Gym Challenge (TCG)
Gym Challenge (Japanese: Gym 2: Challenge from the Dark) is the name given to an expansion of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. It was based on the last four Gym Leaders of Pokémon Red and Blue.
Set size
- 132 in English release
- 121 in Japanese release (98 available in booster packs and 25 exclusive to theme decks)
File:Gymchallengesymbol.gif
The symbol for Gym Challenge is a black stadium.
File:Gym1symbol.gif
The symbol for Gym 2 is a Pokéball with the word "Gym" to the right of it.
Sequence
- 7th English Expansion
- 6th Japanese Expansion
Release dates
- June 1999 - Japanese Expansion
- 16th October 2000 - English Expansion
Trivia
- Like Gym 1, Gym 2 was based on four Kanto Gym Leaders; Koga, Sabrina, Blaine, and Giovanni.
- Gym Challenge was originally planned to be released on 16th October in North America. It was then pushed up the 7th, then back to the 16th. Many Sears locations ended up releasing it on the 4th.
- Two Japanese cards, Imakuni?'s Doduo and ____'s Chansey didn't make an appearance in the American release. Imakuni is a singer for several Pokémon songs released only in Japan, so the card's exclusion was mostly due to prevent confusion from players. Also, neither of those really fit in a "serious" card set.
- The Trainer card "Misty's Tears" was originally in Gym 1 in Japan, but its English counterpart was not released until Gym Challenge. The reason for this is that artwork had to be changed, as the Japanese version featured a "nude" Misty.
- Other art changes between Japanese and English releases include Sabrina's Gaze and Koga's Ninja Trick. Although Japanese players apparently had no problem with these cards, many Western players felt the imagery was inappropriate for a children's game. For Sabrina's Gaze, many though Sabrina was giving the viewer "the finger". As for Koga's Ninja Trick (which featured a swastika), it was originally mistaken for the Nazi's symbol of choice by a few Western players. [1] Incidentally, the Japanese reprint of Koga's Ninja Trick removed the swastika following the North American change.
- The so-called "Common rares" didn't make an appearance in Gym Challenge, unlike in Gym Heroes.
- Blaine's Arcanine, the first card to feature a 120 attack damage, debuted in this set.
Theme decks
English releases
Japanese releases
It is noteworthy that the Japanese versions featured neither a Koga nor Giovanni Theme Deck. Subsequently, there was no holographic version of the Trainer Card Koga and no non-holographic version of the Trainer Card Giovanni.
Card list
English expansion
Japanese expansion
Note: To avoid listing the same card twice, the only fixed Theme Deck cards added are the ones that form the complete set. The fixed cards have no rarity symbols (designated "--"; holographic cards in the deck are designated "H").
| No. | Card Name | Type | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| -- | Blaine’s Arcanine |  |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Blaine’s Charizard | |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Blaine’s Moltres | |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Erika’s Venusaur |  |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Giovanni’s Gyarados |  |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Giovanni’s Machamp |  |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Giovanni’s Nidoking | |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Giovanni’s Persian |  |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Koga’s Beedrill | |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Koga’s Ditto | |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Lt. Surge’s Raichu |  |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Rocket’s Mewtwo |  |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Rocket’s Zapdos | |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Sabrina’s Alakazam | |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Sabrina’s Gengar | |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Sabrina’s Golduck | |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Sabrina’s Venomoth | |
File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Brock’s Dugtrio | |
File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Ninetales | |
File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Nidoqueen | |
File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Pinsir | |
File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Arbok | |
File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Muk | |
File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Pidgeotto | |
File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Misty’s Poliwrath | |
File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Rocket’s Snorlax | |
File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Charmeleon | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Dodrio | |
-- |
| -- | Blaine’s Kangaskhan | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Magmar | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Rapidash | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Erika’s Ivysaur | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Machoke | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Meowth | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Nidorina | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Nidorino | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Golbat | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Kakuna | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Koffing | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Pidgey | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Weezing | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Gastly | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Haunter | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Haunter | |
-- |
| -- | Sabrina’s Hypno | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Jynx | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Jynx | |
-- |
| -- | Sabrina’s Kadabra | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Slowbro | |
File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Charmander | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Charmander | |
-- |
| -- | Blaine’s Doduo | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Growlithe | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Growlithe | |
-- |
| -- | Blaine’s Mankey | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Ponyta | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Ponyta | |
-- |
| -- | Blaine’s Rhyhorn | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Tauros | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Vulpix | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Vulpix | |
-- |
| -- | Giovanni’s Machop | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Magikarp | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Meowth | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Nidoran ♀ | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Nidoran ♂ | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Ekans | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Grimer | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Koffing | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Pidgey | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Tangela | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Weedle | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Zubat | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Abra | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Abra | |
-- |
| -- | Sabrina’s Abra | |
-- |
| -- | Sabrina’s Drowzee | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Drowzee | |
-- |
| -- | Sabrina’s Gastly | |
-- |
| -- | Sabrina’s Gastly | |
-- |
| -- | Sabrina’s Mr. Mime | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Mr. Mime | |
-- |
| -- | Sabrina’s Porygon | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Psyduck | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Slowpoke | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Venonat | |
File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Blaine | T | H |
| -- | Giovanni | T | File:Rare rare.gifH |
| -- | Sabrina | T | H |
| -- | Blaine | T | File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Koga | T | File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Sabrina | T | File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s ESP | T | File:Rare rare.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Last Resort | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Quiz #1 | T | -- |
| -- | Blaine’s Quiz #2 | T | -- |
| -- | Blaine’s Quiz #3 | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Cinnabar City Gym | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Fuchsia City Gym | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Giovanni’s Last Resort | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Koga’s Ninja Trick | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Master Ball | T | -- |
| -- | Max Revive | T | -- |
| -- | Minion of Team Rocket | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Rocket’s Minefield Gym | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Rocket’s Secret Experiment | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Psychic Control | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Saffron City Gym | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Tickling Machine | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Viridian City Gym | T | File:Rare uncom.gif |
| -- | Blaine’s Gamble | T | File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Sabrina’s Gaze | T | File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Transparent Walls | T | File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Trash Exchange | T | File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Warp Point | T | File:Rare com.gif |
| -- | Imakuni?’s Doduo | |
File:Rare srare.gif |
| -- | _____’s Chansey | |
