Gym Heroes is one of the most important sets in Pokémon TCG history.
Released in 2000, it completely changed how Pokémon cards felt by introducing Trainer’s Pokémon for the first time.
Suddenly, you weren’t just collecting Pikachu or Charizard, you were collecting Brock’s Onix, Misty’s Gyarados, Erika’s Dragonair, Lt. Surge’s Raichu, and more.
It made the cards feel like they belonged to the Pokémon world we grew up with.
That connection is why collectors still love Gym Heroes over 25 years later.
The artwork is timeless, the nostalgia is unmatched, and the set captures the personalities of the Gym Leaders in a way few modern sets can.
Some expansions become valuable.
Gym Heroes became iconic.
Dragonite has one of the biggest personality shifts across Pokémon media.
In the anime, it’s portrayed as a gentle, kind-hearted giant that helps others and rarely seeks conflict.
The manga takes a very different approach, depicting Dragonite as the fearsome pseudo-legendary it was always meant to be, an incredibly powerful Pokémon capable of overwhelming almost any opponent.
It’s a great example of how the same Pokémon can feel completely different depending on the medium.