Misty 18/132: Gym Heroes och 30th Celebration

Misty's Trainer card first appeared in Gym Heroes in 2000. Now it is back in 30th Celebration, and we just graded a copy to NG 10. Here is the story behind the card.

Pokémon turns 30 in 2026. The first games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, were released in Japan on 27 February 1996. The anniversary is celebrated with 30th Celebration, where classic cards are reprinted with a Pikachu logo and the number 30. One of them is Misty's Trainer card, and we recently graded a copy to NG 10.

Who is Misty?

Misty is the Gym Leader of Cerulean City and specialises in Water-type Pokémon. Beat her in the games and you earn the Cascade Badge. In the anime she travelled with Ash for several seasons, which made her one of the most recognised characters in the series.

Misty in Gym Heroes, 2000

The original is card 18 of 132 in Gym Heroes, released in 2000. Gym Heroes and its follow-up Gym Challenge were the first sets where the Gym Leaders got their own cards and their own versions of their Pokémon, such as Misty's Psyduck and Misty's Tentacruel. The Misty card was a holographic Trainer, illustrated by Ken Sugimori, who was also behind many of the original Pokémon designs.

What does the card do?

To play it you must discard two other cards from your hand. If your attack that turn damages the Defending Pokémon, and the attacking Pokémon has Misty in its name, the attack does 20 more damage. In other words, the card is built to be played together with Misty's own Pokémon.

How to tell the original from 30th Celebration

The easiest tell is the Pikachu logo with the number 30 in the lower right of the artwork. It only appears on the anniversary version. If you buy a graded original, check that the label says Gym Heroes and compare the set number 18/132.

Misty is back in several sets

Misty has had a revival in modern sets too. Scarlet & Violet Destined Rivals from 2025 brought back cards such as Misty's Psyduck and Misty's Lapras as Illustration Rares. Gym Leader cards are clearly still in demand among collectors.

What does it take to get a 10?

When we grade, we look at centering, corners, edges and surface. On holographic cards like this one, scratches and print defects show clearly in the holo pattern, so the surface often decides between a 9 and a 10. This copy made it all the way. You can find the certificate here: See the certificate →

Want to grade your cards?

Do you have a Misty card, or something else from the Gym sets, that deserves a grade? Read how grading works with us: How grading works → Not sure where your cards will land? Start with a pre-grading: Book a pre-grading →

Misty 18/132: from Gym Heroes to Pokémon's 30th anniversary