Rocket's Scyther

Numbered 13 of 132 in Gym Heroes, released in August 2000, Rocket's Scyther is a Rare Holo, a Basic Grass-type carrying 60 HP.

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

This is a Team Rocket card, a member of the criminal organization's roster in the Gym Challenge set. Rocket's Scyther 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.

A Bug-Flying mantis Pokémon with sharp arm blades. Jungle holo Scyther was tournament-strong at release. Its 70 HP basic stats with a low-cost Slash attack made it dominant in early competitive play, which means high-grade survivors are scarce.

Rocket's Scyther 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 Rocket's Scyther carries the Edition 1 stamp and a premium over Unlimited in matching grade.

On a holo like Rocket's Scyther, surface is the grade cap. The grass foil shows hairlines under raking light, and the print reveals scratches that flat scans miss. Centering on the left and right borders is the second thing to check.

For Rocket's Scyther, variant comes before condition. A 1st Edition and an Unlimited Rocket's Scyther are different markets for the same art, so settle the print before you negotiate. Demand a clear photo of the Rocket's Scyther holo for any raw purchase.