Pokemon TCG: Gym Heroes Set

Gym Heroes Set (ジム拡張第1弾 リーダーズスタジアム) Trading Card Game Set E6 / J5
General information
Cards	English: 132 Japanese: 96
Series	Original Series
Region Focus	Kanto
Previous Expansion	Rocket Gang
Following Expansion	Gym Challenge
Associated Decks	Brock Misty Lt. Surge Erika
Released	August 14th, 2000 (English) October 24th, 1998 (Japan)
STD Legal Deck?	Yes

Quick menu: Overview / Print Versions / Set List / Other Cards / For Collectors / Most Powerful / Trivia / Images & Videos

Gym Heroes arrived in English on 14 August 2000 as the sixth main expansion of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and it changed what a Pokémon card could be about. Base Set, Jungle and Fossil had all been organised around the creatures themselves — habitats, fossils, the Safari Zone. Team Rocket had shifted the focus to the people exploiting them. Gym Heroes went one step further and handed the cards to specific, named characters.

That idea is Owner’s Pokémon: the Trainer’s name in the card title, their portrait tucked into the bottom-right corner, and their Gym Badge sitting behind it. Suddenly a Rhydon was not just a Rhydon — it was Brock’s Rhydon, the one you had fought in Pewter City. For players who had spent 1999 working through the Kanto gyms on a Game Boy, the appeal was immediate, and the four theme decks released alongside the set leaned into it: one each for Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge and Erika.

The roster is odd until you know why. Gym Heroes is a merge of two Japanese products — the Leaders’ Stadium expansion, which had appeared almost two years earlier on 24 October 1998, combined with cards from Challenge from the Darkness. That is how a set themed around four Gym Leaders ends up also containing cards belonging to Sabrina, Blaine and Team Rocket. The result was 132 cards, the largest English set produced to that point, and unusually for the era it contains no secret rares at all.

Two mechanical firsts came with it. Gym Heroes introduced Stadium cards — played into a shared slot and changing the rules of the game for both players until replaced — which remain a fixture of the game a quarter of a century later. It was also the first set since Base Set to include Basic Energy cards, meaning a single booster box could once again supply a working deck without hunting down older product.

Print Versions & Collectors Info

Gym Heroes exists in 1st Edition and Unlimited printings, each produced in holo and non-holo, so a card’s rarity and its edition are separate questions. 1st Edition is the scarcer and the one collectors chase, and it sits in an interesting spot: less heated than 1st Edition Base Set, Jungle or Fossil, but from a considerably larger set — which means high-grade 1st Edition Gym Heroes cards are genuinely harder to assemble than their prices sometimes suggest.

One quirk to understand before you judge a card by its rarity symbol: this set contains an unusual number of Pokémon marked Rare that would ordinarily be Common. That is not an error. Those cards had only ever appeared in Japanese theme decks, and Wizards had to fit them into the English rarity structure somewhere. “Rare” is therefore a weaker signal of scarcity here than in the earlier sets. Watch also for the Rocket’s Moltres (12/132) “Black Dot” variant on the 1st Edition printing — establish which version you are looking at before agreeing a price.

The four pack wrappers

Gym Heroes shipped in four different booster wrappers, one for each of the featured Gym Leaders — Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge and Erika. The wrapper had no bearing on what was inside; every pack held 11 cards made up of seven commons, three uncommons and one rare, with a holo appearing in roughly one pack in three. A sealed booster box contained 36 packs. Collectors of sealed product chase all four wrappers, and 1st Edition packs and boxes carry the “Edition 1” stamp on the packaging itself.

Set List with Pictures

Card Image	No.	Card name	Rarity	Card type
	1/132	Blaine’s Moltres
	Card text Flip a coin. If tails, shuffle Blaine’s Moltres and all cards attached to it into your deck (after doing damage).
	2/132	Brock’s Rhydon
	Card text As long as Brock’s Rhydon is Benched, whenever 1 of your Benched Pokémon is damaged, you may do 10 of that damage to Brock’s Rhydon instead. (If more than 1 of your Benched Pokémon is damaged at the same time, you may use this power once for each of them.)
	3/132	Erika’s Clefable
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, you may return any number of your Pokémon in play and all cards attached to them to your hand.
	4/132	Erika’s Dragonair
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 damage to each of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon. If tails, this attack does 10 damage to each of your own Benched Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	5/132	Erika’s Vileplume
	Card text If an attack does damage to Erika’s Vileplume while it’s your Active Pokémon (even if it’s Knocked Out), flip a coin. If heads, your opponent’s Active Pokémon is now Confused. This power works even while Erika’s Vileplume is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	6/132	Lt. Surge’s Electabuzz
	Card text Take up to 2 Lightning Energy cards from your discard pile and attach them to Lt. Surge’s Electabuzz.
	7/132	Lt. Surge’s Fearow
	Card text Flip 5 coins. This attack does 10 damage times the number of heads.
	8/132	Lt. Surge’s Magneton
	Card text As often as you like during your turn (before your attack), if Lt. Surge’s Magneton is your Active Pokémon, you may take 1 Lightning Energy card attached to 1 of your Pokémon and attach it to Lt. Surge’s Magneton. This power can’t be used if Lt. Surge’s Magneton is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	9/132	Misty’s Seadra
	Card text Flip 2 coins. If both of them are heads, this attack does 30 damage plus 60 more damage. If 1 or both of them are tails, this attack does 30 damage.
	10/132	Misty’s Tentacruel
	Card text If an attack does damage to Misty’s Tentacruel while it’s your Active Pokémon, you may switch it with 1 of your Benched Pokémon, which prevents all other effects of that attack on Misty’s Tentacruel. This power can’t be used if Misty’s Tentacruel is already Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	11/132	Rocket’s Hitmonchan
	Card text If an attack does damage to Rocket’s Hitmonchan during your opponent’s next turn (even if Rocket’s Hitmonchan is Knocked Out), flip a coin. If heads, Rocket’s Hitmonchan attacks your opponent’s Active Pokémon for double that amount of damage. (If Rocket’s Hitmonchan takes 20 damage, it does 40 damage to that Pokémon.)
	12/132	Rocket’s Moltres
	Card text Whenever Rocket’s Moltres is Knocked Out, you may return it to your hand after discarding it. This power can’t be used if Rocket’s Moltres is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed when it is Knocked Out
	13/132	Rocket’s Scyther
	Card text Whenever Rocket’s Scyther is attacked, your opponent flips a coin. If tails, that attack does no damage to Rocket’s Scyther. (Any other effects of the attack still happen.) This effect lasts until Rocket’s Scyther takes damage (or is Benched or is evolved).
	14/132	Sabrina’s Gengar
	Card text Put a damage counter on each of your opponent’s Pokémon that already has any damage counters on it.
	15/132	Brock		T
	Card text Remove 1 damage counter from each of your Pokémon that has any damage counters on it.
	16/132	Erika		T
	Card text You may draw up to 3 cards, then your opponent may draw up to 3 cards.
	17/132	Lt. Surge		T
	Card text You can play this card only if you have at least 1 Basic Pokémon card in your hand. Put a Basic Pokémon card from your hand into play as your Active Pokémon. Put your old Active Pokémon onto your Bench. (You can’t play this card if your Bench is full.)
	18/132	Misty		T
	Card text Discard 2 of the other cards in your hand in order to play this card. If this turn’s attack does damage to the Defending Pokémon (after applying Weakness and Resistance), and if the attacking Pokémon has Misty in its name, the attack does 20 more damage to the Defending Pokémon.
	19/132	The Rocket’s Trap		T
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, choose up to 3 cards at random from your opponent’s hand (don’t look at them). Your opponent shuffles those cards into his or her deck.
	20/132	Brock’s Golem
	Card text If your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, choose up to 3 of them. This attack does 10 damage to each of them. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	21/132	Brock’s Onix
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
	22/132	Brock’s Rhyhorn
	Card text If your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, he or she chooses 1 of them and switches it with the Defending Pokémon. (Do the damage before switching the Pokémon.)
	23/132	Brock’s Sandslash
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed and Poisoned.
	24/132	Brock’s Zubat
	Card text Draw a card. Then, switch Brock’s Zubat with 1 of your Benched Pokémon. You can’t use this attack if your Bench is empty.
	25/132	Erika’s Clefairy
	Card text Search your deck for a basic Energy card. Show that card to your opponent, then put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward.
	26/132	Erika’s Victreebel
	Card text Once during your turn (before your attack), you may flip a coin. If heads, and if your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, choose 1 of them and switch it with his or her Active Pokémon. This power can’t be used if Erika’s Victreebel is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	27/132	Lt. Surge’s Electabuzz
	Card text Take up to 2 Lightning Energy cards from your discard pile and attach them to Lt. Surge’s Electabuzz.
	28/132	Lt. Surge’s Raichu
	Card text Discard all Energy cards attached to Lt. Surge’s Raichu in order to use this attack.
	29/132	Misty’s Cloyster
	Card text You may reduce all damage done by attacks to Misty’s Cloyster by 10 (after applying Weakness and Resistance). (Any other effects of attacks still happen.) This power can’t be used if Misty’s Cloyster is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	30/132	Misty’s Goldeen
	Card text Flip a coin. If tails, this attack does nothing.
	31/132	Misty’s Poliwrath
	Card text Does 10 damage to each Pokémon that isn’t Water on each player’s Bench. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	32/132	Misty’s Tentacool
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Asleep.
	33/132	Rocket’s Snorlax
	Card text If your opponent’s attack does damage to Rocket’s Snorlax and Rocket’s Snorlax is already Asleep (even if it’s Knocked Out), this power does 20 damage to the attacking Pokémon.
	34/132	Sabrina’s Venomoth
	Card text Flip 3 coins. For each heads, remove 1 damage counter from each of your Pokémon. If a Pokémon has fewer damage counters than the number of heads, remove all of them.
	35/132	Blaine’s Growlithe
	Card text If your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, he or she chooses 1 of them and switches it with the Defending Pokémon. (Do the damage before switching the Pokémon.)
	36/132	Blaine’s Kangaskhan
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 30 damage plus 10 more damage; if tails, this attack does 30 damage.
	37/132	Blaine’s Magmar
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 damage plus 10 more damage; if tails, this attack does 10 damage.
	38/132	Brock’s Geodude
	Card text Choose 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon and flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 30 damage to that Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.) This attack can’t be used if your opponent has no Benched Pokémon
	39/132	Brock’s Golbat
	Card text Does 10 damage to each of your opponent’s Pokémon. Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance.
	40/132	Brock’s Graveler
	Card text Flip 3 coins. This attack does 20 damage times the number of heads.
	41/132	Brock’s Lickitung
	Card text Flip 2 coins. This attack does 30 damage times the number of heads.
	42/132	Erika’s Dratini
	Card text Whenever an attack by a Basic Pokémon (including your own) does 20 or more damage to Erika’s Dratini (after applying Weakness and Resistance), reduce that damage to 10. (Any other effects of attacks still happen.) This power stops working while Erika’s Dratini is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	43/132	Erika’s Exeggcute
	Card text During your opponent’s next turn, whenever Erika’s Exeggcute takes damage, divide that damage in half (rounded down to the nearest 10). (Any other effects still happen.)
	44/132	Erika’s Exeggutor
	Card text Shuffle your hand into your deck, then draw 5 cards.
	45/132	Erika’s Gloom
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, remove 4 damage counters from Erika’s Gloom. If Erika’s Gloom has fewer damage counters than that, remove all of them.
	46/132	Erika’s Gloom
	Card text Both the Defending Pokémon and Erika’s Gloom are now Asleep (after doing damage).
	47/132	Erika’s Oddish
	Card text All Energy cards attached to Erika’s Oddish provide Grass Energy instead of their usual type. This power works even while Erika’s Oddish is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	48/132	Erika’s Weepinbell
	Card text Before doing damage, choose 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon and switch it with his or her Active Pokémon. This attack can’t be used if your opponent has no Benched Pokémon.
	49/132	Erika’s Weepinbell
	Card text The Defending Pokémon is now Asleep and Poisoned.
	50/132	Lt. Surge’s Magnemite
	Card text If the Defending Pokémon has any Energy cards attached to it, flip a coin. If heads, choose 1 of those Energy cards and discard it.
	51/132	Lt. Surge’s Raticate
	Card text Does damage to the Defending Pokémon equal to half the Defending Pokémon’s remaining HP (rounded up to the nearest 10).
	52/132	Lt. Surge’s Spearow
	Card text Drill peck
	53/132	Misty’s Poliwhirl
	Card text If the Defending Pokémon has any Energy cards attached to it, flip a coin. If heads, choose 1 of those Energy cards and discard it.
	54/132	Misty’s Psyduck
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, you may search your deck for a Basic Pokémon with Misty in its name and put it onto your Bench. (You can’t use this attack if your Bench is full.) Shuffle your deck afterward.
	55/132	Misty’s Seaking
	Card text If your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, choose 1 of them and flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 damage to that Pokémon. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	56/132	Misty’s Starmie
	Card text Does 10 damage plus 10 more damage for each Water Energy attached to Misty’s Starmie but not used to pay for this attack’s Energy cost. You can’t add more than 20 damage in this way.
	57/132	Misty’s Tentacool
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent can’t attach Energy cards to the Defending Pokémon during his or her next turn.
	58/132	Sabrina’s Haunter
	Card text Flip a number of coins equal to the total number of Sabrina’s Gastlys, Sabrina’s Haunters, and Sabrina’s Gengars you have in play. This attack does 30 damage times the number of heads.
	59/132	Sabrina’s Jynx
	Card text The Defending Pokémon is now Asleep.
	60/132	Sabrina’s Slowbro
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, remove 3 damage counters from Sabrina’s Slowbro and Sabrina’s Slowbro is now Asleep. If Sabrina’s Slowbro has fewer damage counters than that, remove all of them.
	61/132	Blaine’s Charmander
	Card text Discard 1 Energy card attached to Blaine’s Charmander in order to use this attack. If the Defending Pokémon has any Energy cards attached to it, choose 1 of them and discard it.
	62/132	Blaine’s Growlithe
	Card text Does 10 damage to each Grass Pokémon on your opponent’s Bench. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	63/132	Blaine’s Ponyta
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, during your opponent’s next turn, prevent all effects of attacks, including damage, done to Blaine’s Ponyta.
	64/132	Blaine’s Tauros
	Card text Flip 3 coins. This attack does 10 damage times the number of heads.
	65/132	Blaine’s Vulpix
	Card text Once during your turn (before your attack), you may remove 1 damage counter from Blaine’s Vulpix. This power can’t be used if Blaine’s Vulpix is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
	66/132	Brock’s Geodude
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, you may search your deck for a Basic Pokémon card with Brock in its name and put it onto your Bench. Shuffle your deck afterward. (You can’t use this attack if your Bench is full.)
	67/132	Brock’s Mankey
	Card text If your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, choose 1 of them and switch it with the Defending Pokémon.
	68/132	Brock’s Mankey
	Card text Shuffle your deck.
	69/132	Brock’s Onix
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
	70/132	Brock’s Rhyhorn
	Card text Flip 2 coins. If 1 or both of them are tails, this attack does nothing.
	71/132	Brock’s Sandshrew
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, prevent all damage done to Brock’s Sandshrew during your opponent’s next turn. (Any other effects of attacks still happen.)
	72/132	Brock’s Sandshrew
	Card text The Defending Pokémon can’t retreat during your opponent’s next turn.
	73/132	Brock’s Vulpix
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, this attack does 10 damage plus 20 more damage; if tails, this attack does 10 damage.
	74/132	Brock’s Zubat
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Poisoned.
	75/132	Erika’s Bellsprout
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Poisoned.
	76/132	Erika’s Bellsprout
	Card text Erika’s Bellsprout does 10 damage to itself.
	77/132	Erika’s Exeggcute
	Card text Flip a number of coins equal to the number of Energy attached to Erika’s Exeggcute. This attack does 10 damage times the number of heads.
	78/132	Erika’s Oddish
	Card text If there are any damage counters on Erika’s Oddish, remove 1 of them.
	79/132	Erika’s Tangela
	Card text If your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, choose 1 of them and this attack does 20 damage to it. (Don’t apply Weakness and Resistance for Benched Pokémon.)
	80/132	Lt. Surge’s Magnemite
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed.
	81/132	Lt. Surge’s Pikachu
	Card text Take 1 Lightning Energy card from your discard pile and attach it to Lt. Surge’s Pikachu.
	82/132	Lt. Surge’s Rattata
	Card text During your next turn, Lt. Surge’s Rattata’s Gnaw attack’s base damage is doubled.
	83/132	Lt. Surge’s Spearow
	Card text If your opponent has any Benched Pokémon, he or she chooses 1 of them and switches it with the Defending Pokémon. (Do the damage before switching the Pokémon.)
	84/132	Lt. Surge’s Voltorb
	Card text Flip 1 coin. This attack does 20 damage times the number of heads.
	85/132	Misty’s Goldeen
	Card text Flip 2 coins. This attack does 10 damage times the number of heads.
	86/132	Misty’s Horsea
	Card text If the Defending Pokémon tries to attack during your opponent’s next turn, your opponent flips a coin. If tails, that attack does nothing.
	87/132	Misty’s Poliwag
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed. If tails, the Defending Pokémon is now Asleep.
	88/132	Misty’s Seel
	Card text Aurora Beam
	89/132	Misty’s Shellder
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon is now Paralyzed. If tails, this attack does nothing (not even damage).
	90/132	Misty’s Staryu
	Card text This attack’s damage isn’t affected by Weakness, Resistance, Pokémon Powers, or any other effects on the Defending Pokémon.
	91/132	Sabrina’s Abra
	Card text Return a Psychic Energy card attached to Sabrina’s Abra to your hand in order to use this attack
	92/132	Sabrina’s Drowzee
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, the Defending Pokémon can’t attack during your opponent’s next turn.
	93/132	Sabrina’s Gastly
	Card text The Defending Pokémon can’t retreat during your opponent’s next turn.
	94/132	Sabrina’s Mr. Mime
	Card text Choose up to 3 cards from your hand and put them on top of your deck. Then search your deck for that many basic Energy cards. Show those cards to your opponent, then put them into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward.
	95/132	Sabrina’s Slowpoke
	Card text Sabrina’s Slowpoke is now Asleep (after doing damage).
	96/132	Sabrina’s Venonat
	Card text The Defending Pokémon is now Poisoned.
	97/132	Blaine’s Quiz #1		T
	Card text Put a Basic Pokémon or Evolution card from your hand face down in front of you and tell your opponent its name. Your opponent guesses the length of that Pokémon. Flip the card over. If your opponent guessed right, he or she draws 2 cards. If your opponent guessed wrong, you draw 2 cards. Either way, return the card to your hand.
	98/132	Brock		T
	Card text Remove 1 damage counter from each of your Pokémon that has any damage counters on it.
	99/132	Charity		T
	Card text Attach Charity to your Active Pokémon. Unless that Pokémon gets Knocked Out, return Charity to your hand at the end of your turn. If that Pokémon attacks and does damage to the Defending Pokémon, you may reduce that damage by any amount (rounded to the nearest 10).
	100/132	Erika		T
	Card text You may draw up to 3 cards, then your opponent may draw up to 3 cards.
	101/132	Lt. Surge		T
	Card text You can play this card only if you have at least 1 Basic Pokémon card in your hand. Put a Basic Pokémon card from your hand into play as your Active Pokémon. Put your old Active Pokémon onto your Bench. (You can’t play this card if your Bench is full.)
	102/132	Misty		T
	Card text Discard 2 of the other cards in your hand in order to play this card. If this turn’s attack does damage to the Defending Pokémon (after applying Weakness and Resistance), and if the attacking Pokémon has Misty in its name, the attack does 20 more damage to the Defending Pokémon.
	103/132	No Removal Gym		T[st]
	Card text A player must discard 2 cards from his or her hand in order to play an Energy Removal or Super Energy Removal card.
	104/132	The Rocket’s Training Gym		T[st]
	Card text Each player pays more to retreat his or her Active Pokémon.
	105/132	Blaine’s Last Resort		T
	Card text You can’t play this card if you have any cards in your hand other than Blaine’s Last Resort. Show your hand to your opponent, then draw 5 cards.
	106/132	Brock’s Training Method		T
	Card text Search your deck for a Basic Pokémon or Evolution card with Brock in its name. Show that card to your opponent, then put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward.
	107/132	Celadon City Gym		T[st]
	Card text During each player’s turn, that player may choose to discard an Energy card attached to 1 of his or her Pokémon with Erika in its name. If that player does so, that Pokémon is no longer Asleep, Confused, Paralyzed, or Poisoned.
	108/132	Cerulean City Gym		T[st]
	Card text Each player pays less to retreat his or her Pokémon if it has Misty in its name.
	109/132	Erika’s Maids		T
	Card text Trade 2 of the other cards in your hand for up to 2 Basic Pokémon and/or Evolution cards with Erika in their names from your deck. Show those cards to your opponent, then put them into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward.
	110/132	Erika’s Perfume		T
	Card text Look at your opponent’s hand. If he or she has any Basic Pokémon cards there, you may put any number of them onto your opponent’s Bench (as long as there’s room).
	111/132	Good Manners		T
	Card text In order to play this card, you can’t have any Basic Pokémon cards in your hand. Show your hand to your opponent, then search your deck for a Basic Pokémon card, show it to your opponent, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward.
	112/132	Lt. Surge’s Treaty		T
	Card text Your opponent chooses 1 of the following: everyone chooses 1 of his or her Prizes and puts it into his or her hand, or you draw a card.
	113/132	Minion of Team Rocket		T
	Card text Flip 2 coins. If both of them are heads, choose 1 of your opponent’s Benched Pokémon and return it and all cards attached to it to his or her hand. If 1 or both of them are tails, your turn ends immediately (you can’t attack this turn).
	114/132	Misty’s Wrath		T
	Card text Look at the top 7 cards of your deck. Choose 2 of those cards and put them into your hand. Discard the rest.
	115/132	Pewter City Gym		T[st]
	Card text Don’t apply Resistance to any attacks made by Pokémon with Brock in their names.
	116/132	Recall		T
	Card text For your attack this turn, your Active Pokémon can use any attack from its Basic Pokémon card or any Evolution card attached to it. (You still have to pay for that attack’s Energy cost.)
	117/132	Sabrina’s ESP		T
	Card text Attach Sabrina’s ESP to 1 of your Pokémon with Sabrina in its name. At the end of your turn, discard Sabrina’s ESP. If that Pokémon uses an attack that involves flipping coins, Sabrina’s ESP lets you re-flip those coins once. If you do, re-flip all the coins.
	118/132	Secret Mission		T
	Card text Look at your opponent’s hand. Then, you may discard as many other cards as you want from your hand and draw that many cards.
	119/132	Tickling Machine		T[R]
	Card text Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent sets aside all the cards in his or her hand face down. Nobody may look at those cards. At the end of your opponent’s next turn, your opponent puts those cards back into his or her hand. If tails, your turn ends immediately (you can’t attack this turn).
	120/132	Vermilion City Gym		T[st]
	Card text Whenever a player attacks with a Pokémon with Lt. Surge in its name, he or she may flip a coin. If heads, and if that Pokémon’s attack does damage to the Defending Pokémon (after applying Weakness and Resistance), that attack does 10 more damage to the Defending Pokémon. If tails, the attacking Pokémon does 10 damage to itself in addition to whatever its attack usually does.
	121/132	Blaine’s Gamble		T
	Card text Discard any number of other cards from your hand, then flip a coin. If heads, draw twice that many cards.
	122/132	Energy Flow		T
	Card text For each of your Pokémon, you may return any number of Energy cards attached to it to your hand.
	123/132	Misty’s Duel		T
	Card text You and your opponent play a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. The winner shuffles his or her hand into his or her deck and draws a new hand of 5 cards. (If you don’t know how to play Rock-Paper-Scissors, flip a coin to decide who’s the winner.)
	124/132	Narrow Gym		T[st]
	Card text No player may have more than 4 Pokémon on his or her Bench. When this card is played, if a player has 5 Pokémon on his or her Bench, that player chooses 1 of them and returns it and all cards attached to it to his or her hand. (If both players have to return a Pokémon, your opponent returns a Pokémon first.)
	125/132	Sabrina’s Gaze		T
	Card text Each player shuffles his or her hand into his or her deck and draws a new hand of the same number of cards.
	126/132	Trash Exchange		T
	Card text Count the number of cards in your discard pile and shuffle them into your deck. Then discard that many cards from the top of your deck.
	127/132	Fighting Energy	__	E
	128/132	Fire Energy	__	E
	129/132	Grass Energy	__	E
	130/132	Lightning Energy	__	E
	131/132	Psychic Energy	__	E
	132/132	Water Energy	__	E

Other Cards

Alongside the 132 cards in the main set, a small number of Gym Heroes cards exist in forms that never appeared in a retail booster — promotional printings, and one card whose artwork was altered between the Japanese and English releases. Worth knowing before you value anything from this set.

Promotional and alternate printings

No.	Card	What makes it different
9/132	Misty’s Seadra	Issued as a Pokémon League and Prerelease promo, separate from the retail holo printing. The Prerelease version is the scarcer of the two.
54/132	Misty’s Psyduck	Reissued carrying the gold W stamp, distributed through Top Deck magazine.

Error printings

No.	Card	The error
12/132	Rocket’s Moltres	The “Black Dot” variant, found on the 1st Edition printing. Since Rocket’s Moltres is already one of the set’s more valuable holos, establish which version you are holding before agreeing a price.

Sabrina’s Gaze (125/132) — the artwork that was changed

The most interesting variant in the set is not a printing error at all. Sabrina’s Gaze carries different illustrations in the Japanese and English releases. The original artwork shows Sabrina holding a Master Ball — but the position of her middle finger reads, unfortunately, as a rude gesture. For the English release the art was redrawn with Sabrina throwing an ordinary Poké Ball instead.

It is a small thing, but it is one of the clearest examples of Wizards of the Coast quietly adjusting artwork for the Western market, and it makes the Japanese Leaders’ Stadium printing genuinely distinct rather than merely foreign.

For Collectors: Most Valuable Cards

Gym Heroes is where the Pokémon TCG stopped being purely about the creatures and started being about the people. It introduced Owner’s Pokémon — cards belonging to a named Trainer, with that Trainer’s portrait in the bottom corner and their Gym Badge behind it. For a generation of players who had grown up with the Kanto Gym Leaders, that was a far bigger deal than any new mechanic.

It is the sixth main English expansion and the first English set to run to 132 cards. Both 1st Edition and Unlimited printings exist, each in holo and non-holo.

Sabrina’s Gengar (14/132)

The set’s premier chase card. Gengar was already among the most collected Pokémon in the game, and Sabrina is the Gym Leader most associated with him — a pairing that has kept demand high for twenty-five years. 1st Edition holos are the target.

Blaine’s Moltres (1/132)

Card number one in the set and a legendary bird under a Gym Leader’s name — a combination that makes it a natural centrepiece. Notable too because Blaine is not one of the four Leaders this set is built around, making his appearance here a curiosity.

Rocket’s Moltres (12/132) and the Black Dot error

The same legendary bird again, this time under Team Rocket. It also carries the set’s documented error: a “Black Dot” variant on the 1st Edition printing. If you are buying a 1st Edition Rocket’s Moltres, establish which version you are looking at before agreeing a price.

Vintage prices move constantly. Treat any quoted figure as directional and check live sold comps before buying or selling.

Most Powerful Cards (Competitive Play)

Owner’s Pokémon came with a real cost attached. An Owner’s Pokémon could generally only evolve from another Pokémon belonging to the same Trainer, which meant building around them locked you into a narrower card pool than a standard deck. Gym Heroes therefore rewarded commitment: go all-in on one Leader, or leave the mechanic alone.

Brock (15/132)

A holographic Trainer that removed one damage counter from every one of your damaged Pokémon. Board-wide healing on a single card was unusual for the era, and it rewarded exactly the kind of wide, bench-heavy boards that Owner’s decks tended to build.

The Rocket’s Trap (19/132)

Team Rocket’s disruption philosophy carried over from the previous set into Gym Heroes, keeping hand and board interference as a live strategy rather than a novelty.

Trivia & Pop Culture

• Released in English on 14 August 2000 as the sixth main expansion. The Japanese original, Leaders’ Stadium, had appeared almost two years earlier on 24 October 1998.
• The English set is a merge of two Japanese products — Leaders’ Stadium combined with the Challenge from the Darkness expansion — which is why cards belonging to Sabrina, Blaine and Team Rocket appear in a set otherwise themed around four other Leaders.
• It introduced Owner’s Pokémon: the Trainer’s name in the card title, their portrait in the bottom right, and their Gym Badge in the background behind it.
• Four theme decks shipped with the set, one per featured Leader: Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge and Erika.
• At 132 cards it was the largest English set to that point, and it contains no secret rares.
• It was the first set since Base Set to include Basic Energy cards.
• The artwork on Secret Mission (118/132) has long been noted by collectors for a background resembling wartime Europe — one of several early Wizards-era cards whose art drew scrutiny after release.

Images & Videos

All 132 cards from Gym Heroes in official set order. Click any card to open it full size. The holographic rares run 1–17 — including the five holo Gym Leader Trainers — followed by their non-holo counterparts, then the Owner’s Pokémon that give this set its identity, and finally the Trainers, Stadiums and Basic Energy that close it out.