with the conditional bonus of an additional 10 damage if Buizel has fewer Energy attachments than the Defending Pokémon. This conditional boost incentivizes players to manage energy distribution carefully across their bench and active threats, creating a dynamic where Buizel’s damage output scales with the opponent’s energy investment.

The card’s modest HP of 60 and the single-water-energy cost for Splash About place it in the realm of early-game, tempo-oriented plays. In decks that emphasize rapid damage output from Water-type lines, Buizel may be used as a secondary attacker or as a vehicle for teaching energy-maising concepts. However, its vulnerability to Lightning-type attacks and the lack of additional effects or defensive utility means Buizel is typically outclassed by more robust basic Water-types in later formats. For players building within the DP Trainer Kit framework, Buizel’s value rests more in educational play and deck-building practice than in high-tier competitive execution.

Because this card was printed within a trainer kit set, it does not belong to a conventional expansion with extensive synergy prints or evolve-with-me mechanics. Consequently, Buizel’s strategic footprint is best understood as a learning tool for understanding basic energy management, damage calculation with conditional effects, and the role of basic Pokémon in a supporting bench strategy. Modern players encountering Buizel in a retrospective sense can appreciate how trainer kits of the period experimented with variant print styles (normal, reverse holo, holo) to broaden appeal without altering core gameplay data.

Collector and Market Information

The DP Trainer Kit (Manaphy) Buizel is documented with a rarity value of None, reflecting its unique placement within a trainer-focused subset rather than a standard expansion. The card is available in multiple print variants: normal, reverse holo, and holo, which provides collectors with diverse visual representations of the same card in a single set. Pricing and market data for this Buizel print are not provided in the given data (pricing fields for CardMarket and TCGPlayer are listed as None), a scenario often encountered with trainer-kit-oriented cards whose market dynamics differ from traditional expansion cards.

From a collecting perspective, holo and reverse holo versions typically draw more attention than plain non-holo copies, especially for trainers and subset cards that are scored for completeness within a single set. The DP Trainer Kit’s small, fixed card count (12 cards total) makes the Buizel card part of a compact, trackable collection—an appealing target for collectors focusing on early-2000s trainer kit releases and for fans of Ken Sugimori’s illustrated work across multiple printings. For investors and general markets, the absence of explicit price data in the available records means that valuations should be checked through current market channels and graded card services to determine current demand for the holo and reverse holo variants in particular.

Art and Lore

The Buizel card is illustrated by Ken Sugimori, the long-standing illustrator responsible for many iconic Pokémon artworks across generations. Sugimori’s work is characterized by clean lines, clear poses, and a focus on expressing creature personality through posture and facial expression. On Buizel, the description text emphasizes its flotation collar—a distinctive anatomical feature that helps Buizel stay buoyant as it navigates aquatic environments. The DP Trainer Kit packaging and card art reflect a transitional period in the Pokémon TCG where trainer-focused sets experimented with visual variants and improved presentation while maintaining classic Sugimori styling at the core of the card’s identity. The flavor text and card lore align Buizel with water-dwelling agility and buoyant resilience, consistent with the Pokémon’s in-game characteristics and general portrayal in the card game’s early 2000s era.

Overall, this card exemplifies how trainer kits integrated familiar Pokémon characters with artwork that reinforced their thematic traits—Buizel’s aquatic lifestyle and inflatable collar are echoed in its descriptive text and artistic portrayal. The integration of basic mechanics with Sugimori’s enduring artistry helps anchor Buizel within a nostalgic frame for collectors and players who experienced the DP era firsthand.

Trivia

The card is part of the DP Trainer Kit (Manaphy) set, which contains 12 official cards in total.
Buizel is a Basic Water-type Pokémon with a modest 60 HP, reflecting its role as an entry-level option in trainer-kit printings.
The attack Splash About has a Water energy cost and delivers 10 damage with a conditional 10-point boost if Buizel has fewer Energy attachments than the Defending Pokémon.
The rarity is listed as None, but the card is available in holo, reverse holo, and normal variants within the set, illustrating the kit’s emphasis on variant collectibility rather than rarity tiers typical of larger expansions.
The illustrator is Ken Sugimori, whose work provides a familiar aesthetic across many early Pokémon TCG cards, including those in trainer kits.

Notes on Card Legality and Format

According to the provided data, Buizel from the DP Trainer Kit (Manaphy) is not legal in Standard or Expanded formats. This limitation is consistent with trainer-kit cards, which are typically designed for introductory play experiences and may not conform to the legality rules that govern mainline expansion sets. For modern play, Buizel and its specific printed variants would generally be considered non-playable in current competitive environments; however, they remain of interest for historical analysis, collection, and museum labeling within a knowledge-base context.

References and Data Sources

The data content presented here is derived from the card dataset provided for the DP Trainer Kit (Manaphy) Buizel card, including its set information, variant availability, illustrator, HP, attack details, weakness, retreat cost, and legality. The description text is drawn from the card’s flavor language included in the dataset. For broader context on the DP Trainer Kit era, collectors may consult cross-referenced materials on trainer-kit releases and Ken Sugimori’s portfolio of Pokémon card illustrations.

📘 Buizel — Pokémon TCG