Gym Challenge (TCG)

Gym Challenge (Japanese: ? Gym 2) is the name given to the seventh expansion of new cards and Theme Decks for the Pokémon Trading Card Game. It was based on the last four Gym Leaders of Pokémon Red and Blue.

Set size: 132 in North America, at least 128 in Japan (94 avaliable in packs + 34 fixed cards)

Sequence: 7th set in North America, 7th set in Japan

Release date: October 16th, 2000 in the US, June 1999 in Japan.

• Challenge was originally planned to be released on Oct. 16th. Then it was pushed up the 7th. Then back to the 16th. Many Sears locations ended up released it on the 4th.

Miscellaneous:

• Like Gym 1, Gym 2 was based on the four "Kanto" Gym Leaders; Koga, Sabrina, Blaine, and Giovanni.
• And like Gym Heroes, Gym Challenge was a mix of Gym 1 and Gym 2.
• The Japanese title of Gym 2 was Challenge From The Dark.
• Two Japanese cards, Imakuni?'s Doduo and ____'s Chansey from Gym 2 didn't make an appearance in the North American release of Challenge. Imakuni is more popular in Japan than in North America, so the card's exclusion was mostly due to prevent confusion from players. Also, neither of those really fit in a "serious" card set.
• The Trainer card "Misty's Tears" was originally in Gym 1, but got pushed to Gym 2. The artwork had to be changed for its North American release, as the Japanese version had a "nude" Misty as its picture. Other art changes between Japanese and North American releases include Sabrina's Gaze (people considered her to be giving the viewer "the finger"), and Koga's Ninja Trick (which had a swastika on it that could have been mistaken for the Nazi's symbol of choice).
• "Common rares" didn't make an appearance in Gym Challenge, unlike in Gym Heroes.

Theme Decks: Sabrina, Koga, Blaine, and Giovanni.