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Released as the second of two “Gym” sets that came out in 2000, Gym Challenge was the eighth set released in the Pokémon TCG universe. It came out right around half a year after the final base set, Team Rocket, was released.
Gym Challenge brought Pokémon fans a lot of similarities to the set that came before it, Gym Heroes. If you want to learn more about the Gym Heroes set, check out the Top Three Pokémon Cards: Gym Heroes on the Ludex blog.
The main thing that was similar about these two sets was the emphasis placed on the various Gym Leaders. In both sets, each card represents a Pokémon that’s being trained by a specific Gym Leader from the original Pokémon games and TV show, which helped create strong character associations to some of the earlier aspects of the Pokémon universe.
Lots of the cards in Gym Challenge had similar battle strategies depending on which trainer was represented. For example, Sabrina’s Pokémon oftentimes featured psychic manipulation and Koga’s Pokémon focused on status effects like Poison.
The Gym Challenge set closed out the “Gym” sets with a bang, providing fans of the Pokémon TCG with cards featuring new trainers, new styles and Pokémon with new synergies and battle strategies. Let’s get into the top three Pokémon cards from Gym Challenge!
#3: Gym Challenge 1st Edition Erika’s Venusaur #4 – $250
Erika’s Venusaur is one of the underrated heavy-hitters from the Gym Challenge set, as it generated a lot of attention from fans and has also risen to being the third-most valuable card from the set. Featured on the card is Venusaur standing in a battle-ready position, gracefully looking off into the distance.
This was the second-ever Venusaur card that was released in the TCG, with the first being the iconic card from the Base Set. When Gym Challenge was released in October of 2000, collectors were eager to scoop up any and all new versions of some of the original Pokémon.
If you’re looking to build up your collection with one of these cards, it’s going to cost you a good amount of money. According to the Ludex app, the Gym Challenge 1st Edition Erika’s Venusaur #4 is worth an estimated $250.
#2: Gym Challenge 1st Edition Rocket’s Mewtwo #14 – $313.59
Gym Challenge 1st Edition Rocket’s Mewtwo #14 is a card that’s one of the most iconic villain-themed cards in the history of the Pokémon TCG. Mewtwo was always known as a character that had some mystery and danger associated with it, but with this card showing that Team Rocket had control, it made it even more menacing.
The artwork by Ken Sugimori in this card lends a lot to the ominous vibe, showing Mewtwo glowing with energy in front of a dark background. With Mewtwo being a symbol for things like control and rebellion, Pokémon fans recognize that in a Gym Challenge set characterized by various Gym Leaders, this is the villain’s ace Pokémon.
Since its release, this card’s value has skyrocketed. Today, it’s worth an estimated $313.59 according to the Ludex app.
#1: Gym Challenge 1st Edition Blaine’s Charizard #2 – $597.50
Serving as not only the biggest chase card in the Gym Challenge set, the 1st Edition Blaine’s Charizard #2 card is one of the crown jewels of the early era of the Pokémon TCG. Charizard was already a Pokémon legend as is, but Blaine’s Charizard elevated that status, as it featured a new pose and attack style.
In the center of the card is Charizard, who’s pictured doing a fire-breathing roar, something that goes perfectly with the “Roaring Flames” ability it features. While it has some similarities to the Base Set Charizard card, this card really turns up the heat in terms of intensity and firepower.
Whether you’re a collector targeting cards with nostalgia or rarity, the Gym Challenge 1st Edition Blaine’s Charizard #2 is one of the premier cards to look for. According to the Ludex app, it’s worth a whopping estimated $597.50.
That’ll do it for the Top Three Pokémon Cards from the Gym Challenge set, a few cards that have grown a ton in value since their release. Keep an eye out for the next Top Three list coming soon!
If you’re interested in learning more about different Pokémon sets, check out this story about the Top Three Pokemon Cards from Base Set Two on the Ludex blog.
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