Japanese Gym Challenge

Japanese Gym Challenge (1999), Challenge from the Darkness, is the sixth Japanese expansion: 98 cards with 16 holos of Sabrina, Koga, Blaine and Giovanni.

Japanese release: June 25, 1999
Cards: 98
Set code: PMCG6
Era: Original
Known for: Sabrina's Gengar, Blaine's Charizard and Rocket's Mewtwo, Imakuni?'s Doduo and the blank named Chansey
Updated: September 20, 2026
Prices as of: October 20, 2026

Values

Tracked cards
77
Variants
5
Raw cards over $100
2
Median raw price
$3.16
Booster box
$129.95

Chase cards

Sabrina's Gengar

No. 94 · Rare

Raw $450.60 · PSA 9 $1,644.00 · PSA 10 $8,000.00

Blaine's Charizard

No. 6 · Common

Raw $158.50 · PSA 9 $540.00 · PSA 10 $3,346.95

Rocket's Mewtwo

No. 150 · other

Raw $95.00 · PSA 9 $338.00 · PSA 10 $2,590.00

Rocket's Snorlax

No. 143 · other

Raw $30.00 · PSA 9 $175.00 · PSA 10 $1,876.71

Giovanni's Gyarados

No. 130 · other

Raw $40.50 · PSA 9 $185.42 · PSA 10 $1,282.49

Imakuni?'s Doduo

No. 84 · Uncommon

Raw $58.00 · PSA 9 $168.33 · PSA 10 $1,177.32

Erika's Venusaur

No. 3 · Common

Raw $50.74 · PSA 9 $208.75 · PSA 10 $1,010.00

Blaine's Moltres

No. 146 · other

Raw $43.32 · PSA 9 $187.50 · PSA 10 $958.00

_____'s Chansey

No. 113 · other

Raw $31.50 · PSA 9 $142.91 · PSA 10 $949.50

Koga's Ditto

No. 132 · other

Raw $29.49 · PSA 9 $125.00 · PSA 10 $878.00

Blaine's Arcanine

No. 59 · Uncommon

Raw $33.25 · PSA 9 $170.71 · PSA 10 $845.50

Sabrina's Psyduck

No. 54 · Holo Rare

Raw $7.95 · PSA 9 $89.00 · PSA 10 $820.00

Sabrina's Alakazam

No. 65 · Common

Raw $28.09 · PSA 9 $117.89 · PSA 10 $757.50

Lt. Surge's Raichu

No. 26 · Common

Raw $26.49 · PSA 9 $148.16 · PSA 10 $669.37

Giovanni's Nidoking

No. 34 · Holo Rare

Raw $28.92 · PSA 9 $106.06 · PSA 10 $650.00

Sabrina's Gengar #94 (Rare) trades at raw $450.60, PSA 9 $1,644.00 and PSA 10 $8,000.00.

Blaine's Charizard #6 (Common) trades at raw $158.50, PSA 9 $540.00 and PSA 10 $3,346.95.

Rocket's Mewtwo #150 (other) trades at raw $95.00, PSA 9 $338.00 and PSA 10 $2,590.00.

Rocket's Snorlax #143 (other) trades at raw $30.00, PSA 9 $175.00 and PSA 10 $1,876.71.

Giovanni's Gyarados #130 (other) trades at raw $40.50, PSA 9 $185.42 and PSA 10 $1,282.49.

Imakuni?'s Doduo #84 (Uncommon) trades at raw $58.00, PSA 9 $168.33 and PSA 10 $1,177.32.

Erika's Venusaur #3 (Common) trades at raw $50.74, PSA 9 $208.75 and PSA 10 $1,010.00.

Blaine's Moltres #146 (other) trades at raw $43.32, PSA 9 $187.50 and PSA 10 $958.00.

_____'s Chansey #113 (other) trades at raw $31.50, PSA 9 $142.91 and PSA 10 $949.50.

Koga's Ditto #132 (other) trades at raw $29.49, PSA 9 $125.00 and PSA 10 $878.00.

Blaine's Arcanine #59 (Uncommon) trades at raw $33.25, PSA 9 $170.71 and PSA 10 $845.50.

Sabrina's Psyduck #54 (Holo Rare) trades at raw $7.95, PSA 9 $89.00 and PSA 10 $820.00.

Sabrina's Alakazam #65 (Common) trades at raw $28.09, PSA 9 $117.89 and PSA 10 $757.50.

Lt. Surge's Raichu #26 (Common) trades at raw $26.49, PSA 9 $148.16 and PSA 10 $669.37.

Giovanni's Nidoking #34 (Holo Rare) trades at raw $28.92, PSA 9 $106.06 and PSA 10 $650.00.

Sealed products

Booster Box

The Japanese display of Challenge from the Darkness packs, the benchmark sealed product for the set.

Live price: $129.95

Booster Pack

Single Challenge from the Darkness packs.

Live price: $1,063.00

Guren Town Gym Theme Deck

The Blaine deck from Cinnabar Island, one of the Gym Leader Theme Decks sold alongside the set.

Live price: $200.51

Category	Name	Price
booster box	Booster Box	$129.95
booster pack	Booster Pack	$1,063.00
other	Guren Town Gym Theme Deck	$200.51

Unnumbered cards

Name	Price
Blaine	$10.50
Blaine's Gamble	$1.85
Blaine's Last Resort	$2.12
Blaine's Ninetales	$7.90
Blaine's Vulpix	$2.50
Cinnabar City Gym	$2.00
Fuchsia City Gym	$1.99
Giovanni	$10.27
Giovanni's Last Resort	$3.39
Koga	$3.53
Koga's Ninja Trick	$124.10
Koga's Ninja Trick [Corrected Art]	$125.75
Koga's Pidgey	$2.00
Minion of Team Rocket	$2.86
Rocket's Minefield Gym	$2.69
Rocket's Secret Experiment	$2.32
Sabrina	$7.99
Sabrina's ESP	$4.25
Sabrina's Gaze	$31.25
Sabrina's Psychic Control	$6.25
Saffron City Gym	$3.13
Tickling Machine	$3.99
Warp Point	$1.81
Transparent Walls	$2.00
Trash Exchange	$1.49
Viridian City Gym	$3.80

About Japanese Gym Challenge

What Japanese Gym Challenge is

Challenge from the Darkness, the second Gym Expansion, is the sixth expansion of the Japanese Pokémon Card Game, released on June 25, 1999 as the original print of most of the English Gym Challenge of October 16, 2000. It has 98 cards: 16 holofoil rares, 16 rares, 32 uncommons, 32 commons and two special cards, Imakuni?'s Doduo and _____'s Chansey. It is based on Pokémon Red, Blue and Green and built around the Kanto Gym Leaders Sabrina, Koga, Blaine and Giovanni alongside Team Rocket.

Its holofoils include Sabrina's Gengar and Alakazam, Blaine's Charizard, Arcanine and Moltres, Giovanni's Gyarados, Nidoking, Machamp and Persian, Rocket's Mewtwo and Zapdos, Koga's Beedrill and Ditto, Erika's Venusaur, Lt. Surge's Raichu and the Giovanni Trainer card. The English Gym Challenge combined it with the rest of Leaders' Stadium to reach 132 cards.

What makes Japanese Gym Challenge different

Sabrina's Gengar Sabrina's Gengar 94 leads the set in PSA 10 by a wide margin, with Blaine's Charizard 6 second and Rocket's Mewtwo 150 third, the three holos that define the set.
Imakuni?'s Doduo and the blank Chansey Imakuni?'s Doduo 84, drawn by Tomoaki Imakuni, and _____'s Chansey 113, an Ultra Rare uncommon whose owner name is left blank, are one of a kind rarities that both rank in the set's top ten in PSA 10.
Redrawn for English Two Gym cards were redrawn for the English release because their original artwork was judged inappropriate, Koga's Ninja Trick and Misty's Tears, so the Japanese prints carry the original illustrations.

How Japanese Gym Challenge arrived

Challenge from the Darkness released in Japan on June 25, 1999, following Leaders' Stadium, the first Gym Expansion, and ahead of Southern Islands on July 17, 1999 and the Neo era. Its cards reached English on October 16, 2000 as Gym Challenge, the seventh Wizards of the Coast expansion, with four Theme Decks named for Sabrina, Koga, Blaine and Giovanni. The Japanese set is tracked here as its own hub because its prints are the first prints of these Owner's Pokémon.

Japanese Gym Challenge products

Challenge from the Darkness was sold in Japanese booster packs and boxes and in Gym Leader Theme Decks. The sealed table above tracks boxes, packs and the Guren Town deck.

Collecting and grading Japanese Gym Challenge

Sabrina's Gengar 94 leads the set in PSA 10, with Blaine's Charizard 6 second, then Rocket's Mewtwo 150, Rocket's Snorlax 143, Giovanni's Gyarados 130, Imakuni?'s Doduo 84, Erika's Venusaur 3, Blaine's Moltres 146, _____'s Chansey 113, Koga's Ditto 132, Blaine's Arcanine 59, Sabrina's Psyduck 54 and Sabrina's Alakazam 65. The live chase list above ranks every tracked card by PSA 10 value.

The hub tracks Japanese Gym cards by National Pokédex number rather than a printed set number, because the 1999 cards carry no collector numbers. Japanese holofoils from 1999 show holo scratches and edge wear readily, so PSA 10 copies carry a very wide premium over PSA 9. Sealed boxes are tracked in the sealed table above.

Notable cards

Sabrina's Gengar #94

holo rare owner's pokemon

The Sabrina's Gengar holo, the most valuable card in Japanese Gym Challenge in PSA 10 by a wide margin.

Raw $450.60 · PSA 9 $1,644.00 · PSA 10 $8,000.00

Blaine's Charizard #6

holo rare owner's pokemon

The Blaine's Charizard holo, the set's Charizard and second in the set in PSA 10.

Raw $158.50 · PSA 9 $540.00 · PSA 10 $3,346.95

Rocket's Mewtwo #150

holo rare team rocket

The Rocket's Mewtwo holo, a top three card in the set in PSA 10.

Raw $95.00 · PSA 9 $338.00 · PSA 10 $2,590.00

Rocket's Snorlax #143

rare team rocket

The Rocket's Snorlax, a non holo rare that ranks fourth in the set in PSA 10.

Raw $30.00 · PSA 9 $175.00 · PSA 10 $1,876.71

Imakuni?'s Doduo #84

super rare imakuni

The Imakuni?'s Doduo, a one of a kind Super Rare drawn by Tomoaki Imakuni and a top ten card in PSA 10.

Raw $2.42 · PSA 9 $20.51 · PSA 10 $132.07

_____'s Chansey #113

ultra rare uncommon

The blank named Chansey, the set's Ultra Rare uncommon and a top ten card in PSA 10.

Raw $31.50 · PSA 9 $142.91 · PSA 10 $949.50

Timeline

1999-06-25: Challenge from the Darkness releases in Japan
1999-07-17: Southern Islands releases in Japan
2000-10-16: English Gym Challenge releases

Set composition

Rarity breakdown

Pokemon type mix

Illustrators in this set

Ken Sugimori: 73
Atsuko Nishida: 9
Keiji Kinebuchi: 7
Shin-ichi Yoshida: 3
Sumiyoshi Kizuki: 2
575381: 1
Kagemaru Himeno: 1
Ryo Ueda: 1
Tomoaki Imakuni: 1

Full card checklist

Filter cards

Number	Name	Variant	Rarity	Artist	Raw	PSA 9	PSA 10
2	Erika's Ivysaur	Standard	Common	Ken Sugimori	$8.50	$50.90	$320.88
3	Blaine's Quiz	Standard	Common	Ken Sugimori	$2.25	$24.99	$107.05
3	Erika's Venusaur	Standard	Common	Ken Sugimori	$50.74	$208.75	$1,010.00
4	Blaine's Charmander	Standard	Common	Ken Sugimori	$4.36	$56.51	$317.50
4	Blaine's Charmander	[Lv. 18]	Common	Ken Sugimori	$4.00	$57.30	$331.00
5	Blaine's Charmeleon	Standard	Common	575381	$4.70	$50.00	$389.65
6	Blaine's Charizard	Standard	Common	Ken Sugimori	$158.50	$540.00	$3,346.95
13	Koga's Weedle	Standard	Uncommon	Ken Sugimori	$1.73	$30.83	$150.00
14	Koga's Kakuna	Standard	Uncommon	Ken Sugimori	$3.13	$23.50	$241.42
15	Koga's Beedrill	Standard	Uncommon	Ken Sugimori	$18.49	$75.45	$380.00
16	Koga's Pidgey	Standard	Uncommon	Ken Sugimori	$2.58	$24.50	$135.05
17	Koga's Pidgeotto	Standard	Holo Rare	Ken Sugimori	$3.42	$26.90	$182.50
23	Koga's Ekans	Standard	Rare	Ken Sugimori	$1.69	$22.50	$69.00
24	Koga's Arbok	Standard	Rare	Ken Sugimori	$3.18	$23.52	$108.50
26	Lt. Surge's Raichu	Standard	Common	Ken Sugimori	$26.49	$148.16	$669.37
29	Giovanni's Nidoran	Standard	Uncommon	Ken Sugimori	$1.99	$27.83	$113.39
30	Giovanni's Nidorina	Standard	Uncommon	Ken Sugimori	$2.92	$31.00	$156.75
31	Giovanni's Nidoqueen	Standard	Uncommon	Ken Sugimori	$6.44	$94.96	$204.27
32	Giovanni's Nidoran	Standard	Holo Rare	Ken Sugimori	$2.19	$18.50	$90.00
33	Giovanni's Nidorino	Standard	Rare	Ken Sugimori	$2.75	$22.28	$202.44
34	Giovanni's Nidoking	Standard	Holo Rare	Ken Sugimori	$28.92	$106.06	$650.00
37	Blaine's Vulpix	Standard	Common	Ken Sugimori	$3.53	$21.00	$221.82
37	Blaine's Vulpix	[Lv. 10]	Common	Ken Sugimori	No current price	No current price	No current price
38	Blaine's Ninetales	Standard	Rare	Ken Sugimori	$6.99	$39.14	$115.01

Collector guides

Best Graded Dugtrio Cards: Collector & Investor Guide

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Best Graded Golduck Cards: Collector & Investor Guide

Best Graded Haunter Cards: Collector & Investor Guide

Best Graded Hypno Cards: Collector & Investor Guide

Best Graded Jynx Cards: Collector & Investor Guide

Best Graded Venomoth Cards: Collector & Investor Guide

Pokemon posts

Best Graded Gengar Cards: The 10 Best and Most Expensive Gengar Cards, Best Graded Charizard Cards: The 10 Best and Most Expensive Charizard Cards, Best Graded Mewtwo Cards: The 10 Best and Most Expensive Mewtwo Cards, Best Graded Snorlax Cards: The 10 Best and Most Expensive Snorlax Cards, Best Graded Gyarados Cards: The 10 Best and Most Expensive Gyarados Cards, Best Graded Doduo Cards: Collector & Investor Guide

Counterpart sets

English release: Gym Challenge (October 16, 2000)

Era navigation

Browse Original sets

Japanese Gym Challenge FAQ

When did Japanese Gym Challenge come out?

Challenge from the Darkness released in Japan on June 25, 1999 as the sixth expansion of the Pokémon Card Game. The English Gym Challenge followed on October 16, 2000.

How many cards are in Japanese Gym Challenge?

98 cards: 16 holofoil rares, 16 rares, 32 uncommons, 32 commons, Imakuni?'s Doduo and _____'s Chansey. The English Gym Challenge has 132 because it added cards from Leaders' Stadium.

What are the chase cards in Japanese Gym Challenge?

Sabrina's Gengar 94 leads in PSA 10, followed by Blaine's Charizard 6, Rocket's Mewtwo 150, Rocket's Snorlax 143 and Giovanni's Gyarados 130. The live chase list above ranks every tracked card by PSA 10 value.

What is the most expensive card in Japanese Gym Challenge?

The highest value card currently tracked for Japanese Gym Challenge is Sabrina's Gengar #94 at $8,000 in PSA 10.

How much is a Japanese Gym Challenge booster box?

A sealed Challenge from the Darkness booster box currently tracks at $130. Packs and the Guren Town Gym Theme Deck are listed in the sealed table above.

Why do the cards have Pokédex numbers instead of set numbers?

The 1999 Japanese cards were printed without collector numbers, so the hub tracks them by National Pokédex number, which is why Sabrina's Gengar is 94 and Blaine's Charizard is 6.

Sources

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