Erika

Erika in the anime: Celadon's perfumer

In the anime Erika also runs a perfume shop in Celadon City, selling a scent made from the essence of her favorite Pokémon, Gloom. When Ash insults the perfume in Pokémon Scent-sation!, she has him banned from the shop and, with it, her Gym.

Ash gets back in disguised as a girl named Ashley and signs up as a student, until Pikachu recognizes him and gives him away. Erika agrees to a battle anyway, but Team Rocket sets the Gym on fire mid-match. Ash runs into the blaze to rescue her Gloom, and a grateful Erika awards him the Rainbow Badge.

Erika's Pokémon on cards

The Gym sets put Erika's name on her Red and Blue team's full evolutionary lines (Oddish, Gloom and Vileplume; Bellsprout, Weepinbell and Victreebel) plus Tangela, and went well beyond it: Erika's Bulbasaur, Ivysaur and Venusaur, Clefairy and Clefable, Jigglypuff, Paras, Exeggcute and Exeggutor, and even a Dratini and Dragonair. Ascended Heroes (January 2026) brought her Owner's Pokémon back with new Oddish, Gloom, Bellsprout, Weepinbell, Victreebel and Tangela cards, headed by Erika's Vileplume ex.

Erika on cards: from Gym Heroes to the 30th Celebration

Erika's English card history opens with Gym Heroes (August 14, 2000), the set that brought Owner's Pokémon to English cards: Pokémon that carry a Gym Leader's name, with a small headshot of the Leader over her Gym Badge. Gym Heroes holds her own holo Trainer card, Erika, and three holo Owner's Pokémon: Erika's Clefable, Erika's Dragonair and Erika's Vileplume. Gym Challenge (October 16, 2000) added a holo Erika's Venusaur and the Trainer card Erika's Kindness.

Her later cards are mostly Supporters: Erika's Hospitality in Team Up (2019), with a full-art Ultra Rare at #174 and a reprint in Hidden Fates, an Erika Supporter in Cosmic Eclipse (2019), and Erika's Invitation in 151 (2023), whose Special Illustration Rare is by Cona Nitanda. Ascended Heroes added an Illustration Rare of Erika's Tangela by buchi, and the 30th Celebration Classic Collection (September 16, 2026) reprinted Erika's Jigglypuff from Gym Challenge with Ken Sugimori's original art.

Cards to know

• Erika (Gym Heroes #16)

  Her own holo Trainer card, from the first English set of Owner's Pokémon cards.

• Erika's Vileplume (Gym Heroes #5)

  A holo of her signature Pokémon from the Red and Blue games.

• Erika's Venusaur (Gym Challenge #4)

  Her holo Owner's Pokémon in the second Gym set.

• Erika's Hospitality (Team Up #174)

  The full-art Ultra Rare of her 2019 Supporter card.

• Erika's Invitation (151 #203)

  A Special Illustration Rare with artwork by Cona Nitanda.

• Erika's Tangela (Ascended Heroes #218)

  An Illustration Rare by buchi from the 2026 return of her Owner's Pokémon.