Erika's Bellsprout

Numbered 75 of 132 in Gym Heroes, released in August 2000, Erika's Bellsprout is a Common, a Basic Grass-type carrying 40 HP.

As a Basic Pokémon, Bellsprout 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 Bellsprout 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.

A bipedal flower Pokémon. Long stalks, mouth at the top of the plant. Jungle Common. Steady raw demand.

Erika's Bellsprout is a Common, so raw copies trade for very little and most of the print run survives. The only real value is in pristine, high-grade copies, where even a Common can reach low triple digits in 1st Edition PSA 10. See the live price above for 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 Erika's Bellsprout carries the Edition 1 stamp and a premium over Unlimited in matching grade.

Erika's Bellsprout is the most forgiving tier to grade in the set. Centering on the framed border is the usual cap, and the soft Wizards-era cardstock picks up edge whitening easily, but high print runs keep clean copies affordable.

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