The Gym series (Gym Heroes and Gym Challenge) added a massive number of cards to the card pool. Some would see play right away and others would find new life during the Neo era. One running theme of the series was that the cards were wildly experimental compared to previous sets. This culminated in both positive and negative changes to the format, and while these cards aren't as fondly remembered as the Base-Fossil sets, these sets really did lay the groundwork for the series to come.
The Grass-types of the series were mostly from the Erika and Koga archetypes, but this held little real relevance, since the sets didn't actually do that much to enforce the roleplay theme. Koga decks are a fun gimmick, at least.
Erika's Bulbasaur is a much better card than Base Bulbasaur, but it's a moot point since Erika's Venusaur is much worse than the original Venusaur. An evolving Basic isn't worth much if it has nothing relevant to evolve into.
Errand-Running does let you search for any Trainer, but relegating it to a coin flip really discourages this card from being of much use. There's no compelling reason to run this card, but it's not like it's a bad Basic.
Grade: 4/10
Erika's Ivysaur halves all damage to itself and the opponent when active. If this had been usable from the bench then this card would've been a banworthy stall enabler, but as printed it's just a way to slow the game down.
This does make it easy to survive until evolution, but a Stage 1 that can't attack on the second turn is always going to be a turn-off. Keep in mind that its attack damage will always be halved by its own effect, too.
Grade: 4/10
Erika's Venusaur is a far, far worse card than Base Venusaur. Wide Solarbeam does do a total of 60 damage, but spreading it thin makes it a little awkward to use in practice.
Don't get any fun ideas about combining Growth with Base Venusaur's Energy Trans either, since regular Ivysaur cards can't evolve into Erika's Venusaur. You'd have to run both full lines, and it isn't worth it.
Grade: 3/10
Koga's Weedle is a bit mediocre. It's the only way to get to Koga's Beedrill, though, so you're kind of stuck with it if you want to use the Evolution cards. It could certainly be worse, though.
As usual, 40 HP just isn't cutting it. While Sharp Stinger is a nifty attack, guaranteed to inflict a status, I really don't want to be leaving a 'mon this frail in the active spot beyond the first turn if I can help it.
Grade: 3/10
Koga's Kakuna is a very flippy card, but both its Pokémon Power and its attack are strong enough to warrant the coin flips. Its power is mainly a way to get to Koga's Beedrill faster, which is always nice on a mid-stage Evolution.
Meanwhile its attack can be relevant as a way to slowly burn down something absurdly tanky, like Base Chansey or Neo Genesis Steelix. The 60 HP is really not great, though.
Grade: 5/10
Koga's Beedrill thrives on the presence of the Koga support cards. You can get it out as easy as turn 2, then use a hit and run strategy with Koga's Ninja Trick, forcing your opponent to attack Koga's Muk, which can potentially drain energy from the opponent.
Decks centered around Koga's Beedrill are only rogue-tier at best, but it can sometimes steal a win against even the most powerful decks of the era.
Grade: 6/10
Koga's Ekans is a funny card, but definitely only exists as a bridge to Koga's Arbok. If you manage to flip both heads then Fast-Acting Poison can really screw up your opponent's plans.
Everything else about the card is completely average, but I believe this is the only card that can inflict both Poison AND Confusion on the first turn. So let's hope it evolves into something good to justify that funny attack.
Grade: 4/10
It didn't evolve into something good. Koga's Arbok does have a very impressive 90 HP...but only because it Poisons itself with its first attack.
A charged up Poison Power is truly deadly, but keep in mind that its not actually a turn 2 attack. After all, you need to evolve on turn 2, then waste a turn poisoning yourself, then FINALLY you get access to a respectable attack...at least until your own poison knocks you out. Really not a fan of this card's design, to be honest.
Grade: 3/10
Giovanni's Nidoran (female) doesn't do anything to really distinguish itself from the crowd. It does do significantly more damage than the original Nidoran (female), but only ever with downsides.
So would you rather flip a coin for 20 or take heavy recoil to do 30? The potential to do 30 damage on the first turn with no coin flip is very cool, though. You could use this as a dedicated baby-slayer in the Neo formats.
Grade: 5/10
Giovanni's Nidorina continues the trend of damaging itself. You may want to bring along a couple of Potions if you really want to use this line. Just like with its pre-evolution, the upsides and downsides are balanced, but not appealing.
There's nothing about this card that screams viability, and the 80 HP is deeply undermined by the recoil damage on its first attack. Body Slam is cute, but could've cost an energy less and been fine.
Grade: 5/10
Giovanni's Nidoqueen is mostly an expansion on the original Nidoqueen's concept. She only needs one partner to do big damage, although it now whiffs completely if you flip tails.
Meanwhile her Mega Kick does a little less damage than the original's Mega Punch, for a slightly lower cost. Unfortunately, being a side-grade to a card that was only "okay" at best, isn't a huge draw.
Grade: 3/10
Giovanni's Nidoran (male) is a more conservative and consistent approach to the Pokémon than its first outing, but it still only has a dismal 40 HP. The card it will eventually become is great, but it's underwhelming in its current state.
Retaliation is fun, but if your 40 HP basic has 2 damage counters on it, it's most likely going to die on the next turn anyway. There's no specific card that this guy really counters.
Grade: 3/10
Giovanni's Nidorino is underwhelming, but not awful. You need a Double Colorless Energy just to attack with it on turn 2, but at least it does respectable damage (provided you've damaged the opponent).
Keep in mind, however, that Base Wartortle was able to do 40 damage for the same cost with no restrictions at all. This card is only worth running if you're using the full line, but it does evolve into something respectable.
Grade: 3/10
Giovanni's Nidoking is very vulnerable to Super Energy Removal, but having 120 HP was a pretty big bragging point at the time. This card has seen some legitimate experimentation, although this is admittedly bolstered by it being a fan-favorite 'mon.
I personally don't see the vision, since it requires you to run multiple subpar pre-evolutions in your deck, but there was a genuine attempt here. Intimidate is also a cute little gimmick.
Grade: 6/10
Brock's Zubat (lv 5) isn't great in the active spot, but it also isn't meant to stay there. It has free retreat and its first attack lets you draw a card while switching it with a benched 'mon.
This does have some minor applications, especially since it only needs a single colorless energy, but it's not like it's the most powerful draw engine out there. Maybe worth considering in more restrictive formats though, like Prop 15/3 and WotC-20.
Grade: 6/10
Brock's Zubat (lv 11) is less forgivable. It may have a little more HP than its brother, but it's still frail. The consolation prize for losing Alert is that it has a way to inflict poison, but Poison Fang is a bit too expensive when considering this card's fragility.
By the time you can afford that attack, you should already have a stronger 'mon in play. The other Brock's Zubat can also do 20 damage with a DCE, which is ultimately better than either of these attacks.
Grade: 4/10
Brock's Golbat is better than it looks, at least, but that's not saying much. You can use Spiral Dive to spread damage and then use Fossil Gengar's Curse to move it around, which is a somewhat practical application.
I can't imagine building a deck around this card in formats where Crobat and Dark Crobat exist, but at least it does do something meaningful. And it only uses colorless energy, so it's technically always an option.
Grade: 6/10
Koga's Zubat can hit insanely hard on turn 2, but after that it starts to lose steam fast. Group Attack lets it flood the board with copies of itself, then swing in for 40 damage...but there are some caveats.
It doesn't have any turn 1 attacks. After the first copy goes down, your other copies lose value. When it is knocked out, which will happen quickly, it obviously takes the 2 energy you spent with it. Not useless, but deeply flawed.
Grade: 5/10
Koga's Golbat, sadly, does nothing to redeem the line. Sonic Scream is the same as Base Alakazam's Confuse Ray, right down to costing 3 energy of its type. If you're going to lock yourself into a mono-grass deck, I can't imagine this being the payoff that warrants it.
And as I've said many, many times before: A Stage 1 usually needs to have more than 60 HP in order to be viable, even in these old formats.
Grade: 3/10
Erika's Oddish (lv 10) has an amazing attack. For just a single energy, you're guaranteed to either inflict confusion or sleep. That's wildly above-curve. 40 HP sucks, as usual, but Strange Powder is almost enough to run the card by itself.
Sadly, its Evolutions aren't super great, so I can't give it the standing ovation that an attack like this would normally deserve. It just ends up being "neat."
Grade: 5/10
Erika's Oddish (lv12) can technically slot into every deck thanks to Photosynthesis, but it's not the most compelling option. It is true that you can power up Poisonpowder with a single Double Colorless Energy due to that unique ability, which is cool.
Unfortunately, its Evolutions still need grass energy, so if you really wanted to make use of that combo, you would be running this 40 HP weed by itself. There are better places to spend a DCE.
Grade: 2/10
Erika's Oddish (lv18) is fine. It does have more survivability than its peers, with 50 HP and mild healing effects. As such, it's a little more likely to actually stick around and evolve.
I'm not sure why Erika needed three different versions of Oddish, but I'd probably lean into this one if I wanted to play an Erika-themed deck. None of them are jaw-droppers, though.
Grade: 5/10
Erika's Gloom (lv24) is almost not terrible. Healing Pollen would be fun on a bulkier 'mon and Magic Pollen actually lets you choose which status to inflict, if you flip heads.
But even then, it's way too frail for a card that wants to attack on turn 3. I guess you could accelerate it with Meganium in later formats, but this would be FAR from my list of things you should pair with Meganium.
Grade: 3/10
Erika's Gloom (#28) reads like a remix of the original Gloom. But Foul Odor, which confuses both 'mons and does 20 damage, is a far better attack than Dream Dance.
It does have Vile Smell, which is essentially Foul Odor with 10 more damage, but the fact that it costs more energy really makes it feel like a downgrade. It does at least have 70 HP, but I would honestly rather run the original Oddish line at this point.
Grade: 4/10
Erika's Vileplume is the big payoff that all of this was leading up to. Pollen Defense would have been a really, really powerful Pokémon Power on a Stage 1 card, but it feels too slow here. You have to get out this Stage 2, get hit, and then win a coin flip. No thanks.
As for Mega Drain, it does round up, which is neat. Doing 30 damage and healing for 20 is respectable. I don't hate this card, but it's not worth all the investment that goes into a Stage 2.
Grade: 4/10
Erika's Paras lives a sad, lonely existence as the only Paras that can't evolve, since there was never an Erika's Parasect. The attacks are fine and this would have been an okay card as a bridge to an evolution, but since it doesn't evolve it's competing with cards like Jungle Scyther.
And I hope I don't need to tell you that it didn't win the competition. Poison Spore is at least a funny little attack, so the poor guy's got that going for him.
Grade: 2/10
Sabrina's Venonat is a really interesting card and it does have solid attacks. You get guaranteed poison on the first turn and a chance to remove energy on the second, assuming you can power both.
It does demand that you run a mix of grass and psychic energy, though, or else spend a Rainbow Energy on a 'mon that really can't afford to take the 10 damage. Also, that second attachment is a waste since Sabrina's Venomoth never uses it.
Grade: 5/10
Sabrina's Venomoth is a major annoyance for your opponent. Healing Pollen applies a weak healing effect to your entire team and Sonic Distortion practically guarantees confusion. It even has free retreat.
It can be splashed into a Night Spirits deck, since the deck can cheat evolutions into play with Brock's Ninetales and is already running psychic energy. But it's only ever a cool tech card, not the star of any deck.
Grade: 6/10
Erika's Bellsprout (lv 12) is a reasonable but not great basic. Vine Whip is theoretically a great attack, but with 40 HP you won't be using it very often. As a result, this is essentially just Base Weedle with some extra text on it.
But unlike Base Weedle, this little guy has a really powerful evolution card to look forward to. This probably isn't the version of the 'mon I would use to get to that evolution, though.
Grade: 4/10
Erika's Bellsprout (lv 15) is slightly bulkier than its sibling cards, at a respectable 50 HP. It can also attack for a single colorless energy, but this ironically comes at the cost of throwing away that extra 10 HP.
On the bright side, you are hitting in for 20 damage. I think it's a fair trade-off, all things considered. Not good enough to play outside of its intended deck, but still very good within that context.
Grade: 6/10
Erika's Bellsprout (lv 13) is a good card, but you probably don't want to play a full playset of it. Soak Up really shines in the late game, after you've gradually absorbed energy off of 'mons that were "used up" by the back and forth exchange of the early game.
This card's job is primarily to sit on the bench until it's ready to evolve, but just the fact that it keeps your energy in play gives the deck some much needed resilience.
Grade: 6/10
Erika's Weepinbell (lv 26) isn't the best card in a vacuum, but Flytrap is a fun attack. Being able to switch in the opposing 'mon before dealing damage is a great way to pick off a weakened opponent.
Its real purpose is just to evolve into a much better card, but it deserves some credit for being a Stage 1 that might steal a prize in the meantime. I really wish it weren't stuck at 60 HP, though.
Grade: 6/10
Erika's Weepinbell (lv 30) is a more generically solid card, in my opinion. Sleep Poison has a chance to buy you one more turn to evolve, while also putting out some damage with poison.
Vine Whip may feel pointless since you're hoping to evolve on the same turn that you play your third energy, but there will be times that you just don't draw into the Stage 2, so it's an appreciated option to have. A very solid middle-stage 'mon.
Grade: 7/10
Erika's Victreebel is so powerful that I almost gave its previous forms higher scores by association. Fragrance Trap is Gust of Wind on a body, and you're absolutely willing to put up with the coin flip for an effect like that.
It's no slouch at attacking either, doing a solid 50 damage per hit on a decently efficient attack. It can be used as strictly a supporter, but is perfectly viable as the star of a deck. Keep in mind that Erika's Maids also makes finding your Erika's evolutions easier.
Grade: 10/10
Koga's Grimer is just one of those funny little guys that do unique things. Sludge Grip is arguably a decent attack, but it's a little too situational when it's your only first-turn option. It never feels good to fail a coin flip and cancel your own attack completely.
This is definitely a step down from Fossil Grimer, but if you want to play Koga's Muk you're stuck with this guy.
Grade: 4/10
Koga's Muk mainly exists to be a defensive nuisance. You can use Koga's Ninja Trick to force your opponent to attack into this thing, potentially poisoning them on their own turn.
I don't want to mislead you into thinking this is a powerful card, though. The fact that its attack and retreat both cost 3 energy makes this combo less reliable than it should be. It's still a neat tech card for Koga's deck, though.
Grade: 5/10
Erika's Exeggcute (lv 15) is super awkward. If its attacks shared the same energy then I could just call it a middling basic, but ultimately you're encouraged to just put a psychic energy on it and then make a beeline for its evolution.
This isn't helped along by how insulting the downside of Egg Bomb is. If the attack either failed or did recoil on a tails that might be fine, but both? That was just unnecessary.
Grade: 2/10
Erika's Exeggcute (lv 12) isn't great, either. The damage on Eggsplosion is uncapped, but it averages out at 5 damage per energy. The 40 HP on this card isn't doing it any favors, either.
Gun to my head, I'd probably choose the previous version, but avoid both if possible. They're clunky cards and their evolution isn't even the best Exeggutor you could be running.
Grade: 2/10
The only saving grace for Erika's Exeggutor is that its line benefits from the extra consistency of Erika's Maids. But after all that effort to evolve, your big reward at the end is...Stomp?
Psychic Exchange looks amazing if you're not familiar with the older formats. But veteran players will know that between Oak, Bill, Cleffa, Elm, Mary, and a host of other draw cards, there's just no reason to run this outside of maybe Prop 15/3.
Grade: 4/10
Koga's Koffing (lv 15) is a perfectly reasonable basic. You may scoff at how inconvenient Obscuring Gas looks, but it's mainly there as a failsafe when you were about to get knocked out anyway.
Even without that attack, a 50 HP evolving basic with Smokescreen would be good enough to do what it needs to do, which is survive until it evolves. Unfortunately, the thing it evolves into is pretty bad.
Grade: 4/10
Koga's Koffing (lv 10) is a bit more questionable. The "upside" of Smelly Gas is symmetrical, and I don't love damaging my own bench when I can help it. It's not even a great inclusion in Rage/Flail decks since the effect is on a coin flip.
All this and with only 40 HP to its name, I can't imagine this being the version you'd ever want to run. Stick with the first one.
Grade: 2/10
Koga's Weezing is mediocre. It's not even bad enough to make jokes about, it's just kind of not great. Spontaneous Explosion is obviously not ideal. It's a slightly stronger Quick Attack that does massive recoil damage on a tails. Ew.
Toxic Cloud is fine, but this isn't the kind of attack that sells me on an evolution card. At least it's marginally better than the original Weezing, but it's also nowhere near Dark Weezing.
Grade: 3/10
Erika's Tangela is the typical tragedy of WotC-era Tangela cards. It's about as weak as an evolving basic, but doesn't actually evolve. They even gave it a worse version of Hitmonlee's Stretch Kick, as if to mock Tangela for daring to exist.
Needless to say, this thing has no real utility in any competitive deck. The low damage output means that it won't even beat grass-weak 'mons reliably, and that's just embarrassing.
Grade: 2/10
There might be a parallel universe where Jungle Scyther was never released and Rocket's Scyther saw serious play. There's nothing objectively wrong with the card. Its damage output and the unique dodgy effect of Shadow Images are both very solid traits to have.
To be fair, there are point-buy formats like Hall of Fame where you might use this Scyther just to avoid spending any points on Jungle Scyther. It's a fine enough card on its own merits.
Grade: 7/10
Giovanni's Pinsir doesn't fit into Giovanni decks, which largely want to play evolution cards, and isn't the best grass-type basic outside of those decks either.
Just like the original Pinsir, it suffers from "can't attack on the first turn" syndrome, a plague that swept across many a basic who might have been playable otherwise.
Grade: 4/10
If you haven't already noticed, it's not that the cards of the gym series were bad by any means. The issue is that they were sandwiched between the absurdly polarized Base-Rocket sets and the powerful new cards of the Neo block.
As such, there was a very limited window for most of these cards to compete. There were some good cards in the sets, but they were obscured by the long, long list of middling and bad cards that came along for the ride.
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