Gym Heroes was the set that gave Pokémon cards owners, turning familiar Trainers from the games into a whole new card category.
A new kind of card
Released in 2000, Gym Heroes was the first of two sets built around the Gym Leaders players faced in the original games. For the first time, Pokémon cards belonged to someone — Brock's Onix and Misty's Starmie carried their Trainer's name right in the title.
Strategy with a story attached
These "owned" Pokémon often came with unique abilities or bonuses tied to their Trainer, adding a fresh strategic wrinkle on top of the game's existing rules. Gym Heroes covered several of the earlier Kanto Gym Leaders, with the rest following a few months later in its companion set, Gym Challenge.
Frequently asked questions
What was the concept behind the Gym Heroes set?
Released in 2000, Gym Heroes was the first of two sets themed around the Gym Leaders from the original Pokémon games, giving Pokémon cards a named Trainer owner for the first time.
How did owned Pokémon work differently from normal cards?
Cards like Brock's Onix or Misty's Starmie carried their Trainer's name in the title and often came with abilities or bonuses tied to that Trainer, adding a new layer of strategy.
Which Gym Leaders were featured in Gym Heroes?
The set focused on several of the earlier Kanto Gym Leaders from the games, including Brock and Misty, with the remaining leaders following in its companion set, Gym Challenge.