Misty's Seadra

Misty's Seadra is card 9 of 132 in Gym Heroes, released in August 2000, a Rare Holo. It is a Stage 1 Water-type with 70 HP.

As a Stage 1, it evolves from Misty's Horsea, which places Misty's Seadra deeper in its line and means most collectors hold it alongside the cards it evolves from.

Misty is the Water-type Gym Leader of Cerulean City and one of Ash's earliest traveling companions. Misty's Seadra is part of that themed lineup.

Illustrated by Atsuko Nishida. Nishida is the original designer of Pikachu and many Gen 1 Pokémon, and her card work has a soft, rounded warmth that suits the friendlier creatures.

The fully evolved Horsea. Spiked back fins. Fossil Uncommon with thin demand.

Misty's Seadra is a holo rare, one of the cards that holds Gym Heroes's value. The print variant decides most of it: a 1st Edition copy in high grade commands a large premium over a Shadowless or Unlimited one. In top-grade 1st Edition, Gym Heroes holos range from the mid hundreds for the lesser cards up to Sabrina's Gengar at the top; raw and Unlimited copies trade for a fraction of that. The live market price above shows the current figure by grade.

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

Expect the holo window to set the grade on Misty's Seadra. Print misregistration and fine scratches in the water foil are the usual reasons a copy lands at a 9, and edge whitening against the frame is the next thing a grader notes.

Buying Misty's Seadra well means pricing the exact print and grade, not the card name. The 1st Edition Misty's Seadra trades above the Unlimited copy, so confirm the stamp before you agree a number. Always see the holo surface in good light first.