Erika's Bulbasaur

Numbered 39 of 132 in Gym Challenge, released in October 2000, Erika's Bulbasaur is an Uncommon, a Basic Grass-type carrying 50 HP.

As a Basic Pokémon, Bulbasaur needs no prior evolution to put into play, which made it a practical card in the era's decks.

Erika is the Grass-type Gym Leader of Celadon City, a calm tea enthusiast who tends the city's gardens. Erika's Bulbasaur is part of that themed lineup.

Illustrated by Ken Sugimori. Sugimori is the lead character designer of Pokémon itself, so his card art carries the tight, on-model look that defined how the creatures appear in the games.

The grass starter from Red and Blue. A small quadruped with a plant bulb growing on its back that flowers as it evolves. The first Pokémon in the National Pokédex. Bulbasaur prints sit one tier below the holo starters in collector demand, but the Base Set Bulbasaur sees real movement among set completionists chasing a full 1st Edition run.

Erika's Bulbasaur is an Uncommon, so raw copies are inexpensive and easy to find. The value is in condition: a genuine PSA 10, especially 1st Edition, can still reach a surprising figure for an otherwise common card. The live price above breaks it down by grade.

Gym Challenge shipped in 1st Edition and Unlimited, with no Shadowless print. The trainer-prefix naming runs across the set, and the 1st Edition Erika's Bulbasaur carries the Edition 1 stamp and a premium over Unlimited in matching grade.

Erika's Bulbasaur grades forgivingly, but the same centering and edge standards apply. Pack-fresh raw copies are easy to find, which makes a clean PSA 10 submission a low-cost way to learn how the cardstock behaves under grading.

Raw copies of Erika's Bulbasaur are inexpensive enough that grading rarely pays unless you have a clearly pack-fresh example. For set completion, a clean sleeved Erika's Bulbasaur is the practical move.